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STATUS MESSAGE
PEDRO WINTER’s Ed Banger Records (Artwork by So Me)
n*e*r*d
EAT, PLAY, CLUB I
just learned that when you’re traveling across four countries in one month, you start to lose your mind. Well, not really, but you do start losing your stuff. Of course, the trips were for work and research, and lucky for me, my research involves going out and having a good time! Around the time I was in Vegas, we came up with a mantra to put us in the right state of mind—Eat, Play, Club! Everything we planned had to include eating good food, having fun, and clubbing! This mantra seemed to have taken a life of its own, so we decided to make it the title for this, our first Night Life Issue. Perfect example of people living up to this mantra is the music collective, N*E*R*D, composed of Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo, and Shae Haley who just released their new album, Nothing, and their “Hot-n-Fun” music video, which made me want to run around with a feathered headdress! Coincidentally, in this music video, they collaborated with FriendsWithYou (who got featured in our Art issue), so this inspired us to hit up these talented guys to do our cover (and under deadline too!). The god to the club kids, Pedro Winter aka Busy P, has been on the STATUS wish list for a year now. As fate would have it, a few emails from Steve Aoki entered my inbox, and next thing I knew, we locked in an interview. I guess it’s cool that he’s been dodging our request for a year with his record label/producing gig/ and DJ thing and all. (Wink, wink.) But still, all those roles can’t keep him from poppin’ a few bottles. I first heard La Roux two years ago from a Kitsune compilation CD I got in Tokyo. I guess you could say they’ve come a long way. Hipster buzzed about them, and their tracks have been playing non-stop in our office. But what’s cool about them is that, after all their fame and glory, Elly stills shares her story of what she used to wear during her rave days! (I think I’ve burned all my pics from that era.) I see that this issue is not just about partying but more of celebrating what life is all about. I think creating the mantra gave me a better experience in my travels than if I just went in with no mission in mind. Maybe everyone should adopt this in their everyday life?
Editor in Chief
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Elly Jackson of LA ROUX (Photo by Deirdre O’Callaghan)
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status EAT, PLAY, CLUB
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2010
BRANDS........................................21 PLACES........................................24 SUBCULTURE....................................25 BEATS.........................................26 SCREEN........................................27 INK...........................................28 TECH PACK.....................................30 ABOUT FACE....................................32 BRICK & MORTAR................................34 GO SEE........................................36 SWAG..........................................39 OXFORD SHOES..................................40 JUMPSUITS.....................................41 SILVER RINGS..................................42 SHOULDER BAGS.................................43 SNEAKERS......................................44 T-SHIRTS......................................46 BELTS.........................................47 BLAZERS.......................................48 BOW TIES......................................49 FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL 2010.......................50
66
AUGUSTUS PREW
MISTER SATURDAY NIGHT.........................52 DJ MARKY & FRIENDS............................52 THE PEOPLE’S PARTY............................53 THE ZOO PROJECT...............................53 COCO YOUNG....................................54
62
THE DIEGOS
48
Blazers in SWAG
21
Matix in STATUSPHERE
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status EAT, PLAY, CLUB
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2010
SCISSOR SISTERS...............................57 THE DRUMS.....................................58 OF MONTREAL...................................59 SKY NELLOR....................................60 DJ ZO.........................................60 THE COOL KIDS.................................61 THE AMERICANS.................................62 THE DIEGOS....................................62 TARA MCPHERSON................................63 GREY DAMON....................................64 KERMIT TEROSO.................................65 SARAH FABER...................................65 AUGUSTUS PREW.................................66 ROSS TANNER...................................66 SIMON BIRCH...................................67 ALFRED LAPE...................................68
N*E*R*D.......................................70 LA ROUX.......................................76 PEDRO WINTER..................................80 DAVINIA’S COCKBLOCKERS........................85 JAY SEAN AFTERPARTY...........................86 STATUS STYLE ISSUE RELEASE PARTY..............86 MANILA DESIGN WEEK @ ENCORE...................87 HANDS ON YOUR HEAD............................87 LIL JON @ REPUBLIQ............................88 XFACTOR OXYGEN GO-SEE PARTY...................90
statusMAGONLINE.COM
Blogsphere Be on the pulse of fashion, music, and urban lifestyles that tickle 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 most stylish kids trotting the globe. FEATURES Bringing you outtakes and more of our original interviews. Because we can’t get enough of all the awesome out there. Night Vision Your personal pass to pool parties, barbecues, festivals, and other 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. DOWNLOADS Stay on top of the game with STATUS-approved mixtapes and wallpapers. All free!
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GIGI BURIS...................................94 FREE INVITES TO THE SECRET STATUS PARTY......101
63
TARA MCPHERSON
68
59
ALFRED LAPE’s Lavsh
OF MONTREAL
O
n the set of N*E*R*D’s Jonas Akerlund-directed music video for “Hotn-Fun” (featuring Nelly Furtado)—the first single off their latest album, Nothing— Pharrell, Chad, and Shae are riding a wildly painted top down Rolls Royce. If it looks familiar, that’s because it’s the work of our last Art Issue Masterminds, the Miami-based artists, FriendsWithYou (aka Samuel Borkson & Arturo Sandoval III). Now (take a deep breath), it only makes sense for them to specially draw on this Night Life Issue cover photo by Meeno, right?
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CONTRIBUTORS
STEVYN LLEWELLYN
MATTHEW LESSNER
KRISTINE DABBAY
MIGUEL MIRANDA
If you see Stevyn getting crunk, wearing his authentic Egyptian djellaba this Halloween, say hi. And ask him how his documentary on designer Elisa Palomino is going! Offer him a yellow glow stick; he likes those. He also likes his day jobs: graphic design and photography. He’s quite good at them, too. Our Swag pages (39) look extra lovely thanks to his runway shots.
Matthew Lessner dances! Not in clubs, though. He performs voodoo rituals writhing and howling around forest bonfires with friends, cheap wine, and chocolate almond milk. It’s his way of creating his own cultural scenes as in his films, which “aren’t the [Oscar-winning] kind.” That’s probably why he loves Badlands (27). It didn’t win much, and is all the better for it.
Our new Features Editor, Tin, likes to take it easy, choosing nights in over nights out. But when she hits the dancefloor, watch out; she treats it like karaoke, singing along with the DJ’s tracks. In sync with the music scene’s pulse, she knew just how to get down for our cover story featuring beatbreaking trio, N*E*R*D (70).
