Soma 2015 - Spring Fashion by Soma Magazine

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MOdelS Of influence ruSSell jAMeS AndreyA triAnA / geOrge fitzgerAld Volume 29.2

Apr ‘15

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lA cOllectiOnneuSe Street chic / pAriS blue StreAk / cup Of luxury Canada $4.50

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The internationally acclaimed magazine of culture, fashion and the arts Publisher & Editor-in-Chief A. Ghanbarian Creative Director Timothy Petersen Art Director Managing Editor

Alberto J. Carvajal Jennifer Richardson

Arts & Culture Editor

Debra Winter

European Style Editor

Sissi Johnson

Contributing Copy Editor

Talia Page

Music Editor

Lily Moyari

Social Media Intern

Taylor Kim

Communication Intern

Valerie Tsai

Associate Editor

Alyssa Elias

Associate Editor

Valeria Mercado

Contributing Editor

Kat Smith

Contributing Writers Karena Akhavein, Zee Chang, Caitlin Clarke, Jonathan Cheung, Tess Collins, Kate Zaliznock J. Poet, Morgan K. Stern, Emilie Trice, Jennifer Richardson, William Lankford, Sissi Johnson, Debra Winter, Katia Ganfield, Joa Bohorquez, Julie Albin Contributing Photographers Nigel Barker, Martin Vallin, Olivia Beasley, Kenji Toma, Sean Gelbaugh, Darian Zahedi, Sergio Zahedi, James Russel, Mike Kabol Contributing Stylists Mark Anthony Bradley, M O S E S™, Joa Bohorquez Subscription Inquiries Only Send check or money order payable in USD for the exact amount to: SOMA Subscriptions, 649 Main Street, Suite 111, Martinez, California 94553, USA US Rates are $24 per year. Canada $75 USD. Europe $100 USD. Elsewhere $100 USD. Or send PayPal to argt@somamagazine.com Or in the U.S. call 800 833 0159 International/National Distribution Hudson News, Lords International, The News Group, Whole Foods One Source, SOMA Distribution Advertising/Marketing Director Ali Tabriz Tel 415 777 4585 x14 Fax 415 777 2126 Email argt@somamagazine.com

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Editorial Tel 415 777 4585 Editorial Fax 415 777 2126 General Email info@somamagazine.com Editorial Email editorial@somamagazine.com Website www.somamagazine.com SOMA Magazine Office 888 O’Farrell Street, Suite 103, San Francisco, California 94109, USA Submissions For writer guidelines, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to our Editorial Office. SOMA Magazine assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. The opinions expressed within are the responsibility of our contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of SOMA Magazine. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. All material Copyright 2006, SOMA Magazine, Inc. SOMA (ISSN 0896-5005) is published bi-monthly by SOMA Magazine, Inc. at 888 O’Farrell Street, Suite 103, San Francisco, California 94109, USA Periodicals Postage Paid at San Francisco, California and at additional mailing offices. Attention Postmaster Please send address changes to: 649 Main Street, Suite 111, Martinez, California 94553, USA © 2014 SOMA Magazine Inc.

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Time for life – with two limited edition timepieces in support of Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières. $100 per watch will go to the Nobel Peace Prize winning organization. And yet, these handcrafted mechanical watches with the red 12 cost the same as the classic Tangente models from NOMOS Glashütte. Help now, wear forever. NOMOS retailers in the USA helping to help include Brinkers, Govberg, Jack Ryan, Timeless, Tourneau, and Wempe. Find these and other NOMOS retailers at www.nomos-watches.com, or order online at www.nomos-store.com.

Contents

FEATURES

Fashion Influencers

FASHION

La Collectionneuse Photography by Sergio Kurhajec

Blue Streak Photography by Mike Kobal

Art School Confidential Photography by Mike Carreiro

WHITE NOISE

Sarah Graham

FUTURE STARS OF FASHION

14 16 18

Ann-Sofie Back Ida Klamborn Bleach Project

WORD PLAY

Models of Influence

STREET PULSE

Paris

ABOUT PLACE

Merci Boutique

HAND SIGNALS

Russell James

I - POSE

BEST OF 2014

MUSIC

72 74 76

Andreya Triana George Fitzgerald Chic Beats

URBANITE

82 84

Warwick Hotel Cup of Luxury

LAST WORD

So what the hell does SOMA mean anyway?

Originally an ancient Indo-Persian word, representing an entity that transforms those who embrace it into ecstatic or transcendental realms. Soma eventually became a philosophical concept representative of ritual offerings, the contents of the material world, or the ‘life-force.’ The Greeks and the Romans used it to refer to the body. And of course Aldous Huxley described it as a holiday from the ordinary. We simply think of it as a magazine.

White Noise

Sarah Graham TEXT BY SHINMIN LI

Bold, luxurious and unexpected, Sarah Graham is the fine jewelry artist to watch. She turns nature, even the gritty and bizarre, into luxury—and now, after 15 years of creating some of the most fascinating jewelry in private, her studio is finally open to the public. Upon entering Sarah’s studio, located in the Dogpatch of San Francisco, I felt as if I were experiencing a time-lapse video of the neighborhood’s evolution from a working class, industrial hub to the center of the Bay’s biotech industry, overflowing with tech crusaders. The neighborhood’s transformation is similar to Sarah’s creations. I was mesmerized as I watched her spin nature’s found objects into gold by combining old world craftsmanship with the latest innovations in design. Accompanied by the musical sounds of a hammer on metal and the methodical hum of her Form1+ 3D printer, Sarah tells me that she loves “what transpires from the melding of old and new methodologies.” A look around the showroom and studio affirms that Sarah draws inspiration from the unconventional. Curious items like aged brick, iron room dividers, vintage artifacts perched on old saw blades, a collection of sea shells, a frog skeleton, and even Cheerios(!) are among the clever objects that are seamlessly curated to create an experience that is inspiring and new. Sarah works meticulously in defining her signature look of gold and black metals sparkling with colored diamonds. I asked her how she developed such a unique and recognizable style. Sarah chuckled and replied, “It was the black that presented the biggest challenge. I was determined to achieve a deep, strong, and unapologetic black look that iron possesses, but without the inherent corrosive nature. I spent seven years on this focus.” The material that finally met Sarah’s keen high standards is Oxidized Cobalt Chrome. She is the only jeweler 12

using this material in this way. Sarah’s black Chrome is a distinctively darker, softer and deeper finish than any other oxidized silver. This inspired Cindy Edelstien, an expert in the designer jewelry industry, to declare: “No one gets black like Sarah Graham.” And no one does nature like Sarah either. The motivation behind all her collections is to extrapolate the unexpected details found in nature into infinitely wearable pieces. Who would imagine that Jacaranda pods, decayed wood, or a microscopic view of single cell marine organisms would make statement jewelry pieces? “I was originally a biology major, and eventually landed in business school. So I ultimately found a way to combine my two passions,” Sarah explains. Intriguing, subtle, and never literal, her interpretations of the organic elicit questions and often enlighten the collector. Who knew that sea urchins have teeth? “As a devotee of Ernst Haeckel, I strive to make beautiful wearable jewelry that piques the curiosity in unexpected ways,” Sarah tells me. Sarah’s clients are devoted fans of her work. Once a piece of her jewelry touches the skin, they are hooked. They are also hooked to Sarah’s mission. She is committed to using only the finest recycled 18-karat gold and conflict-free diamonds. Among the many reasons that make her customers loyal, many say that they love her pieces because they are conversation starters. They love that her unique engagement rings reflect their bold and confident styles. Some praise the one-of-a-kind pendants that feature their children’s fingerprints and do not look like “mom jewelry”. I particularly like that Sarah is a San Francisco designer whose work tells a story. Learn more about Sarah Graham and schedule an appointment to experience her studio at www.sarahgraham.com

