Style Issue - feat. Katy Perry by STATUS Magazine

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STATUS MESSAGE

Yvan Rodic

Caroline Trentini (Photo by Sebastian Kim)

Katy Perry

THE RENEGADES OF RAMP I

s it just me, or does it seem like fashion is facing a new frontier? Now, between seasons are pre-seasons. The hottest photographers get more publicity on their blogs than in glossies. And one of the most read fashion blogs is by a girl who hasn’t even hit puberty yet. But we aren’t saying we hate it. Actually, we love all of that! And we love those rogue individuals who create their own style and leave their mark. From pop stars to fashion photographers and bad boy designers, we handpicked the tastemakers that make us go “Dayum!” California gurl Katy Perry, who has gone through an epic style evolution, continues to turn heads with her tongue-in-cheek outfits. From her 1950’s all-American pin-up look to her pop art outfits, she is definitely making a statement with her style—just have fun! Yvan Rodic aka the Face Hunter, who has found fame from the streets of Paris and London to the rest of Europe, has become dear to fashion lovers around the world through his street fashion blog. Now, he has published his own photography book and is starting to conquer new media ground through The FaceHunter Show. Meanwhile, our other favorite lensman Sebastian Kim brings sexy back, and he does it with a vengeance. His portfolio is filled with fashion’s heavy hitters like Calvin Klein, Numero Tokyo, i-D Magazine, Vogue, and Nina Ricci. This issue, we are also giving tribute to one of the most talented designers of the 21st century, Alexander McQueen. McQueen wasn’t interested in rehashing fashion from the past; he wanted to forge new territory. That’s why he became known as a revolutionary designer. We take a quick look at his influences in fashion from red carpet to streetwear. As you can see, we threw a bit of everything in our bag of fashion tricks, and this is what we came up with—fascinating people who are intriguing in their uniqueness and creativity. Here is another kaleidoscope of influencers, each different from the next, whether we are ready for them or not.

Editor in Chief

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AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2010

BRANDS........................................19 PLACES........................................22 SUBCULTURE....................................23 BEATS.........................................24 SCREEN........................................25 INK...........................................26 TECH PACK.....................................28 ABOUT FACE....................................30 BRICK & MORTAR................................32 GO SEE........................................34 SWAG..........................................39 SNEAKERS......................................40 CASUAL BUTTON-DOWNS...........................42 T-SHIRTS......................................43 CANVAS KNAPSACKS..............................44 DIGITAL WATCHES...............................45 ONE-SHOULDERED DRESSES........................46 STRAPPY HEELS.................................47 MEDIUM-SIZED TOTES............................48 SEQUINED TOPS.................................49 PARIS FASHION WEEK AUTUMN-WINTER 2010.........50

Lindsey Wixson

DEE AND RICKY.................................52 PROUDRACE.....................................52 TOKYO DANDY...................................53 REED+RADER....................................53 LINDSEY WIXSON................................54

Toro Y Moi (Photo by Forrest Casey)

Neon Indian

Belle Nguyen

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status …plays dress up

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2010

THE GHOST OF A SABER TOOTHED TIGER............57 NEON INDIAN...................................58 CANDY CLAWS...................................59 DAN BLACK.....................................59 SOMEONE STILL LOVES YOU BORIS YELTSIN.........60 DRIP..........................................61 DELOREAN......................................61 HERE WE GO MAGIC..............................62 TORO Y MOI....................................62

JESSICA ROBINSON.............................94 LADY GAGA IN PAJAMAS.........................101

BELLE NGUYEN..................................63 SKULLPHONE....................................64 VERBAL........................................65 SBTG..........................................65 NICOMI TURNER.................................66 GREG ALTERMAN.................................66 TOMMY O’GARA..................................67 LEILA SHAMS...................................67

KATY PERRY....................................68 SEBASTIAN KIM.................................74 YVAN RODIC....................................78 ALEXANDER MCQUEEN.............................82

Katy Perry

ELECTRIC DAISY CARNIVAL.......................85 OXYGEN XTV ..........................86 DJ ECHO’S BIRTHDAY PARTY......................87 STATUS ISSUE 13 RELEASE PARTY.................87 IN THE PLAYHOUSE..............................88 MARCC CARNIVAL................................88 AUSSIE BOOMBOX................................89 NASTY VOGUE BRANDERY..........................89 USHER AFTERPARTY..............................90

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Leila Shams

Dan Black

Blogsphere Be on the pulse of fashion, music, design and anything that tickles our fancy through our community of bloggers worldwide. Go See Look to the streets for your fashion inspiration. From Manila to New York, we spot the stylish kids trotting the globe. Night Vision Your personal pass to pool parties, barbecues, festivals and events. Now let’s party! Photo Diary A photo is worth a thousand words, so we decided to find out what these talented photographers have to say. Digital Magazine Get STATUS at a click of your finger. You can browse the full digital format magazine at the comfort of your computer. 14 - statusmagonline.com

uess you’ve heard hush talk that our California cover gurl Katy Perry initially wanted her new album’s title to be Teenage Wet Dream. We feel like teen boys (or teen girls who like kissing other teen girls) as we fantasize of her like this—posed pinup style wearing this two-piece, colorblocked spandex suit— in what looks like a neon slumber party. This is to keep you wide awake til her sunshiny spreads in the pages ahead.

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CONTRIBUTORS

AMANDA LOPEZ

DON JAUCIAN

JORDAN GALLAND

MIKKO ABELLO

A lingerie market researcher, Amanda Lopez can’t live without a dress, a cardigan, and quirky accessories. Given the chance, she would like to be imprisoned in Keira Knightley’s or Irina Lazareanu’s walk-in closet. Writing about Belle Nguyen (63) of the premier online boutique 80’s Purple made her want to run to the nearest bank and rob it dry.

Resident bitch of the film blog Pelikula Tumblr, Don Jaucian would rather raid libraries but thinks raiding Cole Mohr’s closet would also be nice. To prepare for the cover story, he listened to every Katy Perry (68) song he could stream from the Internet and soaked up on “California Gurls” to get that requisite sunshiny feeling.

A modern day vamp who loves classical literature, director/ screenwriter/musician Jordan Galland walks New York in his casual V-necks and leather jackets even in daytime. At night, he lurks at movie premieres in his welltailored blazer and disheveled hair. This issue, in Director’s Cut, he tells us why Ridley Scott’s Black Rain (25)should be more awarded.

Creative Writing student and high school basketball coach at Ateneo de Manila University, Mikko Abello would love to be in DJ AM’s, Kanye West’s, or Levi Maestro’s shoes. A sneaker addict, he didn’t feel like working at all when he interviewed kickscustomizing master, Mark Ong aka SBTG (65) and hunted for the dopest stompers for Swag (39).

EDITOR IN CHIEF: Rosario Herrera ART DIRECTOR: Nicole Bianca Po CREATIVE MEDIA DIRECTOR: Patrick L. Jamora ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Nante Santamaria MARKETING DIRECTOR: Jon Herrera ASSOCIATE MARKETING DIRECTOR: Mesh Villanueva SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Maita Baello JUNIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Patricia Bay, Chey Mayuga “Senbazuru”- suspended installation at Art Department ceiling.

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS: Patrick Diokno, Soleil Ignacio, Darwin Manibog

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EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS: Kristine Dabbay, Reena Mesias, Loris Peña

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INTERNS: Jane Bitalac, Giano Dionisio, Rica Facundo, Kisty Mea, Michaela Perez

INTERNSHIP intern@statusmagonline.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Mikko Abello, Raymond Ang, Christine Braganza, Anna Canlas, Toff de Venecia, Jordan Galland, Lorenzo Ignacio, Don Jaucian, Amanda Lopez, Carina Santos

GENERAL INQUIRIES info@statusmagonline.com

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Nacho Alegre, KT Auleta, Chris Beckman, Mari Brooklyn, Christopher Canela, Forrest Casey, The Cobrasnake, Marvin Conanan, Cholo dela Vega, Patrick Diokno, Gerard Estadella, Everywhere We Shoot, Brandon Ferlin, Jimmy Fontaine, Martin Jalbuena, Patrick L. Jamora, Apollo Lara, Quang Le, Mon Mangila, Max Milli, Jac Reveur, Revolution, Nuk Romualdez, Derrick Santini, Carina Santos, Caesar Sebastian, Victor Solanoy, Melvin Sun, Sonny Vandevelde, Marc Whalen SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: Teresa Herrera

STATUSMAGONLINE.COM CONTRIBUTING BLOGGERS: Kristine Dabbay, Giano Dionisio, Reena Mesias, Loris Peña CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Arsonizta, Isabel Bayani, Edric Chen, Marvin Conanan, Hans Cubacub, Tor Dahlin, Regine David, Patrick Diokno, Teresa Herrera, Apollo Lara, Juan Carlos Manalo, Christian Nartates, Revolution, Nuk Romualdez, Melvin Sun 16 - statusmagonline.com

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RE BOOT

hile we all want to play Lady Gaga in 6-inch heels everyday, our feet don’t. PENELOPE AND COCO shoos your feet troubles away by putting twists like pyramid studs and sequins to flat and lightweight

combat boots. From the laced up Riina to the cream GypsyRose, these booties aren’t just made for walking but, most obviously, for charming.

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THE

BOYFRIEND M

eet FRED PERRY, the perfect boyfriend…wardrobe. Their Autumn Winter 2010 collection will make your man look his best wearing their classic shirt with multicolored logo and argyle cardigans. Neatly dressed but still very fashionable, it’s everything you wish your man could be and more.

THE RICH CLUB A

pply for a membership at the hippest clothing line in LA today, JOYRICH CLOTHING. Requirements include harem pants, silk shirts, neon cardigans, and leopard print hoodies for boys. Membership will be denied if worn under bad taste. Personality is highly advised.

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fredperry.com

STORYTELLER

or first impression’s sake, let BJØRG JEWELLERY do the talking. From the crab claw in black silver around your neck to the shiny skeleton snake around your wrist, its pieces make you extraordinary. Just like a storyteller, interesting stories are out and about when its rabbit and fox-head rings you’re wearing. Less talk and more accessories—just how it should be.

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GRAY F

or his Fall 2010 collection, MARKUS LUPFER offers a modern menage of tailored coats and full-sleeved bodycons. Shades of gray in fleece, cotton, and supple cashmeres look effortlessly layered. His exciting use of print and sprays of sparkle here and there keep the clothes lively despite their muted palette.

markuslupfer.com

THICK AND THIN

ALL STAPLED UP H

EUTCHY’s Fall 2010 collection is made of premium Italian leathers and suedes so you know they’ll last. These impeccable pairs would sit so comfortably in any wardrobe because of their classic styles ranging from oxfords to workboots and chukkas in between. With clean construction and comfort, you’re gonna be sticking these staple shoes to your soles for quite some time.

heutchy.com

erlin-based milliner RIKE FEURSTEIN’s Fall 2010 line of accessories has got everything from chunky snoods and muffs to lean visors and hats. Layer on the style with chunky knit scarves and crisp trilbies that come in outrageous cuts and colors so you can look ultra-cool while staying warm this season.

rikefeurstein.com

ISSUE M

ade for the non-girly girls, MARGARITA SAPLALA’s silk dresses and trousers are putting a stop to all things cute. Armed with her abstract dye bleeds prints and bright colors, she is putting all floral designs to shame. With pieces like her Lizard top and Heartbeat dress, this Filipina is taking it a notch higher and showing us how to do it print by print.

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SHOOT ‘EM DEAD B

ANG PINEDA’s assassin-influenced collection was the one that definitely slayed us during Philippine Fashion Week Holiday 2010 with its mafioso suits, slim-cut shirts, caped coats, and draped jersey in black, black, black. Finishing off the Goodfellas’ looks were rifles and holster accents apt of the designer’s loaded nickname. Bang! Bang!

bangpineda.com

HYPNOTEYES T

he future is staring at you in the eye with ELKE KRAMER’s newest collection. With the laminate “mesmor-eyes” ring, petite “tough love,” oversized “empty eyes,” and marble “Vortex block” bracelets, how can you resist being hypnotized? Bold and chunky, these accessories scream, “Look at me!” and you won’t be able to stop yourself.

elkekramer.com

HEAD OVER HEELS T

ACID TEST

Bleach, ink, and dye make DRAW IN LIGHT’s debut collection. Its use of screen-printing produces inimitable pieces reigning supreme in slouchy tanks and maxi-dresses perfect for casual days out. The best thing: each piece is transformed into a canvas for art, a wearable one for those who got a quirky taste that ain’t so fussy.

drawinlight.co.uk

WILD, WILD

aking its cue from a song by Cocteau Twins, Venezuelan head accessories brand OH! NENA offers an assortment of romantic-inspired spikes, studs, and braids that add the funk to otherwise ordinary headpieces. Through the Pink Opaque collection that uses grey tones to mimic mist, you will be beckoned into an ethereal world—or look like you came from one.

oh-nena.com

BIGGER

IS BETTER G

et spotted with YANG DU’s take on biggeris-better fashion. Its oversized sweaters will keep you company with their giant animal graphics and prints of tomatoes and cute bears donning bowties and suspenders. Whoever said that you should tame your animal and style was surely bluffing.

yangdu-duyang.com

EAST T

he mastermind behind local brands Bench, Human, and Kashieca, is adding a new label to their growing global chain. Thai-based CPS CHAPS serves a wide range of designs— printed, plain, rugged, restrained, name it. Imported Euro threads are tweaked to their low-fi Asian aesthetic, creating urban styles taken from Vietnamese paddies to Shanghai alleys.