Ask this photographer about his wildest experiences, and he’ll incur slight amnesia, evidence of just how crazy those nights were. But Miguel’s learned his lesson; now, he remembers to always arm himself with his camera, a Swiss knife, a flashlight, and a glass of Jack and Coke. Guess which two out of those four he brought with him to our Swag (39) shoot!
EDITOR IN CHIEF: Rosario Herrera ART DIRECTOR: Nicole Bianca Po CREATIVE MEDIA DIRECTOR: Patrick L. Jamora ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Nante Santamaria FEATURES EDITOR: Kristine Dabbay
What’s your STATUS? Email us.
MARKETING DIRECTOR: Jon Herrera ASSOCIATE MARKETING DIRECTOR: Mesh Villanueva JUNIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Dan Buenaventura, Jon Tuason GRAPHIC DESIGNERS: Patrick Diokno, Soleil Ignacio, Darwin Manibog Untitled installation by Art Dept.
EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS: Giano Dionisio, Reena Mesias, Loris Peña INTERN: Rich Caramat
ADVERTISING advertise@statusmagonline.com MARKETING marketing@statusmagonline.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Lucy Arthur, Anna Canlas, Toff de Venecia, Don Jaucian, Sarah Jesri, Matthew Lessner, Amanda Lopez, Joey Nacino, Dana Poblete, Alice Sarmiento, Martin Syjuco, Eirene Uy
INTERNSHIP intern@statusmagonline.com
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Barry Ambrosio, Russell Baer, Kevin Bautista, Rachael Brier, Bruce Casanova, The Cobrasnake, Carlos Creencia, Patrick Diokno, Brian Dowling, Gerard Estadella, Dana Lauren Goldstein, Frank Harkin, Patrick Heagney, Patrick L. Jamora, Ty Johnson, Kevin Lasting, Phillip Leeds, Stevyn Llewellyn, Chris Lusher, Mon Mangila, Jennifer Marckx, Ming Han Chung, Miguel Miranda, Keith Mokris, Jean-Baptiste Mondino, Deirdre O’Callaghan, Meeno, Lemi Palermo, Doc Marlon Pecjo, Matt Plunkett, Revolution, Paolo Ruiz, Ben Shapiro, Tim Schultheis, Dom Smith, Collin Stark, Melvin Sun, Nicholas Trikonis
GENERAL INQUIRIES info@statusmagonline.com
CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS: Soleil Ignacio, FriendsWithYou, So Me SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: Banjo Albano, Teresa Herrera
STATUSMAGONLINE.COM CONTRIBUTING BLOGGERS: Mikko Abello, Rich Caramat, Kristine Dabbay, Giano Dionisio, Reena Mesias, Loris Peña, Rich Rama CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Celine Angue, K-Ann Arellano, Kevin Bautista, Bruce Casanova, Carlos Creencia, Mikki dela Rea, Patrick Diokno, Erin Emocling, Gerard Estadella, Brendan Goco, Patrick L. Jamora, Parfum Le Parfait, Ralf Obergfell, Kaz Onozawa, Red Astrid, Revolution
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EDITORIAL editorial@statusmagonline.com
Read our digital version STATUSMAGONLINE.COM Follow us twitter.com/statusmagazine Status is published by Whiz Kids Publishing. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.
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7/19/10 6:23 PM
BRANDS | PLACES | SUBCULTURE | BEATS | SCREEN | INK OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2010
GIRLS ON BOARDS
TAZ MANIA H
ip-hop scene stealer and sometime Kanye West entourage member TAZ ARNOLD is bringing back loud prints and vibrant hues to his line of canvas shoes for STAMPD’ LA. The plimsolls come in gumdrop pastels, split tones, and typographic patterns. Tip: When you wear them, run around in a whirlwind frenzy. Bonus points if you stick your tongue out.
MATIX has plenty of ideas on what to wear when the temperature slopes this fall. From corduroy and cotton jeans in slim, boyfriend, and bootcut shapes to boss tees, woven tanks, faux leather jackets, and military peacoats, you can keep up with the latest fashion even while you take on a kickflip. You know how it goes—when on board, your clothes got to be on point.
stampdla.com
matixclothing.com
REEFMADNESS D
o you often scour the shoreline for heart-shaped rocks and rainbow-striped seashells? So does DARCY MIRO, or at least she got inspired that way. Her forged metal bling, made and sold in Brooklyn, resembles deep sea corals alive with texture. Craggy and coiled rings, tarnished silver cuffs, all for the love of Davy Jones.
darcymiro.com
ANTI
DEPRESSANT F
ight depressing days with LONELY HEARTS’ lingerie. From cutout, sheer, to lacy and ruffled underwear, their pieces will ease the pain of being fashionably out-of-place. Embrace your skin, and show it off with a peek-a-boo top. As they say, misery loves company, so just join the club.
lonelyheartslabel.swappler.com
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UNDER
COVER F
AITH CONNEXION’s Fall 2010 collection has a ruthless elegance, posing girls as various tough figures—from spies to mechanics, bikers, and warriors. Futuristic designs in glossy neoprene and lots of leather make for a modern domineering woman. Think Lara Croft. Or Jane Smith. Or Evelyn Salt. Or Angelina Jolie in general.
faithconnexion.com
KILLER MOVES P
erform the perfect pirouette with BONADRAG’s studded ballet slippers. Made out of soft leather and suede soles, its elastic straps and drawstrings will help you demi-plié and twirl as you please without worries. Available in black and pink, these Capezio slippers will surely prep you for a standing ovation, whether you’re a dancer or not.
bonadrag.com
ROCK THE BOAT S
wanky deck shoes aren’t exclusively for sailors. You’ve probably seen the same pair over and over. So maybe you should go to SEBAGO’s Customize Your Docksides event to make yours look even better. Style it up with colored laces, choose the body and sole, and maybe soon, you’ll be wearing them on a yacht.
sebago.com
GOOD A
ROMANCE
kind of girly that won’t make you puke, TEENY HOUSE BUNNY’s handmade accessories and headpieces have mini teacups, perfume bottles, and picture frames that will take you back to the Marie Antoinette era. But they are toned down by popping a dash of magenta on muted colors of pyrite, organza, or lace creations, showing how you can be femme without too much frill.