Future Stars Of Fashion

Ann-Sofie Back TEXT BY JENNIFER MOULAISON

The asymmetry in the way that a garment drapes effortlessly off the shoulder might be your first inclination as to what has earned designer Ann-Sofie ample recognition with dozens of awards and nominations, making her widely acknowledged for what is a prominent label for the intelligent, style conscious woman. Born in 1971 in Stockholm, Ann-Sofie received a Bachelor of Arts from Beckmans College of Design in Stockholm and her Masters from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London. While still finishing up her education at Central Saint Martins, Swedish ELLE named her Best newcomer in 1998 and it became clear very early on in her career that we could expect extraordinary things. Her career history includes interludes at H&M during her education when she worked as a print designer as well as womenswear designer for Acne, where she won one of her three Best Designer Awards from Swedish ELLE. More recently Ann-Sofie performs her role as director at the Cheap Monday denim label. And while distinguishing herself as a rising star among the most strikingly inventive designers, she cultivated BACK, one of Sweden’s most prominent designer brands intended to combine elements of interest and comfort for everyday wear by the modern woman. After having seen the recent appearance of BACK’s collection at New York Fashion Week, onlookers can see a clear dedication to the unexpected through simplicity. A hemline 14

of buttons that follows the length of a simple, knit dress is an example of what a subtle concept can become through meticulous execution and creative insight into what will look both effortlessly attractive and uncommon on the wearer. Those who have recognized this distinctive elegance includes names like Byoncé, Rhianna, Lady Gaga and Chloe Sevigny. Perhaps the evident shock value of the unique designs that are taken to the extreme, even for a ready to wear line, is what draws in world-renowned women known for their willingness to take chances and garner attention. Details like safety pins at the ankle of trousers and skirts offer a unique quality to what would otherwise be a simple, well-constructed garment for comfort and everyday wear. Ann-Sofie also plays with silhouettes and garment lines to turn timeless styles on their ear and offer the exclusivity of what is increasingly recognized as her creative genius with roots in the Scandinavian aesthetics. Offered in a total of 18 countries worldwide and from sources like Asos and leading boutiques like Opening Ceremony in New York, Los Angeles and Tokyo, BACK can be obtained for the woman who isn’t afraid of acquiring the interest of onlookers through unique and striking ensembles that wear comfortably and stylishly. Maybe not for everyone to wear, seeing BACK’s designs offers inspiration for adventure and tenacity every woman needs.

Future Stars Of Fashion

Ida Klamborn TEXT BY JENNIFER MOULAISON

Angular straight lines meet disruptively against soft curvatures amidst a bright, sophisticated color palette that creates a sharp, minimalist aesthetic suited to women of every age. Ida Klamborn’s Swedish heritage is evident in her designs simplicity and sophistication, earning her several awards and scholarships throughout her developing career. Ida’s relatively fresh design career started off with remarkable promise, having graduated from the Swedish School of Textiles, her Bachelor of Arts degree collection earned her the Italian Fabric Award and resulted in her participation in Milan Fashion Week. In 2014 she received the Peroni Designer Collaborations as well as the Elle Award for Best Newcomer of the Year. Considering her first official showing for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Stockholm took place only last year for her Autumn Winter collection, Ida has managed to garner praise and rave reviews for her strong use of color contrasts and layered silhouettes. Most recently, Ida showcased her Spring/Summer collection for this year, exposing on her audience a chic, unobtrusive collection that is supremely sophisticated in its modesty and understatement. Her garments define the idea that color, shape 16

and texture are more than sufficient in causing heads to turn and earning jaw-dropping reactions. Crisp white and ivory set off a rich, earthy olive tone and, as the show progresses, mutates into brilliant shades of citrus and pink. Sharp, angular lines of a top set off the curve of a shirttail skirt covered in sequins—the more rare form of sequins that’s appropriate for daywear and miraculously manages to maintain subtlety. Ida also employs her creativity and role as a designer as a platform for making political statements. The artfully spray painted lily that makes an appearance as the collection progresses is a strong statement against racism in society. Following her successes at Fashion Week in Stockhom, Ida has warranted a sizable crowd of fans among fashion as well as the music industry. Utilizing this momentum, Ida’s designs can be found in a new pop-up shop at Birger Jarlspassagen in Stockholm beginning early March of this year. Reminiscent of the kind of refinement of a Hepburn’s aesthetic, both Katherine and Audrey, but with a clear modernity of design that transports classic garments to a point in time even beyond today. Ida’s designs are intended to and indeed do introduce an interacting trinity of color, shape and material.

Future Stars of Fashion

Bleach Project Yasir Bawazier TEXT BY VALERIA MERCADO

Everybody wants to be a cool kid. Whether you’re fourteen or forty, the allure of the dubbed “cool kids table” exists in all sectors of life; it merely transitions from the best table in the cafeteria to the VIP section of the lounge. One thing however, remains the same, fantastic clothing makes for a (seemingly) cool human being, and thanks to James Dean, the coolest you could possibly be is in your favorite t-shirt and jeans. Created as an alternative uniform for submariners working in extreme conditions, the basic cotton tee has now cemented itself as a fashion staple. A leading innovator, the t-shirt has been a canvas for tie-dye and the (regrettably famous) tuxedo print, as well as new digital graphic designs. And after years of “comfort” and simple screenprinting, the all-over graphic print has finally been exhausted. The basic graphic tee is no more. Street wear is running rampant, runways are taking cues from urban cool kids, and a classic staple is being redesigned. Innovative hemlines and unisex sizes create a new androgyny for men, new technology inspires originative design, and our constant, viral connection creates a need for ingenuity in design and material that inspires new style and transcends the existing. 18

Joining the race for coolest tee of 2015 is new sportswear brand Bleach Project. Relatively obscure and incredibly bad-ass, this Bali based menswear label is creating a style completely its own. Since its inception in 2013, Bleach Project has been taking elements from the everyday man’s outfit, and crafting them into an avante garde blend of sports and fashion. Made only of natural fibers to ensure the most comfortable fit, it is the little nuances in designer Yasir Bawazier’s work that make the clothing brand truly unique. By seamlessly incorporating patterns that would normally clash and creating new cuts for men’s wear, BP has become the brand for the man who is unafraid to be himself. The “I want you” tee is a perfect culmination of innovative fit and design that combines comfort and style. Featuring pop art in the front and a polka dot and stripes print on the back, this oversized tee can take any outfit from streetwalker to street-king. Made from jersey cotton, it is one of the few one-size-fits-all t-shirts on the market, ranging between a large and an extralarge, the perfect size for a women’s t-shirt dress. However, the whole collection is a gallery of androgynous exploration for the fashion eccentric hoping to break fashion paradigms.

Word Play

Models Of Influence TEXT BY KAT SMITH

As long as there has been fashion there have been models. When one thinks of a model they think of a thin, beautiful and malleable woman who can take on the personality of a garment without overshadowing the piece. Until recently, models were nameless with the exception of a few chosen women who traded the term ‘model’ for ‘icon’ or ‘supermodel’. With the exception of a few household names like Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss, models have graced the pages of magazines and catalogues without so much as a reference to their agencies. Nigel Barker has done something about it. His book, Models of Influence, is much more than a tribute to the women who defined fashion across the eras: it is a love letter. Whether flipping through the pages admiring the brilliantly curated photographs of the likes of Richard Avedon, David Bailey, Herb Ritts and Mario Testino or taking in the stories, one cannot help but be overcome by the influence, grace and character of its subjects. It is so easy to take in a gorgeous photo of an impossibly elegant woman and forget that behind the makeup and silk there is a real person, a story. One with a beginning, middle, and sometimes heartbreaking end. Did you know that Lauren Hutton would conceal her signature tooth gap with mortician’s wax? She was told that her gap 20

was not beautiful and she would never ‘get the big jobs’ if she kept her ‘deformity’. If Models of Influence were to be summed up in a word, it would be humanization. Supermodels, like superheroes, will always be slightly out of reach. This is the basis of their allure. However, it is refreshing to receive a glimpse into their lives and learn that, in many ways, they are no different than the rest of us. Barker takes the reader on a journey through the eras of style. On this journey we see how much the famous faces influenced and demonstrated not just what was happening in fashion but in the world as a whole. The emergence of Alec Wek brought to light a standard of beauty previously underdeveloped and inspired influencers like Lupita Nyong’o, who is quoted in the book saying,”When I saw Alek I inadvertently saw a reflection of myself that I could not deny.” Models of Influence is an incredibly well-rounded profile of beautiful women. It also explores the current fashion scene and how the Internet and its endless opportunities for self promotion have changed what it means to be a supermodel. Without makeup or artistry, Barker has managed to do the unthinkable. He has made the iconic women even more beautiful.