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INTERGALACTIC W

ith a cosmopolitan drinks list that matches the breathtaking scenery of the Tokyo skyline, JICOO FLOATING BAR is a spaceage booze cruise designed by anime cartoonist Leiji Matsumuto. Shuttling between Hinode Pier and Odaiba on Tokyo Bay from Thursdays to Saturdays, its color-changing floor is only the bottom of this ultramodern music lounge that turns a drink into an adventure.

jicoofloatingbar.com

STANDARD BEARER N

o matter how many times it’s been said that business hotels are modernized, their predominant image remains traditionally highbrow. But hotelier André Balazs rebuts first impressions with downtown LA’s THE STANDARD. Retaining its concept as an urban business hotel, it boasts of being the former headquarters of the corporate titan Superior Oil Co., plus its 7,000-square feet meeting and event spaces dominated by state-of-theart sound systems, display walls, and climate controls. But The Standard puts cool in corporate with a visual treat of fused mid-century and minimalist design seen in their onion-shaped water beds, quotes scrolling up on LED

display, and shag carpeting. As you jam to your favorite iPod playlists through the docking station inside your room, also enjoy the mood lighting and the neoteric ambiance of grey tones, low-slung beds set on a platform, and spacious sliding closets. While there is a photo-strip booth, a barbershop, and a yellow 24/7 restaurant frequented by both outof-towners and local enthusiasts, the main attraction is its rooftop pool and bar overlooking the best view of LA’s skyscrapers. Suffice to say that it’s a definitive boutique hotel that has taken on a whole new dimension by mixing the best of both worlds: business and recreation, retro and contemporary—and surprisingly, it just works!

A TALL TALE B

esides having a long local name and the longest table, LONG TABLE has more to offer besides length. Overlooking Bangkok’s skyline, it has transformed Thai cuisine to a stylish dining experience. With its famous cocktails like the Salty Soi Dog and chef-recommended Cape Grim Beef, your evening will surely be a happy one.

longtablebangkok.com

TASTETEASE T

he LONG TABLE restaurant has everything from bar food, full course meals, to desserts that can tickle your taste buds.

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Cheese Cake with Cookie Crust and Strawberry or Mango

Grilled Venison Loin with Braised Baby Kale and Royal Oyster Mushrooms

Grilled Sausage in Soft Bun with Grilled Onions and Pickles

CHASING PAPER

ack in May, the conceptual, experimental minds of 48 HOUR MAGAZINE announced the theme for Issue Zero—Hustle. And hustle they did along with over 6000 caffeinated contributors across the globe who emailed in original articles, photos, and illustrations, all to meet the eponymous deadline. The 48HR team hustled some more to put together the completely random write-ups and images (a fictional Lady Gaga interview here, a photo of hairy-chested schmucks there) for the magazine’s release. Done and done.

The result was printed and shipped and made available for online purchases the next day. They successfully signed, sealed, and delivered a bona fide publication within two days. Sure, they encountered a copyright case with CBS because of the mag’s name, but they’re continuing their project, only under a different name. It’s these incredibly creative visionaries that we love to keep our eye on. New media, meet your future. GIO DIONISIO

k Champ ather Powaze Photos by He

48hrmag.com

BALLIN’ IN TIMES SQUARE I

magine a hardcourt in the middle of Times Square. Well, that’s what Nike and USA Basketball are planning to do this summer—bring the world’s best basketball teams and top musical performers to New York for the WORLD BASKETBALL FESTIVAL, a fourday celebration of the game’s culture. August 12-15—the World Basketball Festival, features the game’s leading brands within the NIKE Inc. portfolio—Converse, the Jordan Brand, and Nike Basketball. It kicks off in the middle of Times Square with a live

performance by a surprise musical act, moves to the open-air courts of the famed Rucker Park in Harlem for two days for scrimmages with the National Teams of Puerto Rico, Brazil, and France, and culminates in Madison Square Garden with United States vs France and China vs Puerto Rico games. Charlie Denson, Nike Brand President, sums it up: “The World Basketball Festival will be an unforgettable event for the people of New York City and basketball fans around the world.” ROSARIO HERRERA

LICENSE TO BIKE “I wanted to use [my bike] to go out, [but] was faced with too many ignorant security guards telling me I can’t park my bike here, cars basically pretending I don’t exist, and I decided this needed to change,” says BICYCLE RIGHTS NOW founder Allen

Umali. Covering Makati and Bonifacio Global City in Metro Manila, BRN has successfully been encouraging establishments to sign the BRN pledge and give riders the license to a bike-friendly environment. REENA MESIAS

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MUSIC REVIEWS

THE GHOST OF A SABER TOOTHED TIGER

PHILIP DICKEY of Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin

MR. BONES AND THE BONEYARD CIRCUS

theghostofasabertoothedtiger.com

sslyby.com

boneyardcircus.com

MGMT – “It’s Working” It’s really cool that MGMT decided to get more progressive instead of more pop. Hopefully, they’ll influence the music scene to get a little more artsy. Lightspeed Champion – “Galaxy of the Lost” Apparently, he lives in NY. He has cool style and plays and sings great. It’s nice to see people who don’t reinforce stereotypes. Jordan Galland – “Circles” Jordan is one of our closest friends, and we think he’s one of the best songwriters around. He has released two albums, Search Party (2008) and Airbrush (2006). Joujoux d’Antan – “Nel Mio Armadio” This is our favorite undiscovered band. The lead singer Marco just moved to London, so people in the UK should look out for what he does next. Everything he does sounds like the beautiful nightmare child of Nino Rota and Thurston Moore. Tune-Yards – “Hatari” There’s a version of this song on YouTube where she’s just playing alone on a ukulele. It’s really cool.

The New Monsters Collective – “Final Exam” This is my sister’s band. It should get best new music on Pitchfork. Wheat – “Slow Fade” Reminds me of a slow summer day.

Free Energy –“Young Hearts” One of my favorite new bands. This song has a Thin Lizzy beat, and I really like the lyrics. The ACB’s – “Windows Up” Great band from Kansas City. They sound like Sloan and good Weezer. They are playing at my wedding. The Mommyheads – “Bottom Out” Their album Flying Suit just got reissued. “Bottom Out” is a perfect pop song. [It has] one of the best keyboard solos of all time,

Minus the Bear – “Pachuca Sunrise” A song about the beach, living, and being in love. Nothing steadier than the reality of existence and natural order of being. Rob Zombie – “What?” If you listen to it very well, the lyrics are pretty good, and you can just bang your head all throughout the song. Cannibal Corpse – “Hammer Smashed Face” Never heard music like it before. They made Slayer look like a bunch of butterflies. The Carpenters – “Superstar” There’s something indescribably creepy about this song that we like. Filter – “So I Quit” It’s aggressive and melodic…I like that… balance is nice.

LIGHTER THAN HEAVEN

ne of Your Imaginary Friends’ inspirations is Kurt Cobain’s published journal, Heavier than Heaven, but their music is everything but heavy as their sound has the melodic lightness of dream-pop balanced with postpunk beats. They even define their sound as “an astral projection of noise and pop that paint pictures of euphoric mornings.” It is a treat indeed to wake up or even spend the day listening to tracks like “Liza” or “Hey Rowena!”— radio-friendly numbers that you’re most likely to consider not only as imaginary friends but any-weather buddies. But before reaching this plane, Emerald Aquino (bass), Ahmad and Ed Tanji (vox/ guitars and guitars respectively) and Eric Po (drummer) had to make a resolve in March 2010 that it is their time to “do their bit in the name of pop music.” “We are coming out with an EP. After that, we will go with a full album. We have written a lot of songs already, and we’re still writing. Expect the first release this September,” Ahmad says. And contrary to what their name suggests, they stay real. “If you see us so sickeningly happy, that’s because we are. We don’t have to feign angst just to impress people.” KRISTINE DABBAY

yourimaginarymusic.com

LISTEN UP

PARTY PASS

Here comes electro-funk duo Chromeo’s latest album Business Casual, the follow-up to their lauded Fancy Footwork. Offering a 10-track stunner including titillating titles “I’m Not Contagious” and “Don’t Turn the Lights On” plus collaborations with Solange Knowles and Phoenix producer Philippe Zdar, this will surely make you dance in no time. With the party shaker “Night by Night” and an album artwork designed by Surface 2 Air, you just got a pass to meet music’s next big bosses.

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ON THE SPOT

MOVIE REVIEWS

PL AYBACK

Unzipped (1995) F

or ones who like fashion, those who got love even for the makers of fashion, there’s Unzipped, Douglas Keeve’s 1995 Sundance hit documentary about designer Isaac Mizrahi. Before he ended up selling stuff in QVC today, Mizrahi narrated

CINEMANTICS this film with his New Yorker accent, thoroughly smitten by Bette Davis movies, and quoting Mary Tyler Moore. It’s his Fall 1994 collection in the making, and before Mizrahi commits to Nanook of the North’s Eskimos as inspiration for his collection, he tries a Ouija board which throws Hitchcock with dominatrix in the process. An almost black and white film, the documentary is filled with cameos by fashion world’s royalty. There’s Vogue’s Andre Leon Talley, 90’s supermodels Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, and Kate Moss. For a film like this, Mizrahi’s personality alone becomes pure entertainment. Fashion, for instance, is referred to as “women not wanting to look like cows.” He dances, sings, and cooks while he’s at it, frustrated at reviews and stressed over originality in between. So when color comes to life as Mizrahi shows his full collection, Keeve finally shows why it’s all worth it. LORIS PEÑA MIZRAHI DANCES, SINGS, AND COOKS WHILE HE’S AT IT

Howl (September 2010)

eyond the black-framed glasses that Allen Ginsberg wore during his prime, his legacy speedily simmers into your consciousness the way a potboiler would. But instead of racy (even gay) plotlines, it bursts with verses that console like a cup of tea, one that is stirred with wisdom brimming out the cup of life itself. This is what Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman chronicle in Howl with its mosaic of documentary, animation, and courtroom cinema. The documentary’s a pleasure because of seeing young Allen high of the spoken word while the animation interprets the verses, leaving little room for insight as a poem should do. The courtroom scenes are blah, but James Franco and Mad Men’s Jon Hamm give the scenes presence. The three parts, though, feel disjointed, and rambling postmodern poetic techniques are no excuse. If the sole basis is capturing an icon, the film falls short, but if it’s discovering frontiers in

INSTEAD OF RACY PLOTLINES, IT BURSTS WITH VERSES THAT CONSOLE art, it articulates a fresh perspective. It’s a movie, yes, but in the end, it will always be about the man and his art. On the Road’s Carlo Marx was based on Ginsberg, and the character lives true to him. Meet literature’s howling dark saint. KRISTINE DABBAY

DIRECTOR’S CUT

Black Rain (1989) Fresh from the premiere of his film adaptation of Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead, JORDAN GALLAND takes times off his band Dopo Yume to talk about this movie he thinks should be more awarded.

lack Rain is one of those inspiring, perhaps unexpected, masterpieces in which every element exceeds its ordinary role, creating an immeasurably entertaining

and magical emotional rollercoaster. With the look and atmosphere of the film, Ridley Scott manages to combine the feelings of all the films he made prior—the industrial darkness of Alien (1979), the futuristic neon sprawl of Blade Runner (1982), and the gritty tough guy cop tone of Someone to Watch Over Me (1987). The soundtrack is likewise a bizarre cocktail of Greg Allman’s sentimental rock ballad, Iggy Pop’s ode to self-destructiveness, Ryuichi Sakamoto’s metallic keyboards, and zany groovy jams like “Singing in the Shower.” Michael Douglas’s performance is the culmination of the 80s wise ass cop, who’s

always breaking the rules, in the vein of Die Hard and Lethal Weapon but darker, more subtle, and much more believable. A young, adorable Andy Garcia makes us smile as the partner who’s sudden (spoiler alert) decapitation at the hands, courtesy of the Yakuza, feels as shocking and heavy as the death of a family member. I saw Black Rain for the first time when I was 9, and it has been in my mind ever since. ONE OF THOSE INSPIRING, PERHAPS UNEXPECTED, MASTERPIECES IN WHICH EVERY ELEMENT EXCEEDS ITS ORDINARY ROLE

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BOOK REVIEWS

PICTURE BOOK

LOLLI-POP

O ne - S ittin g s

RICHARD YATES

By Massimo Gammacurta

hether it’s through the LV monogram, the Macintosh apple, the Swarovski swan, or the Nike swoosh, brands have a way of getting into our heads. Who would’ve thought that these logos could get even more…consumable? In his upcoming photo book, Lolli-POP, Italian-born still life photographer Massimo Gammacurta turns these familiar icons and more into sickeningly sweet treats. You’ve probably seen these saccharine images on the Internet. After all, Gammacurta originally intended the series to be an online art experiment. Bloggers and webcrawlers ate it up, and the photographer became an instant hit. The part-time sculptor indulges his readers with page

after page of glossy molded sugar in candy-coated color. Browsing through the book triggers both shopping spree itches and salivary glands. There’s no escaping clichéd phrases like “eye candy” and “visual feast” to describe the creative confections. Having shot for magazines such as Details, Forbes, and Surface, Gammacurta is one New York-based artist to watch out for. Challenging people’s perceptions through fresh takes on everyday objects, his conceptual work has garnered him apt recognition. It’s this creative vision that turns his pretty pictures into such devilish delights. GIO DIONISIO

BROWSING THROUGH THE BOOK TRIGGERS BOTH SHOPPING SPREE ITCHES AND SALIVARY GLANDS

By Tao Lin

ewn onto a quilt of surface detail, non-sequiturs, and authentic~ hipster culture, Tao Lin in Richard Yates picks on the scenes no one else has enough courage to point out as singularly meaningful—Kmart realism in its bluntest state. No one really wants to admit stuff like “Some of the happiest moments of my life have occurred while I was on Gmail chat” or “When Marissa and I fight, we lay on our sides for an hour in different rooms and wait for the person that was mean to come into the room and say they are sorry, then we existentially attack each other in very quiet

voices,” but this bro goes ahead, recounting ephemeral situations to communicate his loneliness. Twice as long as his Shoplifting from American Apparel last year, this latest novel sparked controversy when Lin sold shares of its future royalties on eBay in 2008. From someone the Germans have called “the Asian Haruki Murakami” in a non-ironic way, Lin’s writing makes you forgive yourself for having social anxiety disorder or for spending too much time on the Internet. AMANDA LOPEZ

MAKES YOU FORGIVE YOURSELF FOR HAVING SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER OR FOR SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME ON THE INTERNET

READING GROUP

ENCOUNTER By Milan Kundera

here once were sprawling essays on literature and film now stand aggregate scores on browser windows and mobile phone displays. The world no longer knows the value of art or beauty. All it knows are tomato meters and thumbs up. In the age of the Internet, criticism has slowly

lost its value and relevance. “Without the meditative background that is criticism, works become isolated gestures, historical accidents, soon forgotten,” says Milan Kundera, celebrated author of such important works as The Unbearable Lightness of Being and The Book of Laughter and Forgetting. Kundera’s new work, a collection of essays entitled Encounter, is a passionate

WHO ELSE BUT THE GREAT MAN HIMSELF CAN EXCLAIM THE WONDERS OF HIS BELOVED CRAFT?