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CALL (212) R
eferencing 60’s famous beehive hair and London’s mod style, (212)’s latest collection has tailored frocks, sheer knee-high socks, boy-cut blazers, and polka-dotted tops that’ll get the nod from a mom, who thinks she’s looking at her full-length mirror years back, and friends who are sure to follow in the style.
twoonetwo.net
TRIBAL COUNCIL S
ay “tribal” without resorting to flamboyant accessories with colorful African influences. In MONO’s The Secret Tribe Collection, darker colors (mostly black) rule on heavy textures—feathers, onyx beads, leather, suede, lace, metal skulls, and safety pins—to put the most outlandish tribal creations to shame.
emowenow.blogspot.com
GEOMETRIC TWISTS N
ope, these KAO PAO SHU bags by Naida Begeta aren’t deformed. They are handmade to combine fashion, fun, and function. The use of skewed forms, ribbon and webbing accents, adjustable laces, and satin frills are melded into clutches, sling, and shoulder bags—all in all giving newer shapes to muse about.
kaopaoshu.it
HARDWARE HEAVEN I
SHARP NONCHALANCE
n FANNIE SCHIAVONI’s world, women fly with metal furry wings on their shoulder and dance with body jewelry. Their backs are adorned with silver layered metal and their fists are clenched with armory. Accessories perfect for the not-so-good angel.
fannieschiavoni.com
G
runge is taken to another level with THE INDIVIDUALIST’s somber Crying Light collection. Far from dreary are the simple and minimalist silhouettes in the dominantly black and grey palette that are accentuated with the most refined detailing of knots and shredding in textured suit blazers, tees, and scarves.
luiseandfranck.com
THE
CHARMER S
educe with SCOSHA’s braided charm bracelet. These tiny but interesting pieces will get the attention of all male species. Gold bracelets are for snobby Mr. Big, and woven charm bracelets are for the boy-next-door. Brace yourself for both wanted and unwanted attention.
scoshanyc.com
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FAITH FOOD
G
ourmet shrine, ZIGGURAT, serves an exotic fusion of Mediterranean cuisines. They’ve got curries, moussakas, kebabs, and a too-good-to-pass-up baklava. The Persian tapestries, draped silk, downy pillows, and traditional Indian alpana patterns around the restaurant’s interior transport you to dining nirvana when in reality, you’re just in Makati.
zigguratcuisine.com
ROOM REMIX P
ress play to enter boutique hotel, BAAN WAREE. It takes you away from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok and takes you close enough to the weekend shopping heaven, Chatuchak. Designed by various Thai artists, this place is made for the young and the adventurous. With a living room in every area, this urban space makes it hard for visitors to stay in only one room. That’s why switching rooms every two days is an option. The hotel also boast of their free tuk-tuk service matched with the accessibility of the Sky Train station nearby. But even if they do make it comfortable
for you to roam around the city, it’s hard to stay out when they offer delicious authentic Thai dishes that can be enjoyed in the garden or their toy-filled dining room. Plus, the spa service on the 4th floor can keep you relaxed after a day’s bargain hunting. So whether you’re in Bangkok to tour or shop, you’ll find that Baan Waree can shuffle your schedule, not in a haphazard way, but as an artistically fulfilling sojourn in the Southeast.
baanwaree.com
FRENCH ENCORE
L
A’s DELPHINE offers authentic brasserie experience with Provençal and Mediterranean influences—its wicker furnishings, wood ceiling, and marbletopped bar will remind you of Côte d’Azur. Forget about watching a show at the Pantages across the street when the real show is Delphine’s Le Grand Plateau Fruits De Mer and their global wine varieties including Charles Lafitte, Pinot Grigio, and Perrier-Jouët. Miam!
restaurantdelphine.com
TRÈS DÉLICIEUX P
ardon our French, but DELPHINE’s food is just so f***ing yummy!
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Le Grand Delphine Assorted seafood tower with dungeness crab, shrimp, lobster, and other shellfish.
Moules Frites Au Pernod Steamed mussels garnished with onions and served with house fries.
Steak Frites Grilled and served with béarnaise sauce or maître d’ butter, with a side of house fries.
Eggs Benedict Served with creamy hollandaise and fries.
ALIEN NATION
T
his October marks the 6th of an annual conglomeration of creative vision and unassuming venue. Though ART IN ODD PLACES feels more like a university experiment than an art festival, chances are it will blow your brains and then put them on display the following year. Last year, they hosted a Twitter-driven hunt for dollar bills neatly tucked into doorways, newspapers, phone booths, and anything else along 14th Street. There was also an exhibition of manhole lids, a book giveaway with the
last pages secretly ripped off, and countless other installations all over New York. This 2010, “Chance” is the theme, pertaining to roulette, risks, and unpredictability. Approximately 30 artists and performers from around the world are showing up to send text message graffiti to building walls, folk dance along the streets, and wear space fuselage on their heads. What art the odds? GIO DIONISIO
artinoddplaces.org
ALL TIME HIGH
T
wo skates are better than one, or so skating fanatic Ryan Farrelly thinks. He invented FREELINE SKATES, a new extreme sport in Southern California, to keep you outside, doing some Double Stomps, Throwbacks, Double Kinker, Mute Coping Stomp, and a Flinger. Do as you please with different tricks that you’ve learned from skateboarding, surfing, and snowboarding without breaking the bank for
expensive equipment. These dual independent skates challenge riders to carve new terms and do the impossible jumps. The best part is the size of the skates; compact and easy to fit in your bag, Freeline Skates OG model can be your dirty little secret, too. Whip them bad boys for some needed action or, if not, a good ole’ ride down the street will do. LORIS PEÑA
freelineskates.com
RAISING THE BARBER
TITAN BARBER SHOP is for the man’s man. Run by a bunch of dudes conditioned by urbanization and gentlemanly grooming, this shop offers not only haircut and shaving services; they’re also peddling streetgear, giving an overall feel-good, brotherly atmosphere. GIO DIONISIO
titan22.com
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MUSIC REVIEWS
Shae Haley of N*E*R*D
Jonathan Pierce of THE DRUMS
DJ ZO
knocksteady.com
thedrums.com
n-e-r-d.com
Passion Pit – “Sleepyhead” The melody puts me in a trance, and the music is revolutionary. Queen – “Bicycle Race” While listening to this song, I envision those guys having a jam session and this record [is] magically formulated in the process. Plus it’s great motivational workout music. Christian Rich –”Nothing Like Trouble” It’s one of those records that assure you that music is in good hands. N*E*R*D – “Perfect Defect” Insane groove, and the subject is pretty unique. It’s about a person who is unique in his/ her own way but the majority finds his/ her flaws as defects. But you view it differently and find beauty in what others feel is a defect. Mansions on the Moon –”Running” Futuristic rock music.