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. What is your zodiac sign?

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

Petite Meller

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

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

1. None. “J’adore” Paris. 2. Singer/songwriter 3. I’m so

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

than 10 minutes. 4. Complicated 5. Colette

offline! 4. Blushing 5. Porte de Vanves vintage market

Miriam Odemba 1. Untrustworthy cab drivers 2. Good listener with an entrepreneurial spirit 3. One month when doing charity in Tanzania. 4. Hardworking 5. Le Grand Palais

About Place

Merci Boutique TEXT BY SISSI JOHNSON

Merci (“thank you”) is more than an essential French word that visitors need to know when visiting Paris. MERCI is a multibrand fashion and lifestyle concept store that was previously a wallpaper factory for over a century. Prior to a recent ownership change, Bernard and Marie-France Cohen turned it into a spectacular shopping and leisure destination that opened in 2009. The duo is also known as the masterminds behind Hollywood’s popular children’s fashion brand, Bonpoint, which is also available on-site. MERCI is situated in Haut-Marais, a boho-chic historical tangle of narrow streets that is north of the hustle and bustle of the city center. A green paved courtyard leading to the tuckedaway store entrance contrasts with the legendary and flashy red MERCI vehicle that is parked permanently by the steps. 24

Architect Valérie Mazérat designed MERCI with an elaborately modern, inviting and cozy feel in a trendy loft environment. The unique and intriguing wonderland hub spans three floors with beautiful high ceilings and a signature glass roof. Not in a shopping mood? The ambiance alone makes it worth stopping in for a browse. Sunlight pours through the rooftop, giving prominence to the artsy decoration and beautifully displayed, stylish women’s and men’s merchandise. Vintage and contemporary furniture coexist while clothing and accessories harmoniously share racks and displays. The fashion corner features a curated mix of wardrobe basics and high-end limited edition pieces by Comme des Garçons, Isabel Marant, Alexander Wang, YSL, Stella McCartney and more. Of everything on display, the MERCI brand pieces that are designed

exclusively for the store are la crème de la crème. As fancy as that sounds, MERCI actually has a unique and enjoyable low-key boho ambiance. The wide price range somewhat mirrors the surprising spectrum of people you will see there: curious tourists, students on a budget, well-heeled fashion editors, celebrities, artists and socialites wandering in and out of the store, the inhouse “Used Book Café” or adjoining restaurant. There is truly something for everyone. The sensational venue does not abide by a set of traditional retail rules. What gives MERCI that “je ne sais quoi” is not just the carefully curated sartorial collections for the discerning shopper. The philanthropic ethos at the core of its operations is also an excellent reason to indulge in a serious shopping spree (preferably tax-free). Profits are invested into an endowment

fund for development and educational projects in Madagascar. The store is also a notable platform where independent and emerging fashion designers can showcase their talent and build brand awareness. We are all for it! With 40% of its Paris customers being foreigners, a global expansion surely isn’t too presumptuous. In 2017, MERCI will hop on the Channel Tunnel to bring a bit of French culture to London in-between Saint Pancras station and the historical Central Saint Martins fashion and art school. It’s an exciting addition, and British fashionistas will no doubt be thankful!

Hand Signals

Russell James TEXT BY EMILIE TRICE

“Taking pictures of women for men is easy. It’s taking pictures fine art photography collectors’ edition, Angels. I believe this of women which women find beautiful that’s challenging,” Rus- nude series to be one of the most special in the world. Not only sell James explains to a gallery visitor during the closing recep- because I shot it – I wish it were so – but rather because of the tion of his exhibition, “Angels.” The show, a retrospective of his extraordinary collection of women who so generously gave 18-year career shooting for Victoria’s Secret, has toured Aspen, their permission for me to publish this body of work. And I New York and Miami, and is now en route to Berlin, Germany. admit being very excited when I saw the Angels book hit the Comprised entirely of elegant black and white nude portraiture, best sellers list! “Angels” is a testament to contemporary beauty, capturing the The other highlight would be my artistic collaboration with zeitgeist of pop culture’s collective physical ideal – just as Helmet The Seminole Tribe of Florida starring one of the greatest modNewton’s iconic nudes perfectly depicted the beauty idealized els I have encountered, Behati Prinsloo. It was a highlight that in the 1980s. the chief of the tribe, James E. Billie, actually came from his resBorn in Australia, Russell James lived in Japan, Germany and ervation in Brighton to attend the exhibition opening in New York. Sweden before moving to New York in his early 30s to pursue his career as a photographer. His lucky break came in 1996 when his What’s a typical day (or week) like for Russell James? photo of Tyra Banks landed the cover of the Sports Illustrated It’s a push through the snow to get to my studio in Manhattan Swimsuit edition. and shoot a lingerie campaign, a flight and drive into Native While “fashion” photography may be what drives Russell’s American lands to explore culture or attending a gallery opensignature style, his passion is also firmly rooted in his phil- ing of one of my collections. There really is no one week like any anthropic platform Nomad Two Worlds, which promotes another and I cherish that fact. cross-cultural exchange and supports indigenous artists. Most recently, Nomad Two Worlds collaborated with the Native What’s next for Russell James and/or Nomad Two Worlds? American Seminole Tribe to create the series “Seminole Spirit”, “Angels” will open at one of the world’s finest contemporary phoa collection of exquisite photographs printed on hand-made tography galleries, CameraWork, in Berlin on April 25th for six Japanese paper that document the tribe’s sacred traditions and weeks. My next Nomad adventure is the launch of Raw Spirit their property’s natural beauty of vast, sweeping landscapes and fragrances, an art-driven brand with partners in many indiguntamed swamplands. The resulting images are poetic inter- enous cultures of the world. pretations of rebellion, danger and romance, portraying the ancestral legacies that resonate throughout these sacred places. What do you hope your work brings to contemporary culWhile en route back to New York City after unveiling the tural discourse? “Seminole Spirit” series at Donna Karan’s concept shop, Urban I hope that my collaborations with indigenous and marginalZen Aspen, the photographer took a moment to reflect on the ized communities (often one and the same) is part of bringing past year and answer a few questions for SOMA: meaningful partnerships and awareness of the great relevance and possible solutions that culture can provide to many of the What’s been this past year’s professional highlights? social issues we face today. There are two highlights that really stand out for [me] over the past year. The first was the launch of my new art book and 26

He comes up with great stuff, but it often isn’t There’s an incredible potential here for joy

what he envisioned. He gets surprised by the

in life, enjoing the serendipitous occasions

results he gets because they frequently aren’t

This is someone who loves deeply and with his

and the happenstances that frequently oc-

what he envisioned. This is part of his pro-

whole heart, however he will have some difficult

cur to him. However, to actualize his joy he

cess versus product challenge. Some of his

accepting love in return. He has trouble believing

will need to let go of his fantasy of how it

best creations were caused by accidents in

himself to be worthy of it because he doesn’t fit

will be in order to enjoy how it is. Also let

the creative process!

mainstream society’s standards the way he was

go of the worrying about not getting it right.

raised to perceive them. An overview person; not detail oriented. He tends to miss the trees for the view of the forest. Or rather bump in to the trees while enjoying his view of the forest. Not much time sense nor much sense of order of operations. Getting projects from the marvelous overview to finished item in a step-by-step manner is going to be challenging for him.