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defense of art in an era that, he argues, no longer knows the values of art or beauty. Characteristic of his often experimental prose, Encounter covers a wide range of artists—both widely renowned (Beethoven, Breton, Roth, Fellini) and those known often only to the cognoscenti. “Let us consider therefore, the critic as a discoverer of discoveries,” Kundera is also famously quoted. Who else but the great man himself can exclaim the wonders of his beloved craft? LORENZO IGNACIO

Photo: Mozo

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T H E B IG B L U E Dive into healthy skin with these deep sea mineral skin care products enriched with nutrients that the skin rapidly absorbs. Photographed by Stevyn Llewellyn

BEAUTY BITE

BOURJOIS PARIS The fussy, fast-paced atmosphere in Hong Kong Times Square makes it the perfect spot for BOURJOIS PARIS to station its first store in the city. Known for its Little Round Pots and superior quality makeup since the 19th century, the brand is tried, tested, and recommended for those who want luxurious and effective skin care—a pick-me-upper for every girl looking for something that

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revives and restores. What’s more special about this treasure trove of girly indulgence is it’s the first with a nail boutique. So while you relax and feel like that effortlessly chic Parisian woman with the store’s make up and manicure services, you can also delight in 600+ polish shades. Appréciez!

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brick and mortar PASS THE BATON, tokyo Omotesando Hills West B2F, Shibuya-ku Tokyo, Japan 03-6447-0707 pass-the-baton.com

ot your ordinary vintage store and recycle shop, PASS THE BATON by Nigo of A Bathing Ape has recently opened its second store in Japan’s trendsetter precinct. It’s one of those stores that makes it easy to enter with its can’t-miss huge chandelier, the vibrancy of colors on items that contrast pleasingly on white walls, and a wooden floor that makes for the cozy feel. Nigo’s New Recycle concept, however, is the real charm of Pass The Baton. The lineup of preloved antiques, clothing, and accessories are from private individuals depicting individual tastes. And you’ll keep thumbing through the selection knowing that most sellers are popular stylists, actors like Tadanobu Asano, artists such as French Item Idem, and designers like Nigo himself who brought along some of his favorite knickknacks. Set up with the seller’s photo beside his profile, what he is selling, and what it meant to him, Pass The Baton gives a more personal kind of shopping experience—instead of just going through old thingamajigs at an ordinary vintage shop, a shopper is introduced to the distinctiveness and life story imbued in each item.

VANS, manila 2F, Robinson’s Galleria, Ortigas Avenue, Mandaluyong City 63-2-477-2754 vans.com

hey say good shoes take you to good places. But a place like Manila is taking these good shoes and storing them in the first, recently-opened VANS store. There’s an apparent raw and urban feel in the shop’s use of wood, concrete, and steel that simulate Southern California’s skate and youth culture spot. To display their shoes that range from the cult-classic, check slip-ons, to the pined-for high-tops, there’s a wall that looks just like a skate ramp shagged, as if they’re made into cubes. A flat-screen TV hangs behind the counter to liven up the store with animated visuals matched with punk rock music from the stereos. Sprinkled throughout the space and not to be missed are posters, articles torn from old newspapers, and photos of just everything related to the true shoe icon. Although Vans has long been in the blood and bones of skateboarding culture and history, they are loved and worn for more than just that appeal. Serious skateboarders rip an ollie in a wieldy pair, and others chill in a tee or a cap for the simplest reason: Vans’ evolving styles make them look good while staying true to a laid-back look.

GOSEE

Paisley Shirt

Look who’s stylin’ on us. We got the world covered to get you guys pumped up for fashion. Photographed by Rosario Herrera, Nuk Romualdez, and Apollo Lara

Bodycon Dress Button-up Shirt

Sleeveless Tank

Varsity Jacket

Brogues

Fuzzy Shrug

Suede Loafers

Leather Jacket

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New York

Los Angeles

Oversized Sweater

Las Vegas

Singapore

Tokyo

Manila

New York Los Angeles

Jacket Work Boots

Blazer

Ruffled Dress

Shoulder Bag

Espadrilles

Tailored Shorts Lace Stockings

Floral Polo

Bowler Hat

Eyeglasses Cutout Dress

ngeles Las Vegas Singapore

Tokyo New York

Los Angeles

Las Vegas

Singapore

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ook stylishly organic any day of the week in TOMATOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sprightly offerings. Floral patterns mixed and tossed with colorful jumpsuits, blouses, and denims. Served with a light dressing of oh-so-sweet accessories from chains to bangles and sunnies. Just another alternative to staying youthful and vibrant while staying easy on the budget.

YOUR DAILY DOSE M

Striped Top - P600 Denim Shorts - P600 Shades - P400 (3) Necklaces - P250 each Cuff bracelet - P200 Silver Watch - P600

ONDAY

Orange Fringe Top - P500 Jeggings - P700 Blazer - P800 Nude Watch - P500 Bracelets - P300

EDNESDAY

Denim Dress - P650 Studded Clutch - P350 Bib Necklace - P450

UESDAY

RIDAY

Asymmetric Top - P650 Acid Wash Jegging - P750

UNDAY

HURSDAY

Black Top - P600 Orange Tie Dye Shorts - P600 Zebra Print Flats - P400

ATURDAY

Jumpsuit - P800 Bangles - P300 for each set of 3 Bag - P700 Shades - P400 Brown belt - P200

Blue Floral Short Dress - P650 Denim Cropped Jacket - P650 Rose Cuff - P250 Flats - P400 Denim Bag - P350

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SWAG AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2010

o ut a n d ab o ut

Day or night is right with Fall 2010â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s casual button-downs, canvas knapsacks, shimmery tops, digital watches, strappy heels, medium-sized totes, and one-shouldered dresses. Photos by Bruce Casanova, Patrick L. Jamora, Stevyn Llewellyn and Sandra Rosales

Vans Van Doren Backpack [P2,298]

Top to bottom: Vans Suiting Style [P1,598], Vans Primer Painterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cap [P2,298], Vans Oversize Starter Cap [P1,898], Vans Suiting Style [P1,598]

Clock wise: Vans Bedford (Chatham) [P3,998] Vans Classic Slip-On CA [P4,998] Vans Sk8-Hi Re-Issue CA [P3,998] Vans Tustin [P3,498]

Vans Clockout [P2,498]

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swag

Nike Air Force 1 Low Premium 08 LE [P5,995]

Adidas Beckenbauer [P3,695]

K1X DCAC [P3,995]

Adidas Stan Smith [P3,495]

Puma Penny Rey Herringbone [P3,190]

Nike Blazer Mid 09 ND [P3,795]

Kartel Ferdinand [P3,499]

DC Black Manteca 3 [P4,990]

Creative Recreation Luzy [P7,637.85]

Nike Terminator High [P5,295]

Radii 420 Top [P4,397.55]

Onitsuka Tai Chi Core [P4,000]

Fred Perry Oakfield Nylon 2 [P5,098] Vans Classic Slip On [P3,598]

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Royal Elastics King Hi [P2,725]

swag

Cushe Manuka Deck [P3,990]

Vans Sierra [P3,298]

Clae Kennedy [P4,160]

Fred Perry Table Tennis 2 Perf Leather [P7,798]

Element Darrell [P5,500]

Sebago Spinnaker Ltd. Ed. [P7,990]

Onitsuka Mexico 66 [P5,200]

Puma Clyde Worker [P4,550]

Fashion for Relief-Haiti

SNEAK PICK Cozâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; variety is always good. Nike Royalefam Memphis Belle [P25,459.50]

Zoo York Eckford [P3,590]

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swag

A CASUAL MASTERY

Jasper Conran [P3,150]

Maldita [P999]

Jeffrey Rogador

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Button-down to imperfection.

Diesel [P5,950]

Topman [P2,245]

F&H [P1,199]

Mundo [P1,750]

Marithé et François Girbaud [P3,900]

7 For All Mankind [P7,998]

swag

TEE PARTY

Matix [P1,095]

CPS [P895]

Mental [P449]

Obey [P1,435]

Topman [P1,295]

Armani Exchange [P2,450]

No formal attire, please.

Bleach Catastrophe [P995]

Billabong [P2,400]

Paul Frank [P1,450]

Diesel [P2,950]

Folded and Hung [P499]

Springfield [P995]

statusmagonline.com - 43

swag

S L O U C H A R O U N D

Garbo [P2,348]

Armani Exchange [P4,950]

Garbo [P2,248]

Springfield [P2,650]

The only slouch with a fashion sense.

Onitsuka Tiger [P6,300] 44 - statusmagonline.com

Garbo [P2,348]

swag

The 6900 [P6,070]

Glide [P4,970]

The 6900 [P6,070]

Glide [P6,070]

TIC TOK True style is timeless.

The 6900 Gulfman Ltd. Edition [P7,180]

Retro Metal [P3,590]

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swag

ONE MORE TIME Go ahead and flaunt your shoulder.

Tadashi Shoji

Faith Hope Love [P1,795]

Red Herring [P5,750]

Nicole Miller

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Warehouse [P1,895]

Star by Julien Macdonald [P5,550]

Spotlight by Warehouse [P4,445]

United Pop [P2,600]

swag

Micheal Antonio [3,300]

Micheal Antonio [P3,100]

Aldo [P4,295]

Aldo [P5,395]

Topshop [P5,395]

Red Herring [P2,750]

Aldo [P4,895]

Staccato [P2,799]

Herve Leger

STRAP CLUB Exclusive for the chic and the brave.

statusmagonline.com - 47

swag

CMG [P2,499]

Topshop [P2,895]

DKNY [P15,500]

Liz Claiborne [P3,950]

Kate Spade [P12,650]

A|X [P6,950]

Michael Kors [P14,850]

Star by Julien Macdonald [P3,150]

THE PERFECT SIZE Medium totes for your everyday essentials.

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swag

BRIGHT NIGHT Dazzle in the nighttime. 3.1 Phillip Lim

Frederick Peralta [to order]

Debenhams [P2,350]

CPS [P2,795]

Wildflower [P2,350]

statusmagonline.com - 49

PHOTO DIARY PARIS FASHION WEEK AUTUMN WINTER 2010 BY SONNY VANDEVELDE sonnyphotos.typepad.com

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NEW NEW KIDS KIDS ON ON THE THE BLOCK BLOCK

TWO'S A COMPANY STATUS: In a Relationship. And it’s not just any affair because they’re together for the love of fashion. Threesomes not allowed.

DEEANDRICKY Demetrius and Ricardo Jackson Things that inspire you: Colors, books, BB Guns, USA, slingshots, fireworks, trouble, toys, Cartoon Network, USA 1986-1993, boobs.

Craziest thing you did for fashion: We made it pop more and added more of a toy aspect…and DIY. What do you think are the building blocks of success? Be cool as fuck. Don’t let people tell you how to act. Just do what you do but still stay in your lane, and sip margaritas all day.

hypebeast.com/blog/deericky

Photos by Marc Whalen

Dream collaborations: [With] Sam Walton, the guy who started Wal-Mart. I’d like to work with Marcel Wanders, his stuff looks like fairy tale, Mario Batalli to create some food together, MTA, and Mikey Bloomberg.

PROUDRACE Pat Bondoc and Rik Rasos

Photos by Everywhere We Shoot

Ten years from now, how do you see fashion and arts in Asia? We see a more artisanal approach to fashion and the emergence of more independent fashion labels…the merging of fashion and art in mainstream culture.

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Your ultimate standard in measuring style and cool factor: Effortless. Someone who’s not so put together but still manages to stand out. We’re also inspired by people who are not really fashion forward. We’re inspired by identity. The best thing about working as a duo: Two heads are always better than one. We get to conceptualize and edit everything twice.

proudrace.tk

TOKYO DANDY Dan Bailey and Kazuaki Joe K Tokyo Dandy is… …a style and pop culture blog set up by two people: Joe (from Japan) and Dan (from England). It has more to do with everything being “fine and dandy.” What makes a good collaboration? The best designer collaborations are yourself and whatever item of clothing has become tired. Get out a pair of scissors and some safety pins, and make it fresh again. We want to bridge the gap between runway and street because… …everyone likes to buy things from a luxury label but no one buys a complete look straight off the runway. People mix designer brands with each other as well as with basics from stores such as UNIQLO or American Apparel.

tokyodandy.com

REED+RADER Pamela Reed and Matthew Rader Things that inspire you: Taking advantage of technology to create a believable world that exists separate from reality. Medium you still want to master: We are more interested in mediums that make creations (like 3D design and programming) rather than mediums that capture creations such as photography. Tell us more about augmented reality and your vision of it in fashion. Why stop at clothes? Want to be taller or have the appearance of a Tyrannosaurus Rex? Who says that fashion has to be about real clothes? Augmented reality isn’t going to just change how we look at our computers; it is going to change how we look at each other.

reedandrader.com

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M U S E

SUPER,SWEET, AND SIXTEEN Earning herself the head start by opening shows like Prada and being the face of Miu Miu’s SS 2010 campaign, it’s hard to believe that LINDSEY WIXSON is only 16. But, really, with the combination of her pillowy lips, a darling front tooth gap, and a shy-but-confident charisma, wouldn’t it be harder to believe if she didn’t steal the spotlight? Photographed by Jimmy Fontaine Hair and Make-up by Caitlin Goetz Styled by Julie Brooke Williams

Runway Reality

“People would approach me and tell me I should model. So when I walked the runways for the first time, it felt surreal to be living the dream. It’s mostly overwhelming, but I take it one day at a time.”

Raid Her Closet

“If you came to my house and looked at my closet, you’d mostly see old dresses and sweaters.”

Animal Instinct

“When I have a shoot with animals, that’s the most memorable.”

Last First Time

“Probably learning how to drive which was the beginning of April.”

Bet You Didn't Know

“I have never gone to band camp in my entire life.”

Not So Under Pressure

“To deal with pressure, I take deep breaths, chamomile tea, and don’t forget the orange juice! On a day off, I catch up on sleep, have dinner with friends, and explore botanical gardens.”

Stage Exit

“After modeling, I would like to be a pastry chef, a pilot, and carry on making art.”

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M A E S T R O

“I’m always naked anyway...”