James Brown – “The Big Payback” It’s James Brown! Nuff said!
disc changer.
J Dilla – “Oh Oh” This beat is track 4 off of Jay Love Japan. This CD never leaves my car stereo
The Meters – “Cissy Strut” These guys are the originators of funk from New Orleans, Louisiana. If you haven’t heard this song, you haven’t experienced New Orleans funk. This whole album is classic. Caspa & Rusko – “Africa VIP” A lot of dubstep can be repetitive but damn, this one goes hard! Heltah Skeltah – “Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshka” This is 90s New York hiphop at its finest. The raps are never-ending!
Arcade Fire – “Sprawl II (Mountain Beyond Mountains)” It’s new and it’s wonderful. I think that’s a combination I haven’t heard in a very long time. One of the greatest bands of our time. The Chipmunks – “Tonight You Belong to Me” This is a beautiful song, one of my all-time favorites. This specific version was recorded in the 60s...The fact that Chipmunks are singing tells me that maybe my ears are starting to tire of conventional music but not so much that I would ever dare listen to something that isn’t just a lovely pop song. The Wake – “Favour” One of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands. I’d lose the song for a while, and now it’s back. Jens Lekman – “The End of the World is Bigger than Love” A new song from a man who never disappoints.
ON THE SPOT
AV POSITIVE
M
ost people would be scandalized of being positive with something pandemic, but not with music as viral as Doki’s. Good thing, it’s airborne. Jerold Rivera (guitars), Daniel Zetazate (bass), Jeff Lucas (guitar), Dorica Puno (vocals), and Renmin Nadela (drums) may have gotten their name from Dorica’s nickname, but when said twice, it actually means heartbeat in Japanese. Not a bad choice for people who keep pumping up their game. Their radio-friendly tracks include “Harapin” which “talks about facing the challenges of life and not letting obstacles stop you from achieving your goals and dreams.” If that sounds straight off from a self-help book, don’t worry because it gets thrown with punches as their music video uses comedians like Tado and Ramon Bautista to relay their messages. They’re targeting October for the release of their first full-length album and second single. Influenced by musicians like “The Clash, Sade, and John Mayer,” prepare for their fusion of “soul, pop, and rock.” “The reality is, life is not easy, but that’s not a good excuse for us to settle for less…anything is possible,” Jeff says. In an industry that’s sometimes tickled by tragically hip archetypes, it’s refreshing to find a band that’s bursting with audiovisual positivity that’s bound to spread like wildfire.
facebook.com/WeAreDOKI
LISTEN UP
COMEBACK KIDS After more than a yearlong hiatus, STEREOLAB is back with their latest album Not Music, putting out some unreleased material from their last album, Chemical Chords. In their 10th studio album up to date, expect their poppy lounge instrumentals and soothing female vocals to hit your ears better than ever. Forget that they feel their work is done by having Emperor Tomato Ketchup among the Amazon Greatest Indie Rock Albums of All Time; they’re here to stay.
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MOVIE REVIEWS
CINEMANTICS
PL AYBACK
24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE (2002) I n hindsight, a postmodern, pseudo-biopic released eight years ago about a gritty music movement that rose from the ashes of punk is nothing short of prophetic. Michael Winterbottom’s 24 Hour Party People filtered the Manchester music scene—an ‘80s New Wave prototype that found its salvation in the rabidly independent and creative dance movement of today—
through the drug-laced eyes of Factory Records owner Tony Wilson (played by the delirious Steve Coogan). Being at the right place at the right time and being surrounded by combustible creative geniuses allowed Wilson to become the post-punk impresario responsible for bringing us bands such as Joy Division, New Order, and Happy Mondays. Wilson, supposedly the main character, is often stuck prattling insider knowledge about the personalities that fueled the “Madchester” scene, but the chaotic highs and blunders that burned out the dreams of a wannabe mogul foretold the future of sound, not so much in style but in the way it’s made today. In the opening scene, Wilson speaks of Icarus after falling off the sky from a hang glider. He may have been talking about himself, but he inadvertently describes the future of major record companies that, because of hubris, are losing control. MARTIN SYJUCO A postmodern, pseudo-biopic released eight years ago is nothing short of prophetic
DIRECTOR’S CUT
BADLANDS (1973)
NOWHERE BOY (October 2010)
One line from “Strawberry Fields Forever” goes “It’s getting hard to be someone… It doesn’t matter much to me.” In Sam Taylor-Wood’s biopic Nowhere Boy, you will understand the full extent of the lyric as it chronicles John Lennon’s pre-Beatle life. It starts with Lennon biking along Strawberry Fields, usually strumming his guitar, and doodling in his Daily Howl journal. As a lad, he punches Paul McCartney as quick as he hugs him. His massive ego dissipates when he spots a talent matching his. But even if the Lennon-McCartney brilliance budded, the movie shows that, prior to Paul and Yoko, it was Lennon’s mother Julia and Aunt Mimi who first fed his creativity. His relationship with Julia was almost oedipal in the way that it fostered his fancies. Meanwhile, his Aunt Mimi’s austerity gave direction to his ambitions. Kristin Scott Thomas and Aaron Johnson’s portrayal were affecting, especially with the physical and tonal resemblance to the real characters, unlike Paul and George whose roles were nominal.
Prior to Paul and Yoko, it was Lennon’s mother Julia and Aunt Mimi who first fed his creativity The film didn’t put Lennon on a pedestal, which is an achievement, because his genius isn’t about being the most polished talent like Paul. His legacy lives because he understood that nowhere is okay. KRISTINE DABBAY
SXSW and Sundance-screened filmmaker MATTHEW LESSNER, coming out with his first feature production next year, talks about bleeding hearts in this classic criminal thriller.