Has had a close, but not easy relationship with his family.

His best relationship will be in the second half of his life, once he’s mellowed out a bit and stops trying so hard to be a productive member of society and just goes along with who he really is. He’ll learn to trust

He’s not a grudge-holder. Easy to an-

the serendipity that is a hallmark of

ger, sometimes simply grouchy, but

his life!

not meanness in him and no ability to maintain anger past whatever initially caused it.

He likes the idea of travel to farflung places, but actually dislike being

Because of 1-4 he is going to appear

there – the physical discomforts,

to others to think and act far more

the hassles of travel. His fantasies of

“outside the box” than he truly does.

what it would be like are always bet-

He will tend to see himself as just a

ter than the actual doing of it.

regular guys who tends to get lucky!

He is not overly detail oriented. Needs

There is a tendency to overthink and over-

a secretary or assistant to handle the

worry at things, which is not productive for

uring out how to implement them is something with

details that get away from him. Usually

him. He’s an innate stressor – born to be a

which he will need a lot of assistance. He is in love

sees the broad pictures and the infinite

worrier. His main stresses are going to be

with the results and can see potentials other people

possibilities, but tends to get bogged

relationships and money. Some Zen type

cannot, but his strength is not in the details of getting

down in the multiple details of exactly

meditation or other thought-reduction

them done. The process itself is not as interesting to

how to get them manifest.

meditation would be beneficial to him.

him. He is a designer, not a builder.

He generates new and creative ideas prolifically. Fig-

Ipose/I-pose

love

東京

POSE

Best of 2014

Model Shaunda Brown poses as Rosie the Riveter Shaunda Brown wears a Five Rock Workwear bodysuit and modelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own headband.

Model Nicholas Sauer Posing as Justin O’shea Occupation Designer/Model O’shea carries such confidence and intensity into the fashion world, playing with contrast and contradiction, feminine prints with meticulously cut suits, and tattooed hands. No rules apply when talking about Justin O’shea. Ted Baker, Sui Generes Vintage and Consignment, SF wool coat Saint Lauranta, Barneys NY, SF Store bow tie Stylists own shirt Models own jeans & jewelery

Model Khrystyna Kazakova, poses as Marilyn Monroe Hair: Inna Matthews Make Up: Inna Matthews

Model Kayhan Golkar Poses as Bill Murray as Steve Zissou Occupation Musician “Bill Murray can have a conversation without saying a word. His ability to effortlessly break down deep emotion on camera and connect with people with just a blank stare shows the awesomeness of his personality.” Junya Watanabe reversible parka jacket Dries Van Noten double-breasted seersucker suit American Apparel white t-shirt & red beanie

Drew Villani poses as Robert Rabensteiner Occupation Designer Dreu pants Alex Mill button down shirt Stylist’s own painter’s smock jacket

Model Mikaela Blazevich poses as Claudia Schiffer

Model Aubrey Kia Poses as Andy Warhol Occupation Fashion Stylist “To me, [Warhol] was a master of composition, a visionary, an innovator who solidified expression in every way— captured all in one moment.” Engineered Garments Jeans American Apparel Crop top and socks Acne Silver leather motorcycle jacket Rocco P. Metallic wingtip brogue sneakers Ray Ban Sunglasses

Feature

Fashion Influencers Serena Goh TEXT BY KAT SMITH PHOTOGRAPH BY JUSTIN LIVINGSTON

Fashion blogging as a profession has only really been around for a few years. Most of the bloggers that you are familiar with today got their start taking outfit shots in the mirror without any hope of fame or promotion. Today, the scene is much different. Top bloggers are appearing on magazine covers and designer ads. They fill the front rows at fashion shows in New York, Paris, Milan and London. Many of them are on a first name basis with some of the most coveted designers in the industry. In just a few short years, the field has become inundated with hopefuls looking to score the goods and the readers necessary to achieve superstardom. RSS feeds are filled with lifestyle, fashion, beauty and design bloggers from every imaginable angle. In all this noise, how is one to stand out? This is a question that a few innovative individuals have managed to answer. In their own unique way, they are carving out a path for themselves just far enough away from the norm to get noticed. Their angle? They are not just posting pretty pictures of themselves day in and day out, they are out to make a change. They want to say something and they are willing to put in the time and effort it takes to share their point of view with the world and perhaps, change the way we think about fashion ourselves.

I set my mind to. So, when I fell into my day job I did just that. Then one day while I was sitting down with a client who was going on about how much he hated his job, I realized I didn’t love what I was doing… No amount of money at that point could keep me at the job, but I wasn’t quite ready to make that pivot into a new career. The blog stemmed from that creative ceiling at my day job and now, years later, I find myself waking up and creating the best version of my life and sharing it with a community.

Do you blog full-time? My site is definitely a full-time thing, but I also like working on multiple creative projects on the side.

What can’t you live without? A strong support system.

What were you doing before you began? I worked as a business development manager in the tech and finance domain, basically on a daytoday I would manage relationships with many of the investment banks. What inspired you to start your blog? To be honest, when I moved to New York I had no clue what I wanted to do. All I knew was that I work tirelessly at whatever 36

If you could tell your pre-blog self one thing, what would it be? Maintaining a blog is going to be harder than you think. If your audience could take only one thing from your blog, what do you hope it would be? I want to inspire my audience to explore. Whether you’re part of the usual 95 grind or a creative type, never forget to explore all facets of your life. Has your style changed since developing your blog? Definitely. It’s so funny to look back at those pictures of myself.

What are some of the challenges you have faced? There are so many roadblocks, but if you have a clear focus, you’ll overcome the challenges. What do you hope to accomplish in the future? My blog has always been [a] mix of food and fashion, and I have a few big plans in mind. One would be to showcase more of what I enjoy most: directing and photography.

Feature

Fashion Influencers Claire Geist TEXT BY KAT SMITH

Do you blog full-time? I’m currently part-time with the blog. Since I graduated from The New School last May, I started working at Dusty Rose Vintage, a vintage wholesale warehouse in Brooklyn where I assist in everything from organizing our categorized bins to photographing and describing product for our Etsy store. It continues to be a fabulous learning experience. I don’t think I could ever be a fulltime blogger, I gotta learn some other skills! What else do you do? When I’m not at Dusty Rose, I work as a freelance content creator. I was on Nanette Lepore’s content creation team for her Fall ’15 show. I love that stuff, but I definitely still have a lot to learn before I pick my path. What inspired you to start your blog in the first place? My parents are both artists. My dad’s a photographer and sculptor and my mom is an illustrator and graphic designer. Fashion and design were always a big part of my life thanks to the two of them and I guess the blog just seemed like the perfect platform for developing my tastes and discussing what interests me about fashion. I started the blog back in 2009, so it was also a much, much different culture. If you could tell your pre-blog self one thing, what would it be? Get into more discussions with your peers and never stop reading. Nothing makes me more excited than a good, heated debate or discussion, and the politics of fashion and design are so specific and varied! Who are your biggest influencers? Definitely my parents (I’m an only child so it’s a little inevitable) and a whole rainbow of musicians and fine artists; the Beatles, Saul Leiter, Christian Dior, Lewis Carroll, Jan Svankmajer... and I Spy books. Oh man, if I could live in an I Spy book, I’d be content. If your audience could take only one thing from your blog, what do you hope it would be? That taking yourself too seriously is exhausting and being your 38

own product is incredibly rewarding. I take all of my photos myself—blog and Instagram alike, and I love that I only have myself to lean on when it comes to trying to convey a message (or outfit). Fashion is fun, but when your image becomes your job, you start going down a slippery slope. How has your style changed since developing your blog? I’ve had so many jobs in vintage and re-purposing since high school, and I’ve definitely noticed a more eclectic, yet defined change in my taste in vintage. What can’t you live without? A working camera and tea. What are some of the challenges you have faced? It’s been so exciting to see blogs and bloggers reach such an incredible level of notoriety and nuance, but it’s been weird encountering folks who expect me to want to be a personal style blogger first. I see my blog more as a doorway than a diving board—and I’d rather keep it as a way to make opportunities rather than it being the opportunity. What do you hope to accomplish in the future? Still working on it, but I’d love to be in a place where I can have discussions and creative projects for a living, whether it’s through journalism or something else. What is your favorite blogging memory? I get a new one every year, but I’ve gotten to meet Steve Buscemi a couple times working with Nanette Lepore, and that’s been pretty cool! He’s a fanatic conversationalist and I highly suggest his chat series, “Park Bench”, online. Getting shot for the Fall ’10 Holiday campaign the minute I started college was really special too. I was shot by Reed Krakoff and got to wear a giant ostrich feather.