FINDING EVERLAND No, THE GHOST OF A SABER TOOTHED TIGER isn’t just Sean Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl’s version of a whirlwind romance. It’s two people set to unite as one super creature. By Kristine Dabbay “

earing Freudian slips like evening gowns” heard in their single “Rainbows in Gasoline” has got to be one of the most intimate lines ever. After all, The Ghost of a Saber Toothed Tiger (The GOASTT) in all its novelty conjures the personal call of centuries, of Victorian cyborgs and medieval aliens, irreverently romping through the futuristic and anachronistic depth, breadth, and height that the soul can reach, just the way dreams capture eternity in 40 winks. “It can rub the wrong way when you try to totally integrate with each other, but I feel closer to the center of the universe whenever we grow closer,” Charlotte Kemp Muhl muses about her relationship with lover and creative partner Sean Lennon. Having met in Coachella, it’s not a shock that the two have decided to turn love into music and vice versa. “We’ve decided to begin with an acoustic

album… But we already have an electric album nearly done that will follow shortly. We’re evolving with fuller instrumentation, with electric guitars, synths, and other regalia,” Sean says. Behold then that even if the couple is steeped with so much history, (with Sean’s Lennon lineage and Charlotte’s supermodel status, being the youngest model to grace the Brit Harper’s), they have no hangups with their pedigree. This attitude clicked just in time with Terry Richardson’s shutter when they posed as the naked John and Yoko shot by Annie Leibovitz. “Many people used to accuse us of imitating my parents…so I thought it would be funny if we actually did imitate something. It was fun seeing people getting worked up over the ‘controversy’ of a photograph, as if we were living in 1950s conservative America,” Sean quips. Charlotte couldn’t agree

more, “I’m always naked anyway, so it wasn’t far off from a normal afternoon…a lot of people seem to have no sense of humor.” But musically speaking, they’re not at all about parental pastiches. “All of my music, I make for my parents, on some level, since they created and inspired me. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them; my entire artistic life is a tribute to them on some level,” Sean says. This humility to openly honor a legacy is just a breath of fresh air in an industry stifled by wannabes. On the other hand, Charlotte goes deeper into the flesh and blood of music. “Modeling is like an outer body experience; it’s my job to transform into the clients’ whim. But for music, you must be deeply present… the moment your mind starts drifting, you lose the beat.” Together, they haven’t just formed The

GOASTT but also their record label Chimera which corresponds to a mythical multi-specie creature resembling their duo dynamic. Charlotte even shares that “The worst thing is probably the friction caused from trying to merge into a super organism.” Kind of esoteric, but this is what they are—a dream lived, unchained from time’s linear logic. “It seems the whole world is aware that we are witnessing a very special [moment] in history...when, more than ever, the choices we make as a society will determine our survival,” Sean explains. So the best resort is to measure time through intensity, just like their music, which is like being caught in a whirlwind—romantic, timeless, a beguiling dream that shifts our senses just as a note hits crescendo.

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MAESTRO

BABY BOO M ER

KNOCKIN’ ON TEMPLE’S DOOR Alan Palomo initially preferred anonymity as NEON INDIAN, but his hair gave him away. Just as given is

his warped and synth-charged sound blowing up like a mushroom boom, only with an acid trip aftermath After expanding his or, in the most recent case, a “Sleep Paralysist.” homegrown project to a Byfull-blown Kristine Dabbayband, Luke Temple contemplates the big time with HERE WE GO ny music agent knows by of dictums in the blog world such MAGIC’s latest record instinct that explosions in as chillwave or glo-fi that were the industry are likely caused just beyond him; Alan believes Pigeons.

By Raymond Ang

he way Luke Temple describes it, you’d think the creation of Here We Go Magic was as easy as pie. With a microphone, a synth, and an acoustic guitar, he created the band’s psychedelic lo-fi sound with Kristina Lieberson (keys), Michael Bloch (guitar), Jennifer Turner (bass) and Peter Hale (drums). “It originally came about through necessity,” he

explains. “It’s not just my own voice anymore, and the palette of instruments is entirely different.” Today, Here We Go Magic has become a Pitchforkapproved band of considerable repute, rated “Best New Music” by the review mecca in March 2010. After playing SXSW, touring with The New Pornographers, Grizzy Bear, and The Walkmen, Luke insists that

by a specific substance. Fine, it’s presumptuous to choose your 21-year-old Alan Palomo was movements. “It’s really how your already part-VEGA and partmusic translates to the eyes Ghosthustler but, somehow, of audience, what sort of and Billboard success is not onahis to the go in any direction I want canceled session with visual fictional questions create mind. Theacid “magic ingredient” not all lead to thepeople mansion on collaborator Alicia Scardetta about it, like suddenlyconcluding what for him “is being okay with not the hill,” he insists, was justwhat’s the inertia was you knowing going he to needed happen to thatsomething “It’s just a made case on of your the form Indian. “It definitely own becomes packaged together next”Neon as “art doesn’t change inmates having the keys.” started with that people think They may you’re not be really going anything, but‘Should’ve it points Taken you in Acid with You’… When I sat down looking something a whole,” the right direction.” for the at mansion, but as they sure and reallyWith started writing songs, he his go-big-or-goaresays. on their way to unlock more it was really kindLuke of quick and His washed-out summery doors. home undertaking, doesn’t cathartic…like I started one melodies upturned with 80s mind the critics who regard song, and then next day,as I psychedelia isn’t the only the subtlety ofthe their sound myspace.com/herewegomagic had another, and a month, thing that floats his boat directionless. “Iin need to be I able had a full-length album.” though. “I think, obviously, He makes it sound so having different instruments easy—drilling a hole into the can shape the nature of what blog world’s solid ground. The you’re doing... [But] “I think aggregators even baptized Psychic the concept is that, what would Chasms as one of the best music really shape the sound of the album is not having the content, of 2009 when all Alan did was get [it’s] just filling it entirely high with his experiences. But from scratch.” then, as artists, that’s probably And from scratch, the hardest part because “It he has built his own brand of usually comes off as…abstract. It music, which will give you a new has to be based on some genuine slate of mind—no prescriptions emotion,” he says. So if you think that required. He’s like Dr. Seuss reality is equivalent to the specializing in the visual mundane, then see the context mapping of sounds replete with it played in “Deadbeat Summer” his lyrics like “hear the endless or “Terminally Chill,” where hiss as it rolls into the starlit it’s more of a heightened state abyss.” of mind such as the burst of Imagine tinkering ack Black and Juliet borrowed nostalgia or having to with old cassette tapes of New Capulet nothing survive relationships gone awry.haveOrder joined or Daft Punk He used to by be on his stage name either, Alan explains how it the kaleidoscopic parade with of past passive-aggressive his although it’s just usually starts “with a very decades seen through lens girlfriend, and the it comes something he liked at the outclassic in his View-Master music. “I’m simple rhythm, melody, or loop” of your and stuck toy. with.That’s Of his kind ofhow a hermit, so Neon when until you’re already time “thinking effective random resumé, Toro Y Moi do things for the in terms of direction or sort of IndianI uses nostalgia. Andfirst even I’m atimid or shy (Chazwick Bundick intime, real adorning the songs with different if his music‘s montage of about it,” he continues. life) says, “All of times thoseand distant cries, qualities. It’s really nothing lost of However, it are someitmedium like ‘Here’s a verse,things and here’s remains to capture today’s seems futile to talk about art, and I’m attracted to a chord.’ It’s the process of noise his thatchillwave remains close to our acclaim processes.” creating a soundscapecreative and knowing sensibilities as because, if it’s just in length, he one His music is where to take it from there.” bomb scare away. relates, “I get bored similarly spontaneous, In return, these easily if I make songs of made aup of cut myspace.com/neonindian and paste soundscapes had inspired pool a certain sound too much. beats and synthesized It’s a fun challenge to melodies, with a wispy start completely over... anything can be falsetto that seems because more made.” like an afterthought. It’s And that’s cerebral yet comatose, why this guy’s candid straight out of a Charlie is refreshing— Kaufman screenplay. indifference “I no names, brands, or sort of go into a whole labels can attest to his other mode... It’s kind of unbridled attitude the way good and bad. It affects he does himself.

" I get bored easily if I make songs of a certain sound too much. It’s a fun challenge to start completely over."

NAME GAME

"IT USUALLY COMES OFF AS...ABSTRACT. IT HAS TO BE BASED ON SOME GENUINE EMOTION."

my relationships, and I get cranky. I’m kindtoroymoi.blogspot.com of a workaholic,” admits Chaz.

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MAESTRO

M E R M SC A P E U S

“Think of the contrast between sweetness and danger,” Colorado-based CANDY CLAWS explain the logic behind their moniker. Acknowledging such contrast, they made the perfect summer songs during the winter for their second album, Hidden Lands. By Reena Mesias

t’s a very musically productive time. It’s nice to have something interesting to do that keeps you up all night [until] you realize that the sun’s back up, and you’d better go to bed so you can be human for a while and do it all over again,” Candy Claws frontman Ryan Hover says fresh from a heartbreak. “From now on, I’ll just walk around with nature: my new girl,” he adds. Layers of organs, string plucks, and effected percussions dip into echoes of faint crashing waves from their favorite places—like Hawaii and the Mediterranean Sea—altogether creating a warm, tropical rhythm. Ryan and Kay Bertholf (both principle songwriters), along with their touring members,

“

believe that “places are like songs; they give you feelings without telling you in words.” By mixing 50s-60s sound and “sampling different parts of each song in every other song,” Candy Claws racked up their intent to make a timeless record for Hidden Lands. “Hopefully, in a billion years, [people] will have trouble placing this album in a specific decade,” Ryan concludes. For a band that dreams to experience the danger of the prehistoric times with the dinosaurs, theirs is a sound that equals a calm, nature-reflecting flavor, moving listeners to dream away into their own sweet escapes.

myspace.com/candyclaws

WHEN IT POPS

If you like how the word “wonky” pops in your mouth, wait until you hear DAN BLACK’s version of wonky pop in his going-solo debut album UN. By Kristine Dabbay

ame it: Lady Gaga, Mika, La Roux—they’re all associated with the wonky wave. But while The Servant and Planet Funk grad Dan Black may not be sure how the label stuck with him, he’s not lagging in this word game. He describes his music “as the sound of a laptop, drunk, having a flick-knife fight with a chimpanzee, up in the canopy of a rainforest.” He doesn’t stop in words though. Even Kid Cudi can’t help but notice. He called Dan himself and collaborated with him for “Symphonies.” Scheduled to tour with stylish femmes Robyn and Kelis, he got pop figured out. “[It] is about making a little universe…the myth, the artwork, the visuals, the clothes. Even

if you choose to have no style, that’s a style,” Dan stresses. While Dan talks about this universe, the British artist cites “HYPNTYZ” as the song that drew more people outside his original world which, in a nutshell, is “European!” Though it’s a long way now from his early days, he keeps going. “When the desire to give up rises…I have to fight it. But repetitious stress is manageable if you know it’s coming,” he said. On the direction he’s taking soon, he just says: “Into a wormhole with a bag of donuts and an LM-1 drum machine.” Sounds unfamiliar? That’s why it’s worth the trip.

danblacksound.com

"[My Music is] the sound of a laptop, drunk, having a flick-knife fight with a chimpanzee, up in the canopy of a rainforest." statusmagonline.com - 59

MAESTRO

Thou Shalt Be Loved Future Cool Gramps Aside from probably being the best band in Weller Street by now, an improvement from the long-running joke (or maybe not) that they’re only third best, a lot of things has stayed the same for SOMEONE STILL LOVES YOU BORIS YELTSIN. Frontman Philip Dickey enumerates them, talks about their third release Let It Sway, and slams Pitchfork on the face. By Nante Santamaria Photographed by Chris Beckman

“

e still have a lot of the same cheap equipment. We still live in Springfield (Missouri)… We still don’t have tattoos. It still takes us 9 months to record an album,” Philip Dickey lists why people shouldn’t think they’ve gone so far. But since bumming and strumming in the attic with his high school buddy Will Knauer and starting Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, their band name born out of ironic pity for the then-resigning Russian president, and putting out two albums—Broom (2005) and Pershing (2008)—to enthusiastic Internet props, something major is comin up. “I’m getting married in two weeks,” Philip enthusiastically announces. And this August, they’re finally coming out with their third compilation, the first ever that they’ve recorded in a studio. But for now, he’s just chillin over the World Cup while Will, well, doesn’t have a TV. They need pastime advice from their third guitarist John Cardwell who watches True Blood and everything else they’re missing. Together with Jonathan Jame’s beats, they’re fresh from the recording/a sleepover on producer Beau Sorenson’s floor while Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla helped out and took the VIP suite aka a tent at the backyard. The result is Let it Sway, their first fullon product under Polyvinyl Records, through Philip’s effort to always sell them out. But that’s just the label. What we get, so far, is their everlighthearted melody in “Sink/ Let It Sway,” which rose from Will’s feverish dreams when he was diagnosed with mono a week

before “the sleepover.” And if you’re wondering if it’s gonna be Death Cabby at all, Philip denies it “other than the fact that we used some of Chris’s guitars.” One of his wishes right now is to “to sound like [Jeffrey Eugenides’s] books and short stories.” What else would fit is being in the next Parker Posey movie soundtrack although, Philip humbly proclaims, “I guarantee you she has never heard of our band.” With all the blog coverage they’re getting and some Pitchfork approval, that’s possibly false even if the reviews can be pretty scathing (“sound[s] like every strummy bunch of white boys from the 1990s,” “acoustic Interpol morphing into acoustic Bloc Party”). “I’d be lying if I said we haven’t benefited from their press,” Philip gives credit then takes a crack-worthy U-Turn, “Other times, I think they make less sense than Sarah Palin… When I read reviews like that, I just really want to find the reviewers and hurt their feelings.” It’s the same wit employed in their music videos—a stop-motion spree in “Pangea,” an intercontinental spy movie in “Glue Girls,” a newsboy feud turned sci-fi episode in “Modern Mystery,” and romantic bliss went rock n roll rampage in “Think I Wanna Die.” “Our main goal is to avoid embarrassing ourselves,” Philip sets it straight. “After all, I’m pretty sure our grandchildren will have access to these videos…” And how painfully cool is this, really. Thou shalt be loved future gramps.

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TOUR COMMANDMENTSS I Take a friend on tour.

II Don't tour for more than 28 days in a row.