I
understand that it’s human nature to want to put things into boxes, but I always gravitate towards films that are difficult to categorize. I respond most profoundly to work that manages to combine disparate elements into something all its own. What’s the point of doing something if it’s already been done? For me, Badlands perfectly epitomizes this sentiment. It represents a singular vision made all the more amazing that this was Terrence Malick’s first feature film. Though often labeled as crime drama, the film
completely defies genre. One of the most consistently hilarious films I’ve ever seen, it’s essentially about two young lovers on a multistate killing spree. It’s not funny in an ironic or silly kind of way. Instead, its humor and poignancy are derived from extremely smart tonal juxtapositions. Shortly after Kit (Martin Sheen) kills Holly’s (Sissy Spacek) father and burns down her childhood home, they hide in the woods and Holly ruminates on life in this amazingly poetic, pseudo-philosophical way, completely disregarding
the gravity of what just occurred. This tonal imbalance results in a film that’s so much more than its basic story. It creates its own universe that I totally love spending time in—cold-blooded murder spree or not. One of the most consistently hilarious films I’ve ever seen, it’s essentially about two young lovers on a multistate killing spree
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BOOK REVIEWS
PICTURE BOOK
O ne - S ittings
KAWS
By Monica Ramirez-Montagut
F
inally, here’s KAWS, the art world’s formal nod to the artist’s tongue-in-cheek, deceptively lowbrow body of work from the streets to the production lines and, finally, into the four walls of the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Connecticut. Back in the midnineties, KAWS broke into the urban scene by reworking glassencased ads at phone booths and bus stops in San Francisco and New York. The stealthily made, reinterpreted ad campaigns were among the first to sport KAWS’ signature: a slinky sperm graphic with crossed out eyes and a cross-boned head, in perfectly finished acrylic—elevating graffiti from territorialism to a playful
self-awareness of consumerist culture. After underground recognition led him to Japan to work with street artists Hectic and Jun Takahashi, clamor for KAWS’ designs grew: a line of Bounty Hunter vinyl toys, collaborations with A Bathing Ape, Commes des Garçons, and Nike among other giant brands. Demand from the art world soon followed. He’s worked with David Sims, Lucasfilm, and Kanye West, his fans ranging from Pharrell Williams to Greek tycoon and art collector Dakis Joannou. With her detailed monograph, curator Monica Ramirez-Montagut wittingly lets us in on the appeal of the slick, smart whimsy that is KAWS. AMANDA LOPEZ
THE ART WORLD’S FORMAL NOD TO THE ARTIST’S TONGUE-IN-CHEEK, DECEPTIVELY LOWBROW BODY OF WORK
CELEBRITY CHEKHOV By Ben Greenman
D
rugs, botox, and Lindsay Lohan aren’t the usual words one associates with Anton Chekhov. But in Ben Greenman’s wild reimagination in Celebrity Chekhov, Hollywood takes center stage, trading in Russia’s provincial capitals for downtown LA, and brushing aside Three Sisters for the Olsen twins. Usually reserved for tabloid covers and Entertainment Tonight, Greenman’s characters come together to bring a modern aftertaste to eighteen of Chekhov’s established works such as Uncle Vanya and The Seagull. Owing to Chekhov’s brisk style, Greenman blurts out several tales including Britney and Justin’s lost love, Eminem’s creative process,
and ex-best friends Paris and Nicole’s callous relationship. He pokes fun at Kim Kardashian’s curves and Larry King’s age, as expected, but minus the gossipdriven malice. Surface value notwithstanding, the stories’ themes centralize around Chekhovian love, loss, pride, and renewal. Surprisingly full of emotion for a book about people who are most often depicted as vapid, this is a gem that’ll marvel both library card holders and TMZ frequenters. A marriage of timeless plotlines and 21st century fame culture, it draws its readers in with hilarity and then surprises them with meaningful undertone. GIO DIONISIO
A GEM THAT’LL MARVEL BOTH LIBRARY CARD HOLDERS AND TMZ FREQUENTERS
READING GROUP
LUKA AND THE FIRE OF LIFE By Salman Rushdie
T
wenty years after Salman Rushdie’s children’s book, Haroun and the Sea of Stories, for his son, Zafar, he releases its sequel, Luka and the Fire of Life, a gift for his 12-year-old son, Milan. It tells the tale of Haroun’s 12-year-old brother, Luka, who embarks on an adventure to save their father’s life who inexplicably fell into deep sleep. Luka travels to steal the Fire of Life to bring his father back into the waking
world. In this, he is aided by numerous companions such as Dog the Bear, Bear the Dog, a princess with a flying carpet, and a holographic copy of his father. Rushdie even uses video game strategies to illustrate Luka’s plight, echoing the video game frenzy of kids today that it’s impossible not to see the allegories in these magical places. Rushdie’s lyrical prose makes Luka a roaring ride into worlds where the most audacious
visions come to life. His fanciful imaginings remind us of long-forgotten dreams and passion for magical adventures, something that has been tucked neatly underneath our pillows, waiting to be recalled. DON JAUCIAN
A ROARING RIDE INTO WORLDS WHERE THE MOST AUDACIOUS VISIONS COME TO LIFE
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tech pack GROVE iPHONE CASE • Lightweight engraved bamboo phone protector • Custom designed by artist Flavio Melchiorre • Compatible with iPhone 3G or 4G
SRP: $89
DJ SPEAKER • Turntable-style speaker with headphone jack and USB • Can add preprogrammed effects like voice, scratching, and sirens • Includes rechargeable lithium ion battery
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RETRO UPGRADE Vintage designs for gadgets and accessories make you look ultramodern!
iPAD COMPASS stand
MOSHI MOSHI 04
• Folding, mobile easel designed for iPad • Holds iPad in portrait, landscape, as well as typing modes • Compact and travel-friendly in durable heavy gauge steel
• Can be used for conference calls, VOIP calls, and as a personal handset • Unique design by Michael Young • Connects to any two Bluetoothenabled devices at once • Also functions as high quality stereo speakers
iRETROFONE CLASSIC
SRP: $200
• Stationary iPhone dock with fully functional handset • Hand-sculpted by Scott Freeland • Comes in various colors (Jolly Green, Red Hot, Purple Passion, etc.) • Accommodates sync and charge functions
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SRP: $195
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KISS ‘EM AWAY DDF NUTRIENT K PLUS is fortified with vitamin K to heal skin discoloration and undo visible evidence of broken capillaries.
Photo by Stevyn Llewellyn
about face
BRIGHTER AND BETTER
Besides the gingko and green tea extracts in SKINFOOD GINGKO BLEMISH BALM CREAM, this moisturizing base has key additive Vitamin B to aid in skin hydration.
age fighter The Vitamin A in BOBBI BROWN EXTRA MOISTURIZING BALM not only firms skin but bids farewell to fine lines and wrinkles. Age catches up—but really, what’s the rush?
V ITA L V ITA M IN S Your Mom called us, and she wants to know if you’re taking your vitamins everyday.
EVERYDAY ENERGY Freshen your face daily with the rosewater-scented THE BODY SHOP FACE MIST charged with Vitamin E to moisturize and protect skin from premature aging and environmental aggressors.
beauty bite
CRITICAL VITAMIN MURAD ESSENTIAL C-NIGHT MOISTURE contains antioxidant Vitamin C, to neutralize damaging free radicals, revealing a youngerlooking skin overnight.