Feature

Fashion Influencers Anthony Urbano TEXT BY KAT SMITH

Do you blog full-time? Right now I’m not a full-time blogger. What else do you do? During the day I work as a structural engineer in Manhattan. What inspired you to start your blog in the first place? I’ve always had a creative side that I didn’t always get to showcase at my very technical job as a structural engineer. Starting a blog was a way to share my creativity through my personal style, photography, and writing. It was a way to inspire others, but also fulfill my artistic passions. If you could tell your pre-blog self one thing, what would it be? Stop comparing yourself to others. Blogging can feel competitive at times but once you realize you’re all in it together and that everyone’s point of view is unique you’ll realize there’s a place for everyone in the blogosphere. Who are your biggest influencers? My biggest influencers are my friends. Surrounding myself with talented and innovative people with ambition drives me to stay inspired, be creative, have fun, and achieve my goals. If your audience could take only one thing from your blog, what do you hope it would be? Don’t be afraid to be yourself and express yourself whether it’s through personal style or otherwise. Stay true! How has your style changed since developing your blog? I’ve definitely experimented with different looks and found 40

myself wearing things I thought I could never pull off but now am obsessed with. My style is definitely more adventurous and continuously evolving. What can’t you live without? My iPhone and camera! I’m such a visual person. I love taking photographs and making memories. What are some of the challenges you have faced? The main challenge I faced was re-branding my blog. I first started the blog when my boyfriend at the time and I moved in together and we started sharing clothes. It became a men’s fashion blog from a couple’s point of view with the unique twist that we could share the same clothes. After a rough breakup, the blog was just me. It was challenging to reintroduce Closet Freaks as my new solo project and figure out what direction to take it in next. What do you hope to accomplish in the future? Success, love, happiness! I should probably know more specifically how to achieve that but to be honest, I’m just having a fun time figuring it out. I used to pressure myself all the time about it but now I’ve learned to relax and let things happen. Whatever my future holds, I know my blog will have a big role in shaping it. What is your favorite blogging memory? My favorite blogging memory was probably when I got my first invites to NYFW shows. There was a certain “I made it!” feeling that came over me. For someone like myself who didn’t work in fashion at all, being able to sit amongst fellow bloggers and big shot editors in a world that at one point seemed so out of reach was really a great moment for me.

Feature

Fashion Influencers Megan Collins TEXT BY KAT SMITH PHOTOGRAPH BY JAMES NORD

Do you blog full-time? Yes, full-time since April 2013 What were you doing before you began? I was in advertising and miserably unhappy. I got into PR originally and pivoted to advertising. I love writing and wasn’t doing very much of it in that role. [I] thought that advertising was more tangible. [I] worked in digital advertising which was really helpful. It still helps me today to have that background. Most of us are raised to think that we need that career with health insurance and benefits. I knew what I wanted to do was write but didn’t know how to take the leap. After some time, I decided to work with a career coach. I started freelance writing while still working in advertising. A good friend of mine started a custom suiting business and he wanted more content for his website. He asked me if I wanted to write for his site. ‘Write about what girls can see guys wearing.” It was a total lightbulb moment. There is a presumed knowledge for men’s fashion but not all men know what they need and want. If you could tell your pre-blog self one thing, what would it be? Do it all sooner. I wasted so much time. At 25 I was saying, “I guess it’s too late for me now.” If I had made the transition sooner, maybe I would be farther along by now. I just want to come up behind [my preblog self ] and shove her off that cliff. It’s easy to be someone else’s cheerleader but it’s really hard to be your own. Who are your biggest influencers? I love reading. I love to tell a story. My biggest desire was to communicate and get involved with a community. In advertising, I wasn’t being heard. I wasn’t connecting with anyone. Having fallen into Style Girlfriend, I found my community in a really unexpected way. When you look good, you feel good. I am changing guys’ lives in a small way and I don’t take that lightly. Many men are looking to Style Girlfriend to help them improve their own lives. 42

If your audience could take only one thing from your blog, what do you hope it would be? To feel good about themselves. Girls have so many opportunities to define their style. At prom, they get the pretty dresses and shoes. When guys put on their suit from Men’s Warehouse, they feel like an asshole. They don’t know anything about style or fit. They don’t feel good. They start to feel like suits are the enemy. This is when they pigeonhole themselves into the ‘not stylish’ category and that can hang over them for their entire lives. Just put forth a little bit of effort. Find that suit and bother to have it tailored. I want to encourage guys to make those small changes. It matters. Would you ever want to break into women’s fashion blogging? No! The thought makes me want to break into hives. God bless those girls who have figured it out. SG isn’t a personal style blog. The space is covered better. I get more inspiration from women’s magazines than men’s. Women’s magazines break it down where men’s magazines think that there is a baseline knowledge that doesn’t exist. What do you hope to accomplish in the future? We are about to go through a soft launch for a consultation service! We’re about to go into BETA. Right now it will be a virtual consultation with email and tech support. I’m really excited about it because guys do need some more one-on-one attention. So many of the styling services for guys out there are great but they are expensive and also not as personalized. I am excited to be able to work with guys and get a feel for what their budget is and what brands they like. What is your favorite blogging memory? One of my readers told me he won best dressed at his office thanks to Style Girlfriend. His life had changed and he was getting confirmation from the outside world that he was doing better, looking better, feeling better. I have such a great readership and it makes me cry sometimes.

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Music

ANDREYA TRIANA TEXT BY LILY MOAYERI

Sitting at a noisy café in the Brixton district of her hometown of London, England, Andreya Triana is wearing a wide-brim hat and smiling non-stop. She is as cute as a basket of puppies—and just as irrepressible. The singer/songwriter is enjoying a rare spell of not touring as she prepares for the tidal wave that is sure to accompany the release of her second solo album, Giants. It has been five years since Triana’s debut, Lost Where I Belong, on Ninja Tune’s Counter Records imprint, but she has hardly been dormant. Besides posting colorful shoe selfies at regular intervals on her social media platforms, Triana’s soulful voice is featured on two tracks from Bonobo’s best-received album, 2013’s North Borders. Triana spent months on end touring with Bonobo as North Borders gained more and more momentum. Meanwhile, cutting-edge DJ/Producer Breach remixed Triana’s piano-driven ballad “Everything You Never Had”, the closing track on Giants, far ahead of the album’s release. He turned the song into a massive club hit and Triana into an unwitting EDM über-diva. In the process, the track has two lives: as Breach’s “Everything You Never Had (We Had It All)” featuring Andreya Triana, and as Triana’s own song, “Everything You Never Had Part II”. “It was super cool how that happened,” Triana says of the Breach correlation. Starring on other artists’ music is familiar territory for Triana. Before her solo work, she found her way onto Flying Lotus’ “Tea Leaf Dancers” and Mr. Scruff ’s “Hold On” as well as the aforementioned Bonobo connection, which began on his album, Black Sands. “Those guys do not compromise creatively,” Triana says. ”It’s tough to stand behind all the music you create with outside pressures and people telling you how things should be. That’s something I learned from them: to have integrity and to believe in the music you love. They’re really inspiring.” Bonobo produced Triana’s Lost Where I Belong in his attic in London before she received a record deal with Ninja Tune. She, in turn, traveled back and forth from Brighton, a satellite town, to work with him during her time off from work. For Giants, Triana applied for and received financial support from Britain’s 72