III Don't try to change the set list in the middle of a show.

Don't do drugs/ /get drunk while the rest of your bandmates are loading equipment up a long flight of stairs.

V Don't take a 5-hour detour so you can go to Roswell, New Mexico.

VI Don't schedule an in-store acoustic performance and forget to tell your bandmates.

. . .

MAESTRO

SILENT KNIGHTS

While everybody’s dancing to the noise, DRIP champions the right to remain silent. By Kristine Dabbay Photographed by Patrick Diokno Outfits by Puma

ntil now, when people talk about electronic music, they think of a Big Fish event. That kills it for me. Electronic music is…not just dance,” Drip’s Ian Magbanua (beats, programming) clarifies the musical misnomer. That’s why Beng Alcarazen (vocals) and Ian talked about their heroes DJ Shadow and Portishead—the forerunners of trip hop. Even if they took the lead of these artists, Ian says that he doesn’t want to be boxed into that genre. Their songs such as “Bloodletting” or “Morning After” run through their influences besides electronic musicians, ranging from New Order’s drum and bass up to Beth Orton-esque vocals. But their dream would have to be a collaboration with

“

an orchestra which isn’t a far cry from their recent project involving an American cellist. Beng says, fresh from finishing a Spanish album, that they’re not rushing to the next gig. “We’re in a different place now… we learned to choose the gigs that really matter,” she says as “Image and form say a lot about a band.” Their atmospheric music projects a world where everything’s borderline, inspired by highway drives and dives into the depths of water. And even if Beng, Ian, and Caliph8 (turntables, FX) are not the loudest perpetrators of electronic music, their silence is their weapon to win, without having to fight in the so-called dance floor battlefield.

myspace.com/dripmanila

ESCAPE TICKET DELOREAN may have hailed from the Basque Country, but frontman Ekhi Lopetagi thinks “it’s more about musicality itself rather than places.” Interestingly, tapping into synth territory with their new album Subiza can be your many-way ticket to absolute sound escape. By Raymond Ang Photographed by Nacho Alegre

fter a brief sojourn pitched somewhere between Jimmy Eat World and Elliott Smith, the foursome Ehki, Guillermo Astrain (guitars), Igor Escudeo (drums), and Unai Lazcano (keyboards) has gone electronic. Now, garnering comparisons to Phoenix and Animal Collective, their career trajectory is widely believed to be on the upswing. But if you ask Delorean, visions of worldwide grandeur and stadium anthems were never the point. As Ekhi puts it, the band’s

“..makingmusicisjustaboutreaching tosomebody..bycreatingthisspecial encounterthroughthesongs.” goals are mainly musical. “We want to be happy with the music we make and be proud…” he says, “to come back home…having done something that’s worth it.” Perhaps it’s precisely the focus on musicality that’s bringing Delorean widespread attention as Subiza exercises 90s techno but pushes the cobwebbed genre to the noughties and beyond. “Dance music is not as withdrawn as other forms of popular music,” Ekhi says.

“It’s people being driven by the beat.” And when the beat drops, it’s the connection Delorean makes with its listeners that remain. “I guess making music is just about reaching to somebody,” he says, “not only through lyrics, [but by] creating this special encounter through the songs.”

myspace.com/delorean

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MAESTRO

BABY BOO M ER

KNOCKIN’ ON TEMPLE’S DOOR Alan Palomo initially preferred anonymity as NEON INDIAN, but his hair gave him away. Just as given is

by a specific substance. Fine, it’s presumptuous to choose your 21-year-old Alan Palomo was movements. “It’s really how your already part-VEGA and partmusic translates to the eyes Ghosthustler but, is somehow, of go thein audience, what sort of and he way Luke Temple describes explains. “It’s not just my own Billboard success not onahis to any direction I want canceled session with visual fictional questions create it, you’d think the creation voice anymore, and the palette mind. Theacid “magic ingredient” not all lead to thepeople mansion on collaborator Alicia Scardetta about it, like suddenlyconcluding what of Here We Go Magic was as easy of instruments is entirely for him “is being okay with not the hill,” he insists, was justwhat’s the inertia he happen needed to was something you made of on the your different.” Today, Here We Go knowing going to that “It’s just a case as pie. With a microphone, a form Neon Indian. “It change definitely own becomes packaged together Magic has become a Pitchforknext” as “art doesn’t inmates having the keys.” synth, and an acoustic guitar, he started with Taken that people think They may you’re not be really going created the band’s psychedelic approved band of considerable anything, but‘Should’ve it points you in Acidright with direction.” You’…When I sat down looking at something as a sure whole,” lo-fi sound with Kristina repute, rated “Best New Music” by the for the mansion, but they and reallyWith started writing songs, he says. his go-big-or-goare on their way to unlock more Lieberson (keys), Michael Bloch the review mecca in March 2010. it was really kindLuke of quick and His washed-out summery doors. (guitar), Jennifer Turner (bass) After playing home undertaking, doesn’t cathartic…like I who started one melodies upturned with 80s SXSW, touring with The New mind the critics regard and Peter Hale (drums). song, and then next day,as I psychedelia isn’t the only the subtlety ofthe their sound myspace.com/herewegomagic “It originally came Pornographers, Grizzy Bear, and had another, and a month, I thing that floats his boat about through necessity,” he The Walkmen, Luke insists that directionless. “Iin need to be able had a full-length album.” though. “I think, obviously, He makes it sound so having different instruments easy—drilling a hole into the can shape the nature of what blog world’s solid ground. The you’re doing... [But] “I think aggregators even baptized Psychic the concept is that, what would Chasms as one of the best music really shape the sound of the album is not having the content, of 2009 when all Alan did was get [it’s] just filling it entirely high with his experiences. But from scratch.” then, as artists, that’s probably And from scratch, the hardest part because “It he has built his own brand of usually comes off as…abstract. It music, which will give you a new has to be based on some genuine slate of mind—no prescriptions emotion,” he says. So if you think that required. He’s like Dr. Seuss reality is equivalent to the specializing in the visual mundane, then see the context mapping of sounds replete with it played in “Deadbeat Summer” his lyrics like “hear the endless or “Terminally Chill,” where hiss as it rolls into the starlit it’s more of a heightened state abyss.” of mind such as the burst of Imagine tinkering borrowed nostalgia or having to with old cassette tapes of New survive relationships awry. Order Punk joined ack Black gone and Juliet or DaftHe used to beby Alan explains how it the passive-aggressive kaleidoscopic parade of his past Capulet have nothing with usually starts very either, decades seen through lens on his“with stagea name girlfriend, and itthe comes although it’s or just out in his music. “I’m simple rhythm, melody, loop” of your classic View-Master something liked at the toy.kind of ahow hermit, so when until you’re alreadyhe“thinking That’s effective Neon time and stuck Of hisIndian I douses things for the And firsteven in terms of direction or with. sort of nostalgia. random resumé, Toro Y Moi if his time, I’m timid or shyof adorning the songs with different music‘s a montage Bundick in real lostabout continues. qualities.(Chazwick It’s really nothing timesit,” and he distant cries, life) says, “All of those However, it like ‘Here’s a verse, and here’s it remains to capture today’s things are some medium of seems futile to talk about a chord.’ art, It’s and the I’m process of remainsacclaim close to our attracted to noise histhat chillwave creating acreative soundscape and knowing sensibilities if it’shejust one processes.” in length, as because, where to take it from bombrelates, scare away. Histhere.” music is “I get bored In return, spontaneous, these similarly easily if I make songs of myspace.com/neonindian soundscapes hadupinspired a pool made of cut and paste a certain sound too much. beats and synthesized It’s a fun challenge to melodies, with a wispy start completely over... falsetto that seems more because anything can be like an afterthought. It’s made.” cerebral yet comatose, And that’s straight out of a Charlie why this guy’s candid Living partly in the suburbs and partly on the Internet Kaufman screenplay. “I indifference is refreshing— sort of go into a whole no names, brands, or has given TORO Y MOI the flexibility that only a musician/ other mode... It’s kind of labels can attest to his model/photog/graphic designer with a rhyming name can pull good and bad. It affects unbridled attitude the way my relationships, and I he does himself. off. get cranky. I’m kind of a workaholic,” admits Chaz. toroymoi.blogspot.com By Giano D. Dionisio Photographed by Bryan Bush By Raymond Ang

" I get bored easily if I make songs of a certain sound too much. It’s a fun challenge to start completely over."

NAME GAME

"IT USUALLY CO M ES OFF AS...ABSTRACT. IT H AS TO BE BASED ON SO M E GENUINE E M OTIO N ."

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M A S T E R M I N D

TRENDO MANIA

Underground denim labels, designer sunglasses, independent streetwear buzz brands—these clothes show the breadth of quintessential SoCal in the online boutique 80’s Purple. We are welcomed to this most coveted closet in her side of the OC by its head mistress BELLE NGUYEN. By Amanda Lopez

elle Nguyen has cracked the code to creating the unseen force that drives people into motion—desire. Her uncanny instinct for picking out the next big thing is the lifeblood of 80’s Purple, the online boutique carrying the most devastatingly cool range of lifestyle brands in all of the West Coast. Brands like Insight51, Wildfox, Fremont, Hellz Bellz, and Alternative Apparel, accessory lines such as Han Cholo and Noir, as well as footwear from 80%20, Dolce Vita, and Industry are regular favorites among the store’s fans. Asked to elaborate on what aesthetic she gravitates to, the 25-yearold FIDM grad says “I’m always telling people they need some soul in their life. It’s deep and classic, you know? There’s a history to it, and that’s why it works. Why do you think fashion is always repeating itself?” With a religiously updated section dedicated solely to eyewear from Chloe and Prada, to labels such as Sabre Vision and Retro Super Future, and the very comprehensive side02—the store’s formidable streetwear division that features brands such as Society, Obey, WeSC, IM King, Clae, and Orisue—it’s quite obvious that 80’s Purple is being run by no lightweight. Belle knows not only what people want; she knows what people will want next. If other brick-and-mortar stores have the advantage of the display window and readily touchable and tried on merchandise, the web is 80’s Purple’s home court. By the core of its phenomenal appeal are their pictorials, videos of photo shoots set to music. Cleverly cut

OH YEAH, SHE SAID IT!

and collaged, the images play out fashion scenes in the same way as an editorial in print. The difference, however, is that the brand’s identity—evident in the strong, purposeful styling—is amplified ten-fold. “Funk is just the twist that differentiates you from everyone else. Here I am using music to define style,” Nguyen explains. In “Red Hot American Summer,” for example, while high-strung chords ping faintly into earshot, an intro cut of flowers fades into the image of a cherry-lipped, gamine redhead, fingers clad in Purple Label connector rings adorned with rows of tiny hearts. She is touching her face, her haughty eyes staring fiercely behind brushed brass-framed, dark-tinted Alexander Wang sunglasses, the ones with the impossibly sky-high pointed corners. In come the words of the title, in yellow and red block letters throbbing in time with clanging synth riffs. Suddenly, the undeniable camp that dominates The Cars’ “Magic” transforms into instant cult, even classic. Arguably the postmodern tastemaker, Belle herself does not believe people should avoid trends or eschew of-the-moment fancies. “If you love me, you gotta take all of me—the good, the bad, and the queen,” she plays fashion by heart. “We are working on a lot more collaborations with our brands to help support each other,” Belle hints. “I really can’t say more than that, but you’ll love them. I know it!” With such a track record, one chooses to believe Belle Nguyen without a shadow of a doubt.

Lookbook Photos by Jac Reveur

80spurple.com

“My mom used to make me…help her sew my own little dresses. I got to go to the fabric stores and pick out my own fabric, button, zippers, embellishments, etc.. I used to think it was ghetto!”

“[On an off-day,] I’ll usually still wear some sort of high platform, which are flat…but high. I can’t help it. I’m a shoe gal.”

“Megan Fox does not dress very well [casually]. I would put her in…oversized cotton pants, leggings, oversized cowl neck tops, cropped hoodies, knit jackets, rompers.”

statusmagonline.com - 63

BONE THUG

Craftsman of dotted art, arranger of periods within a deliberately constructed grid system tailor-fitted to “vulgarize,” SKULLPHONE is socially emancipating outdoor public spaces.

Photo by Victor Solanoy

MASTERMIND

By Toff de Venecia

“

n 1999, the first image I placed on city streets was an image of a human skull holding a cellphone,” shares this Los Angeles-based artist who, evidently, goes by the name Skullphone. “It was a cellphone circa then,” he recalls the time when cellphones were very much...chunky, which explains the artist’s famous logo. His work also makes for a compelling argument on the role of ambient media within California’s modern-day global consolidation—utilizing an impish sort of playfulness to render its many ironies and convey the artist’s personal anxieties. Skullphone continues about his eponymous label, “The name worked well since I was evading the law and appreciated the anonymity.” At a time when people enjoyed so much access to information, the artist managed to conceal pieces of himself in so far as he is Male, 20, Single, and a Scorpio living in Los Angeles, at least according to his MySpace page. He segues, “I am inspired by California at the moment. I was raised in Southern California, so the landscape and the people are deeply rooted. Yes, that is possible in SoCal.” The artist recalls that there had been a time when he’d find himself in New York months out of every year before seeking to furnish a fully functioning compound in California. His

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artistic environs, though, became a matter of either-or. “I have less disposable cash due to that, so I cannot travel as much anymore,” he admits. But appropriately so, California keeps him thoroughly grounded and preoccupied. “Saying something here is like saying something here and there,” he…well, says. That seems to be the reason why the artist has committed himself to creating competent outdoor art. Back in 2008, much hubbub had brewed amongst the LA set when digital billboards were supposedly hacked into by Skullphone for a public showing of his work—so much so that the feat had made the local news and became the talk of the town. To this, the artist retorts, “I never claimed to have hacked anything nor have I claimed I didn’t. The process of getting Skullphone on the digital billboards was indeed shady and involves a brick of laughter but whose details were never meant to be mapped out.” Skullphone shares that, online, talks of the initiative became more of a “how” rather than a “why.” “This is understandably so because” nowadays, he says, “we’re all somehow expecting street artists to not be saying anything other than ‘Here I am.’ How about ‘Here we are.’?” He says that he was shocked to see a handful of

"...we're all somehow expecting street artists to not be saying anything other than 'Here I am.' How about 'Here we are.'?"