Advice
Avoid using too many products at the same time. Either stick to one or switch them up.
JOYCE BEAUTY
So it’s true that first love never dies. Proof: JOYCE BEAUTY heartily pouring the love into its flagship store in Canton Road, Hong Kong. A space expanded to 2,000 square feet, it’s the first branch to add green to the shop’s signature color scheme of white, black, and grey. That is for the new Green 32 - statusmagonline.com
Expert
Beauty Corner consigned with the best eco-friendly and organic brands such as (Malin+Goetz), Grown, and Aesop. Along with other brands like Annick Goutal, Creed, Murad, and Diptyque, it’s obvious how Joyce Beauty carefully edits down its brand roster to satisfy its customers’ somehow picky
but practical needs. The bigger treatment rooms, the VIP makeup area, and the fragrance spot redesigned into a stylish black boudoir with a tall orchid arrangement are too much to take in—but it’s definitely that good kind of overwhelming.
joyce.com
ROSSO. GIALLO. UNITED. THE NEW FRAGRANCE COLLECTION
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brick and mortar LES LUCIOLES, Shanghai 203 Jinxian Road, Shanghai, China 021-65135110 les-lucioles.net
C
ourtesy of French expats Nathalie Guihaume and Sandra Richefort, LES LUCIOLES—fireflies in French—stands among Shanghai’s beautiful Art Deco architecture. This hip concept shop is stocked with some of Europe and Asia’s most delightfully eclectic items, many of which exclusive to China. Pieces by Claudine Khiet include impeccably tailored dresses, separates, and outerwear that capture French chic with a street sensibility, while Eric Raisina’s accouterments of silk organza ribbons and fur are treasures fit for women with an affinity for textures and colors. As a concept store, Les Lucioles also ventures into home items and accessories including elaborate wallpapers by Tres Tintas, Llot Llov’s angora wool and eco-friendly lamps, and Mushi’s charming fashion dolls. Emerging designers and artists are given this space in the center of Shanghai to show their concepts to a stylish Chinese market, but for those around the globe who can’t physically peruse the store, the online shop ships worldwide.
A. KINNEY COURT, CALIFORNIA 1423 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, California 310-392-3400 akinneycourt.com
A
. KINNEY COURT, an eyewear optical shop founded by Garrett Leight and Adrian Mardyks and designed by Ilan Dei Studio, brings the neighboring area’s surf, skate, and sand in its double-bent plywood display walls weaving in and out of each other. The juxtaposition between unfinished wood and the visual flow of sand dune formations and ocean waves, along with the use of Redwood stumps as tables and chairs, allow for that nice extra accent to a more minimalistic boutique. Although the interior commands a passerby for a quick visit, the merchandise will keep him staying for long. A row of spotlights shine over product shelves as in an optical museum, keeping a good mix of brands—from Oliver Peoples frames to KBL Eyewear, MYKITA, and Thierry Lasry for stylish opticians, and footwear from Gourmet and Becca Moon, as well as clothing from LnA on red orange spokes and rails.
la dama
H
andpicked locally and globally by Leticia Wiley, LA DAMA is a fusion of pieces from up-andcoming, independent designers. The online shop offers a wide range of goodies like studded
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ballet shoes, shredded and fringe dresses, statement hardware, and even quirky-printed coasters that are fun additions to any wardrobe.
shopladama.com
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GOSEE
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Get trippy with this style overdose featuring fashion anonymous. Don’t worry, we won’t tell on you!
Creepers
Photographed by Rosario Herrera, Bruce Cassanova, and Carlos Creencia
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SWAG
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2010
FA ST AND FURIOUS
Speed up to get this season’s must-have items. Buckle up, and vroom away with leather jackets or a trunkload of blazers, bow ties, oxfords, and silver rings. Product Photography by Miguel Miranda
Topshop Chain Shoulder Biker Jacket [P13,745.52]
Topshop Fleece Collar PU Biker Jacket [P5,542.54]
Topshop Marshall Cropped Biker Jacket [P4,413]
Topshop Leather Biker By Boutique [P13,745.52]
statusmagonline.com - 39
Photo by Stevyn Llewellyn
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2010 w / f , p ro j ects Steve Madden [P4,650]
AMAZING LACE Oxfords for the win.
Forever 21 [P1,258]
Vans [P4,498]
Topshop [P4,245] 40 - statusmagonline.com
Steve Madden [P5,950]
Forever 21 [P1,578]
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SUIT STOP
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Jumpsuit or crash and burn.
Tomato [P700]
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HAND BREAK Pull out all the silver stops
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For bragging rights.
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Photos by Brian Dowling
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Fred Perry Carey Toe Cap Wool [P8,798]
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Vans Fraizer [P3,498]
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Converse Pro Leather Ox [P3,950]
Zoo York Truxton [P3,790]
DC Kalis [P4,790]
Sebago Vane Double Boot [P10,990]
Nike Sweet Classic Leather [P2,595]
DC Flash TX [P3,290]
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Vans Larkin [P3,498]
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Royal Elastics Knight [P4,450]
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Adidas Fluid Trainer [P4,295]
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Cushe The Standard [P3,799]
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Puma Easy Rider III [P3,430]
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Fred Perry [P1,998]
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BUCKLE TIME Fashion your seat belts. statusmagonline.com - 47
Photo by Ming Han Chung
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Mundo [P2,550] 48 - statusmagonline.com
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PHOTO DIARY FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL 2010 BY TY JOHNSON
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secondecho.com
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NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
KISS MY All access granted. These party pimps aren’t just on the guest lists; they make ‘em.
VIP PASS
Mister SATURDAY NIGHT EAMON HARKIN, brooklyn
First club experience: Manumission in Ibiza. It was intense. There was a lot of nudity and onstage sex. It definitely made an impression! Perfect night out: A loft in Brooklyn with the Mister Saturday Night crowd out in full force. I’ve played a lot of parties in different countries, but this does it for me every time. The audience are some of the kindest, most genuinely enthusiastic people I’ve ever played before. There’s not much to rival it anywhere else in the world. Signature dance move: I get right in the middle of the dance floor and feel the music from all sides. That actual maneuver is probably best described as enthusiastic shuffling.
mistersaturdaynight.com
DJ MARKY & FRIENDS DJ MARKY, sao paulo
I wanted to be a DJ because... ...I wanna play music to people as a career. Music that is fresh, hot and really, really good!