Performing Rights Society’s Momentum Music Fund, which is set up for artists to break through to the next level of their career. Triana was prepared with songs already written, both on her own and with professional songwriters, Dee Adam (Armin Van Buuren) and Paul O’Duffy (Amy Winehouse). She spent a month in Los Angeles with Aqualung’s Matt Hales refining what she had, as well as writing with Hales. Backed by five years worth of experience and the confidence of being an established musician, Triana’s growth on Giants is marked. “The second time around I had a lot more things in place, I felt a lot surer of my direction, and I had a much bigger vision for myself,” says Triana. “I wrote [more than] seventy songs. I worked with all manner of songwriters. In my songwriting sessions I pushed myself as hard as possible. I went deeper lyrically and emotionally; I tapped into subjects I never would have touched the first time around. I stopped doing collaborations and giving my energy to other projects. When you’ve got that headspace, it’s easier to focus on your own thing. It was something I wanted to do for myself. It was an intense process—but really amazing at the same time.” The combination of Hales’ ability to put artists at ease and make them feel safe, yet daring them to push past their comfort zone is what Triana needed to get to the next level with Giants. The confessional quality of her jazz-informed, soul-drenched, husky voice carries over from her previous work. What’s new on Giants is a loss of innocence that is replaced by a natural confidence that nudges towards ambitious. This can be heard in the multi-textured layers of both musical and vocal harmonies on the bold title track. In complementary contrast, on the intimate piano-and-strings number, “For A Friend”, Triana sounds like a veteran soultress—Nina Simone or Erykah Badu—with the same level of nonchalant perfection. “I never feel satisfied with what I’d done,” notes Triana. “As an artist and a songwriter, you always want to push yourself. I always want to do better. I find the idea of a future where I keep songwriting on a bigger and bigger scale and what is going to happen musically really exciting.”

Music

GEORGE FITZGERALD TEXT BYLILY MOAYERI

George FitzGerald rubs his head vigorously. This is a vain attempt to rustle up some coherency as FitzGerald is still foggy after his Saturday DJ set at Brooklyn’s dance hotspot, Verboten, two nights ago—a party that carried on until 1am on Sunday for FitzGerald and friends. This is the last hurrah of his twoweek North American tour, which after a six-day break picks up again for a month around Europe. He may be bleary-eyed, but FitzGerald is in good spirits, with grins escaping his countenance at regular intervals. FitzGerald should be grinning. Things are going extremely well for the British-born, German-based DJ/producer who has made his way up the ranks of the international dance music cognoscenti within a handful of years. Starting in the dubstep and UK garage world with releases on Scuba’s tastemaker hub, Hotflush Recordings, at the turn of the decade, FitzGerald switched styles, leaning towards the 4/4 beat for his releases on Will Saul and Fink’s experimental imprint, Aus Music. Throwing a monthly Man Make Music party from 2003 to 2008 in trendy East London, FitzGerald’s label of the same name grew out of the event, and eventually became the only remnant of the legendary night. It was his sparkling Child EP on Aus and its moody shuffler of a title track that transitioned FitzGerald into the upper echelons of dance producers. Right around this time he made his move to Berlin. FitzGerald had lived there previously, working as a translator. (He studied German at university.) Like so many before him and many since, that city’s famed den of dance music iniquity, Berghain, had an impact on FitzGerald. His next release, Needs You EP on Hypercolour, shows marked signs of dark sensuality. “Berlin is where I got into house and techno,” says FitzGerald. “But the city is so different from the place I moved to 10 years ago. It was completely open. You could do whatever you wanted. It’s still quite relaxed, much more chilled out than London, with more space, and a lot cheaper.” FitzGerald is changing right along with his surroundings. His debut album, Fading Love—almost two years in the making—is released on powerhouse independent Domino Records’ Double Six imprint. Wholly written in Berlin, Fading Love is a beautiful, considered piece of emotionally-driven electronic songs with features from Boxed In and Lawrence Hart. Not one song track from Fading Love would fit into FitzGerald’s driving DJ sets at 74

a club—although they would sit nicely in the unmixed portion of his two-hour monthly slot on the BBC’s Radio 1 Residency. “It was quite a liberating thing to not make something strictly for DJing,” says FitzGerald of Fading Love. “I had done all I could do with straight up and down house and techno. It wasn’t interesting for me anymore to go down that orthodox route. I was starting to get a bit frustrated with how limited that felt. Especially with an album, I wanted to do something less clubby and superficial and with more depth.” No fans have been sacrificed with the release of Fading Love. In fact, FitzGerald’s crowd is happy to hear songs from the album embedded into his club sets. FitzGerald, however, only feels comfortable starting or ending a set with the original version of the material on Fading Love. In fact, he purposely stays away from samples and chooses vocalists that aren’t in the traditional soul or R&B vein towards which dance music tends to gravitate. FitzGerald doesn’t sing on the album himself either, although he did on “Magnetic”, his last release prior to that of Fading Love. The aforementioned Hart—although inherently soulful, has a wonderfully mournful quality to his voice that rhythmically matches FitzGerald’s production perfectly. Boxed In’s Oli Bayston, who coos over the unrestrained album opener, “About Time”, and the irresistible first single, “Full Circle”, comes from an indie background and is a great foil for FitzGerald’s move into the songwriting realm. “[Bayston] has exactly the right sound,” says FitzGerald. “We are on a similar wavelength. He’s got an electronic side to his music, not all of which you can hear on his album, and he was coming towards where I was. I was moving in his direction. We met in the middle and it worked really well.” FitzGerald is also moving in another direction: away from DJing and towards production. While this is a very slow progression, last year FitzGerald sidestepped into the producer-only role with his razor-sharp work on Katy B’s bouncy “I Like You”. The saucy singer’s girl-next-door vibe appeals to FitzGerald, but he projects his future as a producer more in the band realm than in that of pop music. “I started out as a DJ as a teenager,” says FitzGerald. “I want to end as a producer, not DJing, and only being in the studio.”

Chic Beats

Eleanor Friedberger TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY DARIAN ZAHEDI HAIR: WHITNEY THOMAS / STYLIST: ELIZABETH PARKS KIBBEY MAKEUP: HEATHER CVAR / PHOTO ASSISTANT: NIK MASSEY