digital billboards in the fall of 2007, and that became his springboard for discovering how landscapes might change and what it means for outdoor artists and the people of Los Angeles as a whole. “With digital billboards, Skullphone was placed as an anchor or what I described then as a Stigma or Stigmata. It was meant to be seen outdoors, with a broad viewpoint. The closer you get, the less it all makes sense,” he makes sense. “You have to stand back to get it.”

skullphone.com

MASTERMIND

TOKYO DRIFT VERBAL of renowned Japanese hip-hop group Teriyaki Boyz raps about music, fashion, and rapid foreign exchange. Get with it! By Toff de Venecia

riotously dressed Tokyo-lite, his kaleidoscopic associations reach as far as Pharrell, Kanye West, and bandmate Nigo, founder of Japanese clothing line A Bathing Ape. Add one half of hip-hop duo M-Cal and CEO of Ambush design to this hyphenated resume, and you got Verbal. “My first love is hip-hop,” he says. “But lots of different inspirations led me to my present style.” While a predilection for humor and streetwear seem concurrent with Verbal’s trendsetting curriculum vitae, it was actually a struggle for the producer, MC, and overall jack-ofall-trades to get from Rodeo A to Champs Ely-B. “There was no Internet back then, so I had to subscribe to American hip-hop magazines like Word Up! and Yo! and studied what people wore.” He also took to Polo Sport circa 1992-1993, Vivienne Westwood,

WALK HIS WAY I

n one episode of HBO’s Entourage, Turtle (Jerry Ferrara), who spends an entire show hunting down a pair of customized limited Air Force 1’s designed by Fukijama, is believed to be based on Mark Ong’s persona. With the moniker SBTG and his high end custom sneaks label Royalefam, he’s obviously made a name for himself not only in his native Singapore but pretty much all across the globe. But who is he? “Whatever you define it to be,” he responds. “You customize it.” What’s fixed is his fixation for making

and skate culture for sartorial inspiration. “I think [the combination of music and fashion] serves as an escape. When I listen to some crazy song, I feel entitled to act stupid, get wild, and pop bottles. When I know that I’m about to get that ‘permission,’ I will dress for it because when I get loose, I want to look good,” Verbal admits without trouble. What Verbal credits for both his music career and style is a rapid foreign exchange that altercates the way people think. “I think that’s enabling many young artists and designers to be free.”

hypebeast.com/blog/verbal

If there was a dictionary definition of what sneaker customization is, you’d definitely find Mark Ong aka SBTG’s picture right next to it. By Mikko Abello

everything uniquely his. Since Mark started with mending and dying Airwalks, more out of necessity than anything else, he used to skate in and tried to repair, he has definitely gone a long way. Now, more than a thousand pairs later and with an average price tag of $600 on his premiums, his hand-crafted works of wearable art have become the stuff of legend. Back in the day, Mark did mandatory service for the Singapore Air Force. The Flying Tigers insignia and the Memphis Belle pin-up girl common to his sneakers hail from

old warplanes he got exposed to in this period. And even earlier, he was captain of his high school basketball team. So during the Laker phenom’s last trip to Southeast Asia, he was tasked by Nike to do a special pair for Kobe Bryant. Other celebs who rock SBTG’s creations include rapper Q-Tip and the late great DJ AM. Mark’s surely got big plans in making everyone notice Asia on the map. “My stand is for the world to have nice shoes,” he says. “The world needs nice shoes, and I am here to provide.”

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MASTERMIND

GIRL, UNINTERRUPTED Counting drawing for Emily the Strange in her portfolio, NICOMI TURNER grasps more beauty and inspiration in the sprawling nature rather than urban landscapes. By Carina Santos Illustrations courtesy of Nicomi Turner

“

find a great deal of what we do currently in our society utterly useless and uninspiring, so there is little that I gather as inspiration from this,” says illustrator Nicomi “Nix” Turner. So where does she get ideas for her emotionallycharged illustrations that “x-ray” the interaction between the anatomical and spiritual? Other than paganism and esoteric symbolism, growing up in Southern Oregon has influenced her greatly. “I grew to respect how stunning and fascinating plants and animals are,” she says. She actually works as a corporate art director, but that doesn’t hamper her personal style revealing a keen interest in a kind of esoteric physiology. Sprawling

foliage, the human body, and wild animals are harmoniously and incongruously married together. Nix also keeps a blog where people can peek into her process aside from her final pieces. “I work with graphite and a pencil,” she says. “You’d be surprised at how tedious this medium can be.” Her work is a testament that all hard work—each piece takes about a month to finish—pays off. “Working my way up has taken a pinch of dedication and a dash of anti-social behavior, but art is pretty much all I do,” she adds. “Ever since I could remember, I have been drawing,” Nix states what’s apparent. “One day, I’ll take a long vacation!”—a well-deserved one, we say!

nicominixturner.com

"I grew to respect how stunning and fascinating plants and animals are."

DEEP SHI(R)T Mind the shirt off your back; it’s GREG ALTERMAN’s mission to make a difference through Alternative Apparel. By Anna P. Canlas

t might’ve been the memory of James Dean or a universal wet t-shirt fantasy. But in the fashion world, everyone wants to create the perfect tee. One of them is Greg Alterman, founder and chief creative officer of Alternative Apparel and a selfconfessed “jeans and t-shirt kind of guy.” Best known for its wildly popular sheer-and-solid burnout tee, inspired by Alterman’s favorite vintage shirt that he refuses to ever get rid of, the label is a favorite among Hollywood celebs (i.e. Justin Timberlake, Zac Efron, and Nicole Ritchie) on their days off. “I think celebs really connect with our perfect marriage of comfort and style,” Greg figures. Of course, there’s a third party—in this case, a commitment to ethical production. “We adhere strictly to a set of ethical vendor guidelines,” Greg insists. Alternative Earth, the label’s own eco-friendly spin-off, also features the company’s

“I think celebs really connect with our perfect marriage of comfort and style.” Greg Alterman

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classic v- and crew-neck styles in 100% organic cotton. Not one to stray from its creative roots, however, Alternative Apparel recently participated in New York and LA Fashion Week through collabs with the luxe-minimalist Richard Chai and madcap Jeremy Scott. While the former introduced oversized pockets and ruffles as, the latter worked with the little black dress, creating linen-modal blends that featured a hood, long sleeves, and a tight catsuit derivative. Over the next few years, Alterman plans to expand the brand’s product offerings (currently, it’s a version of men’s jeans called Denim G-Slack) and ultimately open retail stores all over the state; not without reporting, of course, to the mother lab in Alternative’s art-strewn, music-blasting, fabric-and-dye-houseproxemic West Coast address where Greg provides the designers “what they need to be mad scientists of sorts.”

gregalterman.com

MASTERMIND

O PTI CAL I L L U M I N AT I O N

Whether in architecture, cars, or vintage lighters, TOMMY O’GARA sees an interesting pattern and turns it into something “functional yet aesthetically pleasing” like his premium Dita Eyewear. By Rica Facundo Photographed by Cholo dela Vega

“[

he face] is still an accessory that advertises who you are and what you’re about,” says Tommy O’Gara, the visionary behind the exquisite designs of Dita Eyewear. He continues, “Glasses are as sexy as sexy shoes. Guys may look at your feet, but they look at your face first.“ And it gets even more exciting when the rest of the universe conspires to create something truly illuminating. In collaboration with master Japanese craftsmen, like Visvim’s Hiroki Nakamura, it’s about “coming up with something original together then morphing it so that it looks like something both brands would create.” The Western and Eastern influences that Tommy tries to blend

when working with Japanese designers may be worlds apart, but that’s why he loves working with them. “They are such interesting, unique design people. All those people—they have their own look, their own style.” For art’s sake, this kind of passion doesn’t come without some kind of sacrifice. With 5:30 mornings and days that seem to run onto the next, he even gets out and actually sell frames to customers, meet them, hear their comments, answer their emails. But really, when ”We all like what we do,” he says, “we do what we have to do to get it done.”

ditaeyewear.com

ESCAPING SUPERSTITION

Choose your poison—a black cat or broken mirrors—LEILA SHAMS will show you how to wear it. By Christine Braganza

ot everyone would break a mirror and risk seven years of bad luck for their fashion line, but that’s exactly what Leila Shams did, even adding black cats and the number 13 in the mix. Ironically, she shares of her fall 2010 line, “I think of myself as lucky. I mean I was miserable at my job last year, and then I got laid off and was able to start my line— something I always dreamed of but never thought possible.” The cracked mirror print leggings, black cat tees, and super short embellished dresses are all part of her shiny and loud vision. “I just have a really over the top aesthetic… My apartment is fluorescent pink and has 12 chandeliers,” says Leila. Drawing inspiration from McQueen, “the greatest designer to ever walk the earth,” alongside her other favorite designers Alexander Wang and Christopher Kane, her design palette has a very urban and contemporary vibe to it. With her capsule collection for bebe, Addiction, which launched last June, Leila leaves us wondering what else is in store. “I’d love to design accessories,” she reveals. “People…have no problem throwing on a pair of 6-inch platforms or a ring the size of a baby’s head.” With a capsule collection and the hope for this accessory line coming soon, we’ll be sure to keep Leila Shams on our fashion radar.

leilashams.com

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Funshine risquĂŠ swinger KATY PERRY unleashes her own brand of West Coast flavor and channels the kinetic frenzy of the 90s in her Teenage Dream. By Don Jaucian Photos courtesy of PolyEast Records

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H E A V Y H I T T E R

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HEAVY HITTER

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HEAVY HITTER

“If you can hit that chord in people that hasn’t been hit or that they have been thinking about but maybe too scared to talk about out loud…and you say it for them, you really connect.”

the proliferation of plastic-wrapped singers, glitterati pop savants, and glam-infested antics in today’s pop gutter, Katy Perry shows no fear in traversing the warm and sunshiny side of music. A true-blue California girl, the singer has always made it a point that she’s not afraid to ruffle some feathers; she’s always in tune to the hip and risqué side of things. This year, she’s mining the lighter shade of the territory with her latest album Teenage Dream. “[It] is going to be a reflection of where I am now,” Perry shares. “The music that I made for One of the Boys was very much a reflection of what I was going through from 17 to 23. It was very emotional,” she continues. “It was about relationships, my perspective, and leaving your home for the first time. Everyone knows how to relate to leaving your home and being out on your own and not having rules and restrictions and having to make those up for yourself…” The title though has been receiving flak from listeners. Regarded as tripe, immature, and sounding like an “album that Taylor Swift would put out,” Perry’s sophomore release title is probably not the best sounding of the lot, but judging from the material, Teenage Dream is shaping up to be one of the most fun records of the year. This time, Perry has paired with a bevy of luminaries and producers such as Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo, Christopher ‘Tricky’ Stewart, and Guy

Sigsworth (who has worked with Madonna and Björk). Like any other singer who has been catapulted to fame through provocative lyrics and a sharp sense of style, Perry would have crumbled under the pressure of making a successful sophomore effort. But rather than hitch into an “edgier” sound, the singer chooses not to alienate her fans, releasing material that is catchy and easy to relate to. “I guess I came from a really honest point, and I think people really relate to that,” she shares. “If you can hit that chord in people that hasn’t been hit or that they have been thinking about but maybe too scared to talk about out loud, or it’s something that’s been simmering inside them, and you say it for them, you really connect. And it’s what’s really important to me, connecting the lyrics and the story even if it is light. It doesn’t always have to be like ‘Change the world! Change the world! Change the world!’ There are other things that make up our lives and not only changing the world.” The album’s first single, “California Gurls” (featuring Snoop Dogg) careens like a rowdy beach party, which is exactly what Perry wanted. Seeing an LA crowd getting crazy to “Empire State of Mind,” that Jay-Z x Alicia Keys anthem gushing about The City that Never Sleeps, a strange question popped in her mind—WW2D? (What would 2Pac do?) Katy proceeded to make the ultimate West Coast anthem. Written with hit-making overlords Max Martin and Dr.

Luke, “California Gurls” stakes its claim as the ultimate summer floor-stomper of 2010, and true enough, it enjoyed heavy airplay and landed on the top spot of Billboard and iTunes almost instantly with a million downloads in a week. It’s pretty surprising to see Perry jump with the lightspeed success of a pop star from her country/gospel roots. Born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson to Christian pastor parents, she initially put out a gospel rock album at 15. But it was wiped out after the closing of her record label. Since then, the singer has shifted from one label to another, with mostly failed records, until she released the digital EP of “Ur So Gay.” Yet Perry’s songs have remained simple, which can be gleaned from the music that she grew up with. “I started listening to secular music—it’s what my mom calls it—when I was fifteen,” she recounts. “I discovered Queen, and they have always been a massive influence on my music. I love the Beach Boys, especially Pet Sounds. I love Heart and Morrissey. There are a lot of singer-songwriters that I love like Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Patty Griffin…” Her breakout singles “Ur So Gay” (which caught the attention of Madonna herself who later endorsed Perry) and “I Kissed a Girl” may delve into homosexual themes, but their straightforwardness isn’t hard to love. And in Teenage Dream, she dishes out more relatable materials about first loves (“Teenage Dream”), out-of-thisworld lovers (“E.T.”) and

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“...It doesn't always HAVE to be like ‘Change the world! Change the world! Change the world!’”

empowerment (“Pearl”). The album, originally titled Teenage Wet Dream, goes for a more upbeat mold, the kind of record that you’d put on a house party while everyone is getting all riled up on booze and hormones. It’s this exact kind of bordering-on-the-insane party going behavior that Perry loved during her visit in Manila last year. “They have no fear about letting loose when it comes to music, no inhibitions. They don’t really care about the person standing next to them, what they’re thinking because the person right next to them is going buck wild as well,” she says on TV after her formerly postponed gig. “I love that kind of free flow when it comes to music here. People put their bodies into it. I love it.” But that doesn’t mean she just came here to throw a party. In the wake of the typhoons that ravaged the country during the last quarter of 2009, her concert was turned into a benefit gig. The singer even joined the relief efforts. “They gave me opportunities to actually be more hands on. I helped with the relief efforts to help with people that were really affected by the landslides and the flooding. It gave me so much perspective on where you’re coming from…I’m glad that I can help out,” she says. In spite of her strict Christian background, Perry confesses that she eventually started to mature through her sense of style. Inspired by Dominique Swain’s Lolita in Adrian Lyne’s movie adaptation of the Nabokov classic, Alanis Morissette, girls in pencil skirts with vintage Cadillacs, bullet bras, and cardigans, her flamboyant style has evolved from pin-up to fruit salad (she used to wear frocks adorned with fake bananas, watermelons, and strawberries such as her performance dress at the 2009 Grammys), and who knows what’s coming after her current blue wig? Like her music and sense of style, Perry doesn’t like things stale and stagnant. This hardworking girl has a lot of experience lounging under her belt, which pretty much sums up the solid pop riffs she fearlessly showcases. “People change from 17 to 25, and that is a very influential time in a person’s life… I think that, for me, if I was just that girl wearing a strawberry in her hair all the time or a Betty Boop character, I’d probably throw myself into the river. I’d be annoyed with myself.” Change is a full-blown force of nature, indeed.

katyperry.com

Girls in pencil skirts with vintage Cadillacs, cardigans, and Lolita—these are just some of Katy Perry’s Barbie-like style influences. Here’s more ranging from Hollywood glam to avant-garde and blue wigs.