Describe your genre, drum n’ bass. There is a lot of innovation in DnB. When you get a good bassline going, it really grabs you, and you can feel it from your head to toes.
djmarky.uol.com.br
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Photo by Rachael Brier
Brazil’s unique characteristic: The fantastic vibe! Clubbing is a real sociable pastime. The people are always friendly and actually quite knowledgeable about the scene.
Photos by Chris Lusher
THE PEOPLE'S PARTY JUSTIN SWEETING, HONG KONG
The Hong Kong scene... ...is consistently building momentum. It still has a sincere innocence and positive excitement to it. Everything still feels possible. Indicator of a successful gig: The size of the grins on the faces of the crowd as they leave the venue. Perfect night out: So long as it involves friends, long dinners, good conversation, live music, and the chance to get my slidey dance on. Signature dance move: “Slip Slide”—It requires bendy legs, slick-soled shoes, beersoaked dance floors, and plenty of reckless abandon.
thepeoplesparty.tv
THE ZOO PROJECT GRAEME STEWART, IBIZA
Story behind The Zoo Project: We are and always have been the original “party animals.” Expect no imitations. Stay original. Keep it Zoo! Ibiza’s unique characteristic: The happiness people seem to radiate, from the top-of-their-game DJs/artists to people here for a 4-day break. People in Ibiza have this aura you get nowhere else. Everyone appreciates being on the island. What you do to relax: I’m a big reader. Anything from Hunter S. Thompson to Stephen Hawking. I also hit the beach and amazing seafood places.
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M U S E
LOCKED
&
LOADED You’d wish all models were just pretty—period. But here’s another proof that life’s unfair: 21-yearold runway rookie COCO YOUNG, who has already walked for Marc Jacobs F/W 2010 and recently scored a project with Shu Uemura for V Magazine, also possesses the creative flair and wit that charmed the downtown photographer-of-themoment Ryan McGinley, sensational painter John Currin, and everyone buff in the art world. Photographed by Dana Lauren Goldstein
MODEL ALERT
“Don’t get me wrong; I really love [modeling]. [But] when I was a kid, I wanted to be a private detective. I was really into Sherlock Holmes. As I got older, I realized that I didn’t want to have to follow cheating husbands and wives around. Since I have always made art, I figured that’s what I would end up doing for a living.”
A BALANCING ACT
“KT [Auleta] is a fashion photographer, so working with her on a film resembled working on a fashion shoot. She is really good at creating beautiful images. I don’t really think about becoming an actress, I did really enjoy the few acting experiences [like Run Around] that I’ve had, but it’s not something I’m going to try hard to pursue. I act everyday in real life, but doesn’t everyone? Of course, if an interesting script comes my way, I’ll definitely consider it.”
BEAUTY TIP
“Eat everything but with moderation. Apply almond oil on face before going to bed, drink lots of water, and eat lots of avocados.”
SECRET'S OUT
“Coco Young isn’t my real name.”
IDEAL FIRST DATE
“The Metropolitan Opera and a hot dog on the street afterward.”
SAME OLD
“Modeling made me a stronger, more secure person...just kidding! It really hasn’t changed me much. I’m still very awkward, I still hang out with the same kids, live in the same city, go to the same school. My life is relatively the same, and I want it to stay like that.”
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2/22/10 10:20:19 AM
M A E S T R O
An After Hours
Foursome
The hyperglitzed SCISSOR SISTERS may have taken a four-year hiatus, but they return with Night Work toting even more disco balls, strobe lights, filthy humor, and a newfound state of ecstasy. By Giano D. Dionisio Photographed by David Sherry
S
o I sleep all day and awake myself in the shadows./ Gotta catch that train by midnight for my night work,” so begins the chorus to Scissor Sister’s new title track, “Night Work.” The lyrics may be a reference to vocalist Jake Shears’ go-go dancing past, but it’s also an intro to the hysteria to come. In their latest video for “Any Which Way,” Jake and colead Ana Matronic, together with Babydaddy (multi-instrumentals) and Del Marquis (guitars), move around in slow motion, avoid flying sushi, dance in starkcolored leotards, and offer plenty of near nudity. It’s nothing new for them at all. Indeed, the album is still fabulized with Jake’s high-pitched calls and laser-like melodies. But there’s something filthier, more provocative this time around. That’s why talking with Del Marquis was like pillpopping and warpspeeding through their universe. Dress code: leather, faux fur, and highwaisted trousers. Del begins, “We wanted to come out with something strong. Not as camp or coy, more direct, more sexual,” exchanging the cabaret showmanship of TaDah (2006) for songs about
condom use, BDSM, and anonymous Craigslist hook-ups. Jake told The UK Times that the album was all about: “What if AIDS never happened?” With the help of master producer Stuart Price, the maturity in sound may have lessened radio appeal but expresses fuller, more cathartic music that’s still signature Sisters. “There’s always a dance beat,” continues Del. “And the production is beautiful and simple.” Forget the simplicity for a sec, and ponder the album title’s complexity. What is “to work?” To “work” as a job, to “work” the camera, to “work” the catwalk, to “work” out? In fact, Night Work is all that and a feather boa. Del relates about the group’s nights out at Black Rose and Warehouse, mentioning scanty clothes, sex, and candle wax. He catches himself, explaining, “Beyond the frivolity of night life, we work at night; it’s like our office. So it’s not just about the debauchery, strippers, and hookers. Everything happens at night.” Their tracks are energy pumpers. “I hope to God people work out to our album!” laughs
Del. The suggestion comes up after I mention the hilarious Scissor Sisters News YouTube clip featuring Jane Fonda doing aerobics. She’s apparently a big inspiration. Del sheepishly admits to doing a fabulous Jane Fonda drag rendition once, and Jake has mentioned that meeting her was a dream come true. It wasn’t their first dream come true, however. The Sisters have Elton John, Kylie Minogue, and Bono on speed dial. They even got Ian McKellen to deliver a haunting soliloquy at the end of “Invisible Light,” which Del further describes as “the perfect moment on the dance floor when the music and lights all hit you at once.” There’s nothing quite like it. It’s like getting rough and dirty but being bathed in rainbows at the same time. The song is the album’s graceful exit; it ends like the faint glimmer of dawn after a revelrous affair, reminding you of the reality you were attempting to escape in the first place. But this kind of heady trip doesn’t come with hangovers or regrets. In fact, you would want to go back and keep pressing for play.