At a time when most female singer-songwriters perform as alter unreleased material allowed her to flesh out a more rollicking, egos, Eleanor Friedberger is simply, refreshingly herself. And full sound from the get-go. “By the time I came home,” she says, that’s just the way her fans like it. Having spent the last decade “I knew exactly what I wanted the songs to sound like.” She reunited with Last Summer producer Eric Broucek (the fronting the indie-rock institution The Fiery Furnaces (currently on hiatus) with her brother Matthew, in 2011 she emerged as a DFA-trained emerging talent whose clients include !!!, Hercules formidable solo artist with Last Summer, a thoughtfully crafted and Love Affair, and Jonny Pierce) to expand upon the warm, textale of memory and place couched in the organic pop of her ’70s tured atmosphere of their first collaboration. Tracking began in idols. Instantly, Friedberger established herself as a modern-day fall 2012 with a week at Plantain Studios, the West Village home heir to the tradition of Donovan, Todd Rundgren, Ronnie Lane, of DFA. To Friedberger’s favored electric pianos and classic-rock and their ilk – those known for warm, nuanced, timeless songs. guitars, they added a menagerie that included an upright bass, No gimmicks necessary. an alto flute, a bass clarinet, and even a portative organ. (That’s The title of Friedberger’s sophomore album is Personal Record, a device made of several recorders and a bellows in a frame that and it is, in a sense. Personal, that is. But it’s not personal in the looks like a wooden castle… or like Howl’s Moving Castle.) way of, say, a coming-of-age record or a diary about the past, as Production then resumed at Broucek’s home studio in the Last Summer is. Many of the songs seem to be about love, or love Los Angeles hills, where the rest of the record was completed lost, but whether any of the experience is hers or someone else’s, in just ten days. As the songs filled out, Friedberger went fullshe isn’t saying. “It’s not as specific a narrative this time,” she out in immersing herself in her romantic vision of that city. “I says. “There’s a universality to it.” So incisive are the lyrics, in was just listening to Fleetwood Mac and Neil Young, driving fact, that Friedberger’s bassist incorrectly assumed that two of around in a borrowed Prius,” she says. “Walking along Point the songs were about him. “I loved that,” she says. “I want him Dume, playing tennis at Griffith Park… I ate hippie food every to feel like the songs are about him. I want you to feel like the day. Lots of lentils.” songs are about you.” The sun-warmed languor of the West Coast and its golden The term “personal record” also refers to an athlete’s best, age of rock’n roll shines through in Personal Record. It’s the aural and the double entendre is apt. An intense decade-plus of tour- equivalent of an afternoon jaunt up the PCH in an orange BMW ing and recording has burnished Friedberger’s voice and imbued 2002, fist pumping into the wind. “When I Knew” and “Stare at her songwriting with newfound depth; there’s a maturity and the Sun” rock out like the Furnaces’ finest, but with that unmismellifluousness to this outing that feels downright epic. It was takable Eleanor gracefulness. “Echo or Encore” is a lilting love always the Eleanor-penned songs that gave the Furnaces’ albums ballad underlaid with a bossa nova beat. “I Am the Past” evokes their most poignant and graceful moments, especially in later the mystical side of the Me Decade with meandering bass clariwork like I’m Going Away. Last Summer took that promise into net and a balls-out flute solo (seriously). Though Friedberger full flower; Personal Record “is part of the same growth process,” may harbor a bit of a ’70s fetish, there’s an idiosyncrasy and she says. Faced with a six-month gap between the completion of intimacy to her music that’s undeniably modern. Above all, it’s Last Summer and its release and accompanying tour, Friedberger pretty. “It’s such a romantic album to me,” Friedberger says. holed up at home in Brooklyn. By the time the tour started, she “But more so than love for another person, it’s really about a had twelve new songs to road-test. Though most bands work love of music.” this way, the Furnaces didn’t. For Friedberger, touring with the 76

Chic Beats

Death Valley Girls

Laura Kelsey, Bonnie Boomgarden TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY DARIAN ZAHEDI

It’s easy to mistake Death Valley Girls for a biker gang. First of all, the members of this snarling garage rock quartet look like they jumped out from the pages of Karlheinz Weinberger’s Rebel Youth, a book that documents ‘50s and ‘60s juvenile gangs. At any one of their shows, a row of ratty, raked out choppers can be seen lined up in classic motorcycle club formation. Even their names are reminiscent of vintage biker B-movies. Bonnie Bloomgarden is the leader of the pack. Peering out from a straight line of jet-black bangs is a bass player who just goes by “Rocky”. Laura Kelsey (formerly of The Flytraps, a surf/garage girl band) plays Mo Tucker meets Nick Knox-style drums and 78

Larry Schemel, who played in the last incarnation of legendary L.A. punk pagans The Flesh Eaters, plays fuzz-heavy guitar and sounds like he could be the bastard son of Davie Allan. Speaking of the guitar, you’d be hard-pressed to find a meaner opening riff for “No Reason”, the most menacing song from Street Venom, DVG’s debut album. It sounds like Larry plugged his guitar straight into a hornet hive and then kicked it. When the rhythm section joins in it gives the song a sinister kind of rumble that would make Link Wray proud. Bloomgarden’s snotty, bratty vocal sneer cements their sound with old-school girl gang attitude.

Chic Beats

Nicole Simone TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY DARIAN ZAHEDI

Although she was born in the ’80s, Nicole Simone has always Simone pairs breathy bits of voice, guitar, piano and muted trumbeen fascinated with nostalgia and old films. When she writes pet with images of her curvy and flirtatious, for-your-eyes only music, she particularly loves creating a mood that transports kind of a dance that begins in a desert and makes its way to a listeners to vintage-like movie scenes. Simone says that she is motel room encounter. Simone strikes the kind of slinky tone influenced by “music I hear, paintings I see, and architecture that is reminisccent of Chris Isaak’s famously provocative video, I’m surrounded by, but I am always drawn to classic and timeless “Wicked Games”. pieces with unique details.” With such sultry songs as “Melt”, 79

Chic Beats

Ed Droste Grizzly Bear TEXT BY GRAYSON CURRIN PHOTOGRAPHY BY DARIAN ZAHEDI

Last year, IBM released a report about the way marketing offi- Rossen, “so most of the Marfa time was seeing each other again, cials at major corporations are using the Internet. Though the trying things and feeling each other out. We all had to meet each gist of the study concluded that these high-paid administrators other again.” weren’t using it very well, the October release actually hinged on When they reconvened in January, again at the immortala much more intriguing and intimidating fact: “Every day we cre- ized Yellow House in Cape Cod, they were anxious to return to ate 2.5 quintillion bytes of data—so much that 90 percent of the Grizzly Bear. Indeed, Shields depends on the urgency of a band world’s data today has been created in the last two years alone.” whose members have opted back in. For the first time, Rossen We simply can’t keep up. Whether it’s the deluge of mp3s and Droste wrote songs together, taking each other’s ideas and that flood the Internet daily, the information that companies extending them—ultimately executing them with a new vitality. collect about the purchases we make, or the photos of family They wrote more songs than they needed to, edited scrupulously pets and weekend meals our friends load onto social networks, and moved forward only with the songs that were most open to the worldwide swell of data is best managed by supercomput- true quartet collaboration. Asked which tunes on Shields belong ers and servers, not the people who, in essence, manufacture to which songwriter, every member balks and explains that, for and depend upon it. It’s hard to resist the temptation of this the first time, these are actually full-band numbers. Both in proever-accelerating cycle to create and release quickly so that the cess and product, this is Grizzly Bear as they’ve never been. world’s bytes don’t leave you behind. “Sun in Your Eyes”, the seven-minute close to Shields, But Shields, the fourth and most fluid album by Grizzly Bear stemmed from a piano melody Droste wrote and discarded but to date, slyly defies that trend. True, the quartet of Chris Bear, that Rossen picked up as a pet project and spent weeks building, Ed Droste, Daniel Rossen and Chris Taylor have never made changing and rebuilding. The result is one of the most brilliant a quick follow-up; it took them three years to get from Horn of and audacious pieces of Grizzly Bear’s oeuvre, dependent upon Plenty to Yellow House and three more to get from Yellow House the same mix of drive and drift that shapes the bulk of Shields. to Veckatimest. Between those records, though, they toured and Though soft at the edges, “Yet Again” pushes toward the status issued singles and splits, EPs and remixes. After long spans of of rock anthem, with a bridge that refracts dance beats through shows for Veckatimest, however, Grizzly Bear went silent while a musical kaleidoscope; the slow creep of “What’s Wrong” comits members went about living their own lives. Trips were taken mands an answer, its antiphonal vocals and anxious strings and friendships were restored, families were visited, and solo giving voice to a frown and a sigh. Those open emotions are an projects were finished. The energy that had gathered over years integral part of Shields, the most cohesively written album of in tour vans and busses, in studios and on stages was finally Grizzly Bear’s career. The words come matched by a sound that released, giving the individual band’s pieces the chance to is more passionate than proper, a quality earned by spending less recover and, after a year, return to being Grizzly Bear. time on the perfect take than on capturing feeling. The quartet first reconvened last summer in Marfa, Texas, “This has a different energy behind it,” concludes Droste. with the loose plan of rehearsing and demoing new material to “Veckatimest was a little more of a polite album; the desire to keep see where potential songs for the next album stood. Almost noth- the vocals smooth might have kept a little distance between us ing stuck, but that was fine. In Texas, they were reconnecting and the audience. This one feels a bit more rough and exposed, as friends and musicians, and the material would surely come. so that on Shields, everything speaks for itself.” Against the inclination of the digital world, they took their time. “Clearly everyone had been in a very different space,” says 80