In a pink and frilly short dress by Jenny Packham at the 51st Grammys In spiked silver dress by Phillip & David Blond at Lady Gaga’s VMA afterparty

In a black lacedetailed, blush pink gown by Marchesa during the MTV Europe Music Awards 2009 arrivals

In a salmon cutout gown by Viktor & Rolf at MTV Europe Music Awards 2009 show

In a blue wig, yellow nails, and short embellished Zuhair Murad dress in MTV Movie Awards 2010

HEAVY HITTER

Un/fortunately, he has been assistant to both Richard Avedon and Steven Meisel, and when you’ve stood on the shoulders of these giants— one master of monochrome portraiture and the other hero of glam phantasmagoria—it can get unfair. Now, credit is due to this nouveau meister of portrait and fashion photography—SEBASTIAN KIM. By Nante Santamaria Photos courtesy of Sebastian Kim

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HEAVY HITTER

The more logical thing

for Sebastian Kim could have been to become Spike Jonze, Jr.. “[He] was a contributing skateboard photographer for Transworld Skateboarding magazine…and I was always blown away by his pictures,” this SoCal-raised photographer recalls his fandom as a teenage skater. Since gaining an old Nikon from his mother, shooting gnarsters became his primo obsession. It was the dawn of the 90s, when the now cult director of all films wild (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Where the Wild Things Are) and perpetrator of ruffian pursuits, properly tagged Jackass, hasn’t even transitioned to video, and Sebastian was just awed at the possibilities of a ragtag’s shutter. Now looking back, he says “I don’t think I’ll do film myself as I’m still trying to master the stills.” This is a gross understatement, really, from someone who has amassed a voluminous portfolio including editorials for the most tastefully legit glossies. In Numero Japan, Sebastian directs a theatrical spotlight on a marionette-styled Devon Aoki sprawled on a golden-scalloped duvet. He smeared blurred streaks of red over Fever Ray, Sweden’s electrofreak deity, cast with a semitriangle on her oshiroi-daubed face in Interview. With ruffles running from wrists to shoulders,

Missy Rayder is belligerently stretched out on wooden planks as a bull-fiery matador, cloaked with a steady glow from the side for Muse mag. And how! “I learned tremendously from my days of being an assistant,” Sebastian simply says, the only possible reason being that his mentors were 1) arguably the most revered black and white portraitist and 2) the cover photographer of Vogue Italia for two decades now and counting. Of his first guru, he says “He really knew how to read people and had a way to reach into their souls.” Richard Avedon, it could be said, loved people more than just what they wore. His portrait of Marilyn Monroe on the verge of breakdown, the only photo of Warhol’s Frankensteinesque torso scars, and the changed expression on Bob Dylan’s face in 1963 and 1965 are utter verifications. Steven Meisel, on the other hand, is the absolute lover of fashion. “It’s very much reflected in the work that he does,” Sebastian says of the controversial brain behind the shamelessly sex-charged campaigns of Dolce & Gabbana and Calvin Klein and scores of mag editorials delving from Iraq war glam to cosmetic surgery chic. “I can’t say that I love fashion,” he continues, now pointing how he is unlike Meisel, but “I love the collaboration process of it,”

“If there is one thing I’ve learned fro oth of Avedon an Meisel], it’s to really love your su ject and to photograph the things that you love most.”

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he maintains. “I do find myself excited when I photograph people that I admire, musicians, filmmakers, artists,” Sebastian relates more closely to the former master, but an eye familiar with both influences would see how he has effectively synthesized the two great styles to create his own. “If there is one thing I’ve learned from both of them, it’s to really love your subject and to photograph the things that you love most,” he concludes. This day—he just got back from a week’s vacation in Mexico with his girlfriend—I ask him how it feels to have become a globe-trotting shutterbug to which he replies “It’s malignly Paris or London. I wish I was traveling more and going to exotic locations.” That’s pretty demanding of him having been born in Vietnam from where they fled because of communism, raised partly in Tehran, which they also evaded when the Ayatollah took over, and then in Paris for five years before moving to SoCal in 1984 until finally settling in New York after college at 22. “It was a [bit] confusing as a child, but I guess I turned out all right,” the now 36-year-old drifter concludes. But that’s not mellowing him down any degree. In a Crystal Castles concert he wouldn’t give further details on, Sebastian is caught crowd surfing to the nu rave duo’s notorious set. “It was something I’ve always wanted to do when I was young but never had the courage to,” he admits, saying “I don’t have any more inhibitions.” Not on his creative endeavors either. On wilder nights, he is “Kid Laptop” spinning Italo disco and early 80s electronic beats,

striking a cowbell/tambourine while clad in sleek zip-ups—his DJ look completed with angular, white-rimmed shades. “What’s on my hit list now?” he echoes my question and says “Looks like Die Antwoord are having a good buzz.” Sebastian should know well. His music portfolio includes the best crop of the buzzed. There’s the forever-in-black-and-sounding-sosexy bunch of The xx, this year’s Brit indie pop breakout star Marina and the Diamonds washed over with the tints of 3D glasses, and one of today’s biggest Swedish electronic import Lykke Li intimately captured cross-legged in what seems to be a dressing room, its mirror bulbs shining to her face. It goes without saying that Sebastian has shot a whole lot more, tallying Vogue, LA Times, Man About Town, New York Times, and GQ Style all together as his clients, but when he’s back in town, you’ll simply see him having hearty grubs like phở and bánh mì at Lower East Side’s An Choi, a Vietnamese restaurant where he is partner and friends with two siblings from his country of birth. And when he’s on the way, it’s just like Sebastian’s cruising through the streets of Ho Chi Minh City with one of his two vintage Lambrettas (1963 and 1967). “I’ve been scootering for eight years now and wouldn’t be able to live in NYC without one,” he says. He’s so obsessed with it that his pulp diet consists largely of books and magazines on old scooters, mechanics, and tools—what his girlfriend calls “scooter porn”—as he plans on refurbishing one of his babies soon.

HEAVY HITTER

“I never try to say too uch i portraiture. It’s usually simple and let su jects say it the selves.”

For now, I get to interrogate an unassuming portraitist who has been steadily slipping away from the immense shadows of his mentors. One needs to see the definitive light he has shined upon today’s new breed of artists—from the Glee cheerleader darling Dianna Agron, to the indie movie it-boy throne-contender Jesse Eisenberg, Gossip Girl’s licentious teen villain and part-time indie rocker Ed Westwick, new Oscar awardee in waiting Carey Mulligan, and young designer of the chic, edgy, and black Alexander Wang. “I never try to say too much in portraiture. It’s usually simple and let subjects say it themselves,” Sebastian describes his style which has rendered most veracious even the visages of Vogue’s other heroine Grace Coddington, recent MoMA artist-in-retrospect subject Tim Burton, and one of Sebastian’s childhood heroes, glinting intently on something beyond the blur-filled frame, Morrissey. Having shot for Calvin Klein and Nina Ricci, shone strobes on Jessica Stam and Jacquelyn Jablonski, what else can he fantasize shooting? “I actually don’t fantasize about shooting any big models or any big brands,” he responds. “I guess it’s because my other fantasies take precedent.” He can only be right if those include becoming today’s heir to the crown engraved with these words in caps: “MASTER PHOTOGRAPHER.”

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HEAVY HITTER

"My project is not about fashion, but really it's about people first, and [then] style."

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HEAVY HITTER

"I'm not aware of the rules [of photography], so I probably break most of them without knowing it."

"I think pictures [are] starting to be limiting for me...I need more space to tell my stories."

the face

It all happened as a bit of an accident for YVAN RODIC, better known as Face Hunter, when he began shooting portraits of interesting people he met in Paris. Today, the blog where he posts them has evolved into a street style bible for the fashionfrenzied, and heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coming full circle with his latest projectâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;The FaceHunter Show. By Giano Dionisio Photos courtesy of Yvan Rodic

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HEAVY HITTER

FaceHunter book covers

Swiss-born Yvan Rodic grew up in Paris and now lives in London; it took another two cities, Milan and Stockholm, for us to finally pin him for an interview while he was in Warsaw. Stuttering about loading up his car with luggage for yet another trip, the photographer clearly deserves the title of “hunter.” His weapon: A trusty Canon G11 that he prefers for its lightness. His prey: people all over the world who catch his fancy. Before his whirlwind adventures through Singapore, Beirut, Miami, and the rest of the wide world, Yvan was an advertising copywriter. He was also a coolhunter—a recent marketing pro title given to observers and divinators of cultural trends—back in Paris.

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In 2005, he got his first ever digital camera and began excitedly taking headshots of the inimitable personalities he met on the streets. “It happened that I started that way, not as a fashion-conscious project. No, I didn’t want to start a fashion blog in the beginning. My project is not about fashion, but really it’s about people first, and [then] style,” he begins. “I’m not really doing the fashion blog about the brands. It’s the people and their personality and expression and concept of style…but it’s a combination of course,” he explains the concept of his site which, indeed, doesn’t feature the typical Fashion Week crowd of perfectly coifed tresses and size 0 designer dresses. His subjects range from the orange-haired and tattooed to the offbeat and bubbly, and they actually smile

for the camera. Instead of stuffing and mounting his game on walls, he posts the images he takes on his website which is viewed by more than just the trendseekers and avid fashionistas. His audience is as broad as the variety of people he shoots. Given his hands-on nature, Yvan admits to talking to his models, posing them, interacting with them, walking with them, and finding the perfect backdrop to get just the right shot—a rough formula being colorful patterns + mismatched shoes + layers of bling-bling + of course, a telling expression on their face. He mentions one recent encounter, “Yesterday, I was taking pictures of a girl... She looks like a Hollywood star...” Taking a look at the picture, we suggest Cameron Diaz, to which he replies “A little bit. It’s very funny because she’s like

an actress… In the middle of the shoot, she was asked to dance and sing. It was very surreal, and at the end of the day, there was this golden light...” At the beginning of this year, when his oeuvre spanning three years culminated in print as an eponymous book published internationally, he catapulted into even more globe-trotting treks. He started holding book signings and exhibits in various cities. It was also around this time that he began producing The FaceHunter Show, a self-hosted semi-documentary of his travels and, again, of his eccentric encounters. The videos often involve dancing, drinking, parties, and interviews. It’s basically Yvan goofing off and charming everyone around him. “I would experience more than just seeing cool people,” he rambles on, “and that online TV was the

HEAVY HITTER

"I think pictures [are] starting to be limiting for me...I need more space to tell my stories."

right thing because it will just give me more time to share all the things that I see, and I think pictures [are] starting to be limiting for me... I need more space to tell my stories.” It must help that Yvan is himself a capricious bloke who wears dandy top hats, oversized bow ties, and tailored suits of Parisian flavor. He also doesn’t take himself too seriously. “Since I don’t have any education in photography, I’m not aware of the rules, so I probably break most of them without knowing it... I’m doing a more instinctive way [of capturing my subjects],” he relates. Besides his online show, he also has a visual diary that goes back to his roots as the Face Hunter. It’s a photo log of more cities, more people, more hunts. On it are a hodgepodge of tight shots containing shoes, bags, hairdos, shop signs, cell

phones, pedestrians, and palm trees. Of course, he’s still got the faces, this time more candid yet more personal. On a typical day off, he chooses to roam his locale rather than stay at home. And at the end of the day, with hundreds of images saved up, he carefully selects the ones to post on his site like a true perfectionist. He maintains a balance of fun and innate talent that translates fluently into his much adored photos, attracting the likes of industry names such as Carine Roitfeld and Anna dello Russo, models Agyness Deyn and Pixie Geldof, and bloggers Scott Schuman and Bryanboy, to name a few. With an infinite number of kooks, crazies, and the occasional timid debonairs out there, Yvan doesn’t seem to be going out of business any time soon. And with his own blinking

character and constant evolution, there’s no sign of anyone tiring of his work. Just for kicks, we also asked him which photographer he would love to take his own picture, to which he quickly responds, “Ryan McGinley.” Current playlist topper? “Seabear.” His rapport during the entire conversation is playful and nonchalant, not one smidge of ego or fashion snobbishness. All his subjects, deserving of a respectable few minutes of fame, become stars in their own right. That makes him the ultimate paparazzi. Yet at the end of the day, they’re really just like everyone, which is what makes it all feel even more intimately accessible. It becomes apparent that he adheres to the saying “Let your freak flag fly.” Celebrating the quirky offerings of the individual, amidst the

like-minded, same label-wearing crowd of style surveyors, he provides a much needed face lift. As the interview wraps up, we ask him what he’s got in store for the rest of the year. “I’ve been mostly in America and Europe these last months, so I will, in the fall, come to Asia, probably have a few events—book signing—but nothing is set up yet. I might go to Manila as well. I’ve never been [there], and I’m willing to.” We take that as a cue to bid goodbye as he sets off for the next fashion destination, and we start preparing our most coolworthy outfits for his imminent visit. We suggest you do, too, or maybe just lift that face up a little bit higher—no plastic surgery required.

facehunter.blogspot.com

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HELL’S ANGEL: HEAVY HITTER

(1969-2010) The tributes are still pouring in, and the boutiques are still selling out, but it’s about time we bid farewell to ALEXANDER McQUEEN—the designer who stuck a finger up to fashion with the most venomous styles. By Giano D. Dionisio Photographed by Derrick Santini Illustrations by Soleil Ignacio

f fashion lived in a neighborhood, Lee would be the brat of the block. But instead of noogies and wedgies, he’d punk people up with leather straps, silver studs, and jeans too low for comfort. He’d rip up blouses and vandalize dresses with giant robotic arms. However, like all bullies, he also had softer, more feminine wiles. McQueen churned out frocks of billowing chiffon and organza, played with prints ranging from floral to reptilian, and created structured gowns more skillfully than an architect. Complementing Lee’s exquisite garments, at times, were a ring of fire, violent blizzards, walking on water, a mental ward encased in glass, stuffed wildlife, and a Kate Moss hologram to name a few. Not fond of ad campaigns, his budget was put solely into producing unparalleled theatricality. But fashion’s manic reality proved heavy on the bashful bloke. His artistic pleasures soon included a plethora of glamorous parties and a mélange of drugs. He became distraught, often pressured by the decadent world he now moved in. Lee’s mother, Joyce, passed away days before his suicide. Then his tweets showed emotional unrest, speaking

B E m U S E d

From supermodel BFFs Annabelle Neilson, Kate Moss, and Naomi Campbell to revelrous rockstars David Bowie, Beth Ditto, and Rihanna among plenty—Alexander McQueen had his own earthly inspirations.

MCQUEEN’S REIGN Not including the more obscure but similarly relevant events of “coming out at 18,” “going Dutch with his aristocrat boyfriend,” or “ SCUBA-diving in the Maldives,” this is a timeline of McQueen’s need-to-know notables. 82 - statusmagonline.com

feverishly of death, beauty, and “hell’s angels and prolific demons,” which many considered to be a reference to his upcoming collection which was completed posthumously for him. The result—immaculate, religious, reflecting an aesthetic quintessentially McQueen yet more solemn, as if they were made in anticipation of his death. The last line of his suicide note reads, “Look after my dogs. Sorry, I love you, Lee.” What a way to go. A goodbye sans all bitterness. Exactly as he would’ve wanted.

alexandermcqueen.com

"When I'm dead, hopefully this house will still be going. On a spaceship. Hopping up and down above the earth." - Lee Alexander McQueen, LOVE Magazine 2010

ISABELLA BLOW was one of Lee’s closest friends and avid fans.

1969

London—Lee Alexander McQueen is born to a cab driver father and school teacher mother. He is the youngest of six children.

For BJÖRK’s 1997 album, Homogenic, McQueen dressed the Icelandic singer in a heavy kimono and heels she couldn’t walk in.

1985

The 16-year-old rebel drops out of high school to pursue his sartorial desires. He begins apprenticeships in Savile Row and continues for several years.

1989

At 21, he has worked at Anderson & Sheppard, Gieves & Hawkes, Angels & Bermans, and at then idol Romeo Gigli’s atelier.

1994

Lee graduates from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design and shows his very first collection, which is bought by Isabella Blow for around $8,000, barely the cost of one of his gowns today.

HEAVY HITTER

DOWN TO EARTH Alexander McQueen proved his vast talent especially in his more accessible McQ line. It’s his sharp sartorial wit that translates his clothes from over-the-top drama to everyday elegance.

The Alexander McQueen and PUMA collaboration began with footwear in 2005 before expanding to apparel.

Another collaboration, McQ for TARGET, featured Lee’s familiar graphic noise and clinically clean cuts made for edgy street slickers. Photos by KT Auleta

HELLZ BELLZ came out with a tribute tee after McQueen’s February suicide. They ran out within a few weeks.

An ode to his cheekiness, DARKHORSE depicted McQueen in an illustrated t-shirt with fellow designers John Galliano and Karl Lagerfeld.

For the AW09 collection, McQueen caged sneakers in cutout exoskeletons and unleashed his penchant for jagged animalistic prints.

Lately, Lee’s creations have been seen on LADY GAGA (“Bad Romance” video, VMA 2009).

1996

A big year for McQueen; he is asked to replace John Galliano at Givenchy and, later that year, wins his very first British Designer of the Year award which he also wins in 1997, 2001, and 2003.

2000

In a brazen move, the designer sells 51% of his personal label’s stakes to the Gucci Group. It is a slap in the face of Givenchy’s major shareholder and Gucci Group’s biggest rival, LVMH. He finally leaves Givenchy in 2001.

SARAH JESSICA PARKER and Lee wore matching tartan to the 2006 MET Gala, just one of the various events she wore McQueen to.

2003

McQueen garners his first International Designer of the Year award from the CFDA, wins his fourth British Fashion Award for Designer of the year, and gets appointed as Commander of the British Empire.

2007

"[Death] is a romantic thing because it means the end of a cycle... The cycle of life is a positive thing because it gives room for new things to come up behind you." - Lee Alexander McQueen, SHOWstudio interview 2010

After years of emotional turbulence and several previous attempts, Isabella Blow commits suicide. Lee’s devastation prompts him to dedicate his SS08 collection to his beloved friend.

2010

On February 2, Joyce McQueen, Lee’s mother and biggest supporter dies after a long battle with sickness. On February 11, a day before his mother’s funeral, Lee Alexander McQueen takes his own life. statusmagonline.com - 83

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NIGHTVISION ELECTRIC DAISY CARNIVAL Photos by Caesar Sebastian

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NIGHTVISION

OXYGEN XTV @ White Space

Photos by Christopher Canela, Martin Jalbuena, and Mon Mangila

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NIGHTVISION

DJ ECHO BDAY PARTY Photos by Brandon Ferlin

status issue 13 release party @Republiq

Photos by Revolution, Martin Jalbuena, and Apollo Lara

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NIGHTVISION

In The Playhouse Photos by The Cobrasnake

Marcc Carnival

@Juliet Superclub

Photos by Mari Brooklyn, Max Milli

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NIGHTVISION

AUSSIE BOOMBOX Photos by Gerard Estadella

nasty vogue brandery Photos by Gerard Estadella

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NIGHTVISION

Sandbox usher afterparty

@Republiq

Photos by Melvin Sun

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Where to find stuff in this magazine BRANDS 7 FOR ALL MANKIND Greenbelt 5, Makati City ACCEL Toby’s, Glorietta 3, Makati City ADIDAS Adidas stores and shoe departments nationwide ALDO Greenbelt 5, Makati City ARMANI EXCHANGE Power Plant Mall, Makati City BILLABONG Stoked Inc., Power Plant Mall, Makati City BLEACH CATASTROPHE Greenbelt 5, Makati City BYSI Shangri-La Plaza, Mandaluyong City CREATIVE RECREATION cr8tiverecreation.com CASIO Greyone Social, Greenbelt 5, Makati City 729-0945 CLAE Greyone Social, Greenbelt 5, Makati City 729-0945 CMG Power Plant Mall, Makati City CONVERSE Toby’s, Glorietta 3, Makati City CPS TriNoma, Quezon City CUSHE Urban Athletics, Greenbelt 3, Makati City DC SHOES Eastwood Citywalk, Quezon City DIESEL Power Plant Mall, Makati City DKNY Power Plant Mall, Makati City DRAVEN Urban Athletics, Greenbelt 3, Makati City ELEMENT Stoked Inc., Bonifacio High Street, The Fort FAITH HOPE LOVE The Ramp, Crossings, Shangri-La Plaza, Mandaluyong City FREDERICK PERALTA 0922-844-9991 FOLDED AND HUNG Shangri-La Plaza, Mandaluyong City FIRMA Greenbelt 3, Makati City FRED PERRY Greenbelt 5, Makati City G-SHOCK Greyone Social, Greenbelt 5, Makati City 729-0945 GARBO Power Books, Greenbelt 4, Makati City

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garbobagahe.multiply.com HEYDAY Urban Athletics, Greenbelt 3, Makati City HIGH SEIRRA highseirrasport.com K1X Urban Athletics, Greenbelt 3, Makati City KARTEL Traffic, Power Plant Mall, Makati City KATE SPADE Power Plant Mall, Makati City LUCKY BRAND Greenbelt 5, Makati City LIZ CLAIBORNE Shangri-La Plaza, Mandaluyong City Marithé François Girbaud Glorietta, Makati City MATIX Aloha, Power Plant Mall, Makati City MENTAL TriNoma, Quezon City MICHAEL ANTONIO Anthem, Greenbelt 5, Makati City michaelantonio.com MICHAEL KORS Shangri-La Plaza, Mandaluyong City MIKASA Toby’s, Glorietta 3, Makati City NICOLE WHISENHUNT FIRMA, Greenbelt 3, Makati City NIKE Nike stores and shoe departments nationwide NIKON See Nikon.com NINE WEST Power Plant Mall, Makati City NORTHFACE R.O.X., Bonifacio High Street, Taguig City OAKLEY Toby’s, Glorietta 3, Makati City OBEY Trilogy Boutique, 110 Alvion Center, Rada St., Legaspi Village, Makati City 328-1071 ONITSUKA TIGER Greenbelt 5, Makati City OXYGEN TriNoma, Quezon City PAUL FRANK Anthem, Greenbelt 5, Makati City PUMA Puma stores and shoe departments nationwide RALPH LAUREN Shangri-La Plaza, Mandaluyong City RED HERRING Debenhams, Shangri-La Plaza, Mandaluyong City ROYAL ELASTICS G/F Entertainment Center, SM Mall of Asia,

Pasay City ROYALEFAM royalefam.com SEBAGO TriNoma, Quezon City STACCATO CMG, Shangri-La Plaza, Mandaluyong City STAR BY JULIEN MACDONALD Debenhams, Shangri-La Plaza, Mandaluyong City STEVE MADDEN Greenbelt 5, Makati City STUSSY GreyOne Social, Greenbelt 5, Makati City SPRINGFIELD Greenbelt 3, Makati City TERRANOVA SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City THE RAMP Crossings Department Stores nationwide 635-4410 TOPMAN Greenbelt 3, Makati City TOPSHOP Power Plant Mall, Makati City UNITED POP Crossings, The Ramp, Shangri-La Plaza, Mandaluyong City VANS Vans boutiques, SM Department Stores, Landmark Department Stores, Urban Athletics, Toby’s, Olympic Village, American Rag, Athlete’s Foot, Sports Warehouse WAREHOUSE Shangri-La Plaza, Mandaluyong City Zoo York Urban Athletics, Greenbelt 3 Artists Nacho Alegre (Photographer) nachoalegre.com KT Auleta (Photographer) ktauleta.com Dey Caisip (Hair and Make-up artist) Caisipjr.yahoo.com The Cobrasnake (Photographer) thecobrasnake.com Chris Beckman (Photographer) chrisbeckman.com Katia Benassi (Model) inquiry@recomodels.com Bruce Casanova (Photographer) flickr.com/brucecasanova Forrest Casey (Photographer) Cholo dela Vega (Photographer) 0906-202-0918 Patrick Diokno (Photographer) 0915-353-4528 Gerard Estadella (Photographer) icanteachyouhowtodoit.com EverywhereWeShoot (Photographers)

everywhereweshoot.com Brando Ferlin (Photographer) bybrando.com/blog Jimmy Fontaine (Photographer) jimmy@jimmyfontaine.com Caitlin Goetz (Hair and Make-up Artist) caitlingoetz.com Jim Guerrero (Hairstylist) 09279346817 L’oreal Professionel Soleil Ignacio (Illustrator) 0922-833-6521 Martin Jalbuena (Photographer) 0920-920-1047 Apollo Lara (Photographer) 0916-438-8296 Stevyn Llewellyn (Photographer) modernglossy.com Mon Mangila (Photographer) Verna Marin (Make-up Artist) maybellineiloveyouph.com Miguel Miranda (Photographer) miguelmiranda42@yahoo.com Loris Peña (Stylist) lorispena@gmail.com Revolution (Photographer) 0927-752-7679 Nuk Romualdez (Photographer) 0917-372-9360 Jim Ryan Ros (Make-up Artist) 09278240435 Sandra Rosales (Photographer) modernglossy.com Derrick Santini (Photographer) derricksantini.com Caesar Sebastian (Photographer) caesarsebastian.com Victor Solanoy (Photographer) victorsolanoy.com Felicity Son (Hairstylist) kiehls.com Nick St. James (Photographer) 0917-801-6425 Melvin Sun (Photographer) melvinsun@gmail.com Sonny Vandevelde (Photographer) sonnyphotos.typepad.com Marc Whalen (Photographer) marcwhalen.com Julie Brooke Williams (Stylist) juliebrookewilliams.com Xeng Zulueta (Make-up Artist) 0915-983-6581 PHOTO STUDIO Triptych Studios G/F Sarmiento Condominium, 177 Yakal St., San Antonio Village, Makati City miguelmiranda42@yahoo.com

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INSPIRATION BOARDS

These are in front of my jeweler’s bench, and I see them every day. They’re collages of clothing, accessories, and people that contribute to my design processes.

PYRAMID PHOTOGRAPH IN MY APARTMENT This was a birthday gift, from my dear friend Arty, which encouraged the pyramid collection.

NAMIKI TOKI PEN

Each of these hand-enameled fountain pens requires one year to make. And I love the dedication and patience that is invested in each; no two are exactly alike.

JESSICA ROBINSON Let’s get real. Every girl dreams of happily ever after with gold. In a dressing closet turned studio is where JESSICA ROBINSON makes her serious razzle dazzles. Strutted by celebrities like Kristen Stewart, Sienna Miller, and Anne Hathaway, her jewelry line is seriously turning more than just our heads, especially since being picked up by Club Monaco and with the nearing release of her new collection.

jessicarobinsonjewelry.com

“OIL SPILL” BY CITIZEN

This inspires me to remind other jewelers to engage in green jewelry practices. By using recycled materials, we reduce the amount of pollutants contaminating our environment, and there is currently enough recycled gold in the US to satisfy the needs of the entire jewelry business for the next 50 years.

PIECE OF WORK

Some pieces from the collection: conical cocktail cuff, pyramid handpiece, pyramid hoop and galaxy earrings.

TROPICAL BEETLES POSTER

Beetles have such a quiet strength and are so beautiful to watch—slow, steady, and strong. They’re meant to bring luck and have a protective nature.

“OLD LADY” BY SWOON MY GURUJI ALAN FINGER

If it wasn’t for this man teaching me meditation, I would have never envisioned and realized my abilities as an artist.

I find older people so endearing; this elderly craftswoman seems like she will be me when I’m older.

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