Urbanite

The Warwick Hotel New York TEXT BY KEN SCRUDATO

In the 21st century luxury hotel wars, the Park Hyatt, Conrad and Armani hotels battle to impress with acres of marble, absurdly lavish spas, eight-figure art collections and, of course, all those swaggering celebrity chefs. But there’s a certain sort of glamour that cannot simply be conjured from a checkbook—it has to exist in the walls themselves. For all the fascinating historic hotels in New York City, it’s perhaps The Warwick that can claim the most glittering history of all. It was built in 1926 by that great, troublingly eccentric Jazz Age tycoon William Randolph Hearst, whose intention was to make it something of a pied-a-terre (a rather opulent one, of course) for his beautiful actress mistress Marion Davies—and several dozen of his closest Hollywood pals. Unsurprisingly, a fabulous parade of Golden Age A-listers followed, from Cary Grant to Audrey Hepburn to Elizabeth Taylor and Natalie Wood… and far too many others to list. These days, though the movie stars have moved on, one can’t help but feel a powerful sense of that glamorous history merely upon entering the lobby. The Art Deco splendor has been exquisitely preserved, and a quick peek into the Murals 82

on 54 restaurant puts you face to face to with Dean Cornwell’s allegorical 1937 mural, commissioned by Hearst himself. (A fun aside: when the boss tried to stiff the artist on the bill, he secretly painted someone pissing on Queen Elizabeth!) The Warwick today does not rest on the allure of a bygone era; it has tapped into its luminous past and given it a whole new sparkle. Calling upon the talents of Interior Design International’s Stephanie Ellis-Carmody, the hotel has created new plush-butsexy signature suites, all making stylistic references to its past whilst simultaneously exhibiting a striking sense of modernism. The Marion Suite is a paragon of Deco cool, a striking mix of black, white and green. The Jane Russell Suite offsets elegant blacks and golds with provocative zebra striped rugs, and the boldly colorful Modern Art Suite flaunts genuine Warhols. But surely the guests are not checking in for the scene, although the Randolph’s Bar is a great place for a bit of classic cocktailing. It’s the most ineffable of amenities that is the most attractive: a chance to sleep in a hotel that was frequented by the most dazzling stars of the stage and screen, and to bask in that glorious, lingering glow.

Urbanite

Cup of Luxury Bryan-David Scott TEXT BY KARENA GUPTON AKHAVEINH

In the early years of his life, Bryan-David Scott was a championship boxer. Today, he is a heavy hitter in a different ring, namely, in the arena of ultra-luxury coffee. “There are a lot of ways to deliver a knockout punch,” says the soft-spoken but clearly impassioned Scott, “and I believe that the experience of drinking my coffee for the first time is one of those.” How does a boxer become a luxury coffee purveyor? After a stint with the police, Scott, who throughout his interview comes across as the ultimate Renaissance man, entered the world of direct sales as a furniture broker. He proved effective at using e-commerce to bypass the show rooms and sell below retail in a furniture market that was beginning to show signs of suffering from the economic slowdown. When the furniture industry crashed in 2006, Scott asked himself, “What is it that I am truly passionate about? What can I sell every day rather than every few years?” Coffee immediately came to mind. However, Scott feared that Seattle, where he was living at the time, was a saturated market. Two in-depth studies later, he concluded that Seattle was not as saturated as he had initially thought. “People were tired of drinking mediocre stuff,” he says, explaining his decision to aim for the top quality possible. How to achieve this? From the beginning, Scott was willing to pay up to 700 to 1200% more for green coffee beans, ensuring not only a higher quality 84

raw material, but also gaining loyalty from his growers, and fostering real relationships, years before “fair trade” became a buzzword. Initially, Scott entered the coffee industry as a broker, an role with which he was familiar. He gained an immediate celebrity following, with chefs and sommeliers commenting on how superior his coffee tasted. Despite these encouraging beginnings, being an independent coffee broker while maintaining top quality proved to be financially and logistically difficult. To attempt to solve this issue, Scott took on a partner, a master of coffee for 34 years. This enabled him to finally take his already high quality coffee to the next level, the one he refers to as “luxury coffee,” and found Cup of Luxury. Other brands, such as Starbucks, may claim that they are luxury, but according to Scott, this is “like putting a sexy bumper sticker that says Rolls-Royce on a 95 Ford escort, and calling it a Rolls-Royce.” Other than the aforementioned super-premium beans, what is the major difference between Cup of Luxury coffee and other brands? Coffee is rated like wine, on a 100-point scale. Traditionally, only coffees ranging from 95 to 100 points are considered luxury class. However, last year, Bryan-David Scott decided that 95 points would not be satisfactory for his coffee. “I wanted 100 points or nothing at all.” He now puts his

handcrafted coffees through tastings by an independent panel of 34 professionals hand-picked from the worlds of wine, cuisine, and of course, coffee. This panel must unanimously give the roasted coffee beans a five-star rating. How do these professionals judge the beans? Some check on the visual aspect. No broken pieces are allowed in the mix, and each bean must be flawless. There is much care taken at the harvest in sorting the beans and only the top one percent are ultimately chosen. The sommeliers and coffee experts on the panel are expected to use a French press with a pour over, as drip is not considered an optimal method for extracting maximum flavor from coffee. Some of the chefs on the panel will judge by eating the bean itself. According to Scott, these un-brewed beans must embody perfect flavor, displaying ideal richness and complexity without any acrid notes. Even within the Cup of Luxury brand, there are echelons. Black Label, for example, is “one of the most beautiful coffees we have.” Scott waxes lyrical as he describes the secret blend’s aroma of dark chocolate and dark berry as well as a vanilla component, which he specifies is reminiscent of “Spanish vanilla.” And the taste? “Oh my God. It’s a very distinct flavor.” Beyond Black Label is Cup of Luxury’s Paramount blend. It is, in Scott’s words, “an outrageous coffee that would be beyond 100 points

on the hundred point scale, because it’s so complex, rich, clean and smooth.” Like most fine wines, Cup of Luxury’s coffees are not single-source, but rather expertly concocted blends. Continuing with the wine analogy, Scott, who recently moved to Sonoma, compares the Paramount blend to “a Chateau Lafitte or a 97 Screaming Eagle Cab Sauv.” Not only is each offering custom blended, it is also custom roasted at the time of each order in order to ensure maximum freshness and expression of flavor. It would be difficult if not impossible to provide such quality with a traditional business model, so Bryan-David Scott has launched an extremely exclusive coffee club. Other than sampling it at very high-end venues or at elite events, joining the coffee club is the only way to enjoy Cup of Luxury coffee. There are 1800 memberships available worldwide, and these cost almost $6000 a year. This makes it difficult for an average person to gain access, but not for the celebrities, chefs, and higher-end consumers who care about their coffee quality, and who are Cup of Luxury’s target clients. Is Bryan-David Scott worried about the seemingly Sisyphean task of converting consumers to real luxury coffee, especially with numerous emerging coffee brands nipping at his heels? His past as a boxer has clearly shaped his approach to business. “I am a fighter,” he says. “I do my best under pressure.” 85

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