"Beyond the frivolity of night life, we work at night; it's like our office. So it's not just about the debauchery, strippers, and hookers."
scissorsisters.com
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MAESTRO
S A N S S U G A R C O AT
After their EP Summertime!, Brooklyn-based quartet THE DRUMS delivers a self-titled album with heavier emotional content, a contrast to their usual serving of sun, sand, surf, and sweet melodies. Good to hear that they’re not just fair-weather friends. By Alice Sarmiento Photographed by Dom Smith
A
lternately branded as surf one moment then post-punk the next, The Drums strongly identifies their sound with 60s bubblegum pop—just among the numerous genre revivals this past decade, which sent more hardcore music fans to the vinyl dumps in search of back catalogues. “There’s something so sweet and so powerful about being genuine even if you come across as undignified or foolish,” says frontman Jonathan Pierce to Huck magazine. This sincere belief in getting your message across by keeping your tongue in your cheek is evident in their mix of dancepunk drumlines and The Ventures style riffs. “There have been many cases in my own life where I knew I had to have a specific song, or I would surely die. Of course I wouldn’t have died had I not listened to those songs at those times, but I did feel that way,” Jonathan enthuses.
Composed of Jonathan, Jacob Graham (guitars), Adam Kessler (bass), and Connor Hanwick (beats), the band traces its history with Graham and Pierce meeting as kids at summer camp and bonding over their love for German techno and synth pop— uncommon interests that would not earn a lot of cred but formed the foundation for their first band, an electro-pop outfit called Goat Explosion. “I think the toughest challenge is when we have creative disputes. Because there isn’t a right or wrong answer... But you just make the best decision...as calmly and rationally as you can,” he says. Somewhere down the road, the boys traded synths and keys for guitars and went off to nail that perfect pop song exemplified in their single, “Let’s Go Surfing.” Blonde and blue-eyed, Pierce deviates from the boy-next-door-cum-surf-pop
template created by Brian Wilson. The Drums readily shrug off any comparisons with The Beach Boys and prefer to let their songs speak for themselves. However, riding the wave of the current surf revival, led by bands such as Surfer Blood, ends with “Let’s Go Surfing.” The rest of the band’s set is composed of tunes that seamlessly meld the words of post-punk melodrama (“You were my best friend and then you died,” sings Pierce on the single “Best Friend”) with upbeat tempos and chirpy tunes similar to other guitar-driven acts such as Vampire Weekend and The Mystery Jets. While singing bleak verses over major scales and happy melodies and nothing new, The Drums have somehow managed to catch the attention of Morrissey, who has been spotted at the band’s gigs. They even earned the
title “New York’s Official Coolest New Band” from NME, but they’re more than just marching with the hype machine. “Our main goal is to remain consistent,” Jonathan says. “As an artist, I think you owe it to your listeners to only produce the best material you can, based on your own tastes and no one else’s.” “We’re so obsessed with songs that style has to fall to the wayside,” he continues, and it is this obsession that fuelled the release of their self-titled full-length debut. By quickly providing a follow-up to their 2009 EP, Summertime!, The Drums has succeeded in making a definitive statement and an avenue through which audiences could better understand what they are all about—be it post-punk, surf, or just good, clean pop.
thedrums.com
“There have been many cases in my own life where I knew I had to have a specific song, or I would surely die...” 58 - statusmagonline.com
MAESTRO
GET YOUR FREAK
ON
OF MONTREAL mastermind Kevin Barnes boasts of creating “Holy fuck!” moments with producer Jon Brion in their latest release, False Priest. The project is only faithful to the band’s carnivalesque touch freaking their listeners’ heads out. By Nante Santamaria Photographed by Patrick Heagney
I
n the past,” frontman/ ringmaster/cult leader/ what-else-you-may-call-him Kevin Barnes recalls, “I feel like I was so distracted by the movements and mechanics behind performing.” Since begging for ears required more than airplay, the whole promo junket has involved far more than visual broadcast. It now demands a multimedia experience factoring in the power of vibe, association, mystique, and eccentricity. For this, of Montreal stands out as a case study not even just as a band. Kevin explains, “of Montreal is more of an art collective…” There’s his whole alter-ego narrative of Georgie Fruit, the palindromically sex changed black man illustrated in “The Past is a Grotesque Animal” (a track which Spike Jonze also used in his robot romance short, I’m Here). After staging a gig where Susan Sarandon spanks them in hog costumes, they performed “Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast!” in Yo Gabba Gabba! Documentaries, Brighton Beach Fever and of Montreal: Family Noveau, have been made about them. As Apollinaire Rave, Kevin with his wife, Nina, and
brother, David come up with the sets, costumes, and other art for the band. Their previous album, Skeletal Lamping, even came with a paper lantern among other non-music items. “We all try to inspire and encourage each other to come up with insane ideas,” Kevin says, which is probably why they are now releasing their 10th album since 1997. With an ambition as wild as “if William S. Burroughs or Philip K. Dick were black musicians in the 70s,” Kevin tells SPIN, of Montreal says no to false limitations—one way of interpreting the album title, False Priest. Kevin denies the false limitation that only his black influences like Sly and the Family Stone, Prince, and Stevie Wonder can do funk. “I feel that soul [music] is not connected to skin pigment; I feel that it is much deeper and, like demonic possession, indifferent to whom it touches and communicates through,” he says, adding, “All I know is that when I listen to Parliament’s ‘Ride On,’ it does something dangerous to my mind and ass.” Another false limitation is that hi-fi recordings are afforded only by mainstream artists and, conversely, that indie means
lo-fi, which he disproves in this latest effort involving Jon Brion. “He taught me so much about recording music and establishing a physical connection to the sounds you create,” Kevin says of the Grammy-nominated musician. Present collaborations include Solange Knowles, who does a duet with him in “Sex Karma,” and Janelle Monae, who‘s now about to join the upcoming freakfunk wizardry tour after collaborating with of Montreal in her own album track “Make the Bus,” freaking ears out with their melded vocals. It has been a common expectation. “I definitely wanna make every song special and unpredictable,” Kevin says. Every time he builds on songs from the piano, one instrument at a time, from his little notebook, Kevin experiments with a lot of arrangements, and he’s not afraid of doubling the three and a half minutes pop formula. In fact, he’s just not afraid of trying things out in general. The band’s latest incarnation, in all-white attires and mime make-up (for now!), just shows how they keep on moving even further out there.
ofmontreal.net
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MAESTRO
DOWN A N D
ABOVE
Model-turned-DJ SKY NELLOR often forgets that she’s the only girl among the S.K.A.M. artists, but she beats all of them when she spins. Of course, she says “I put on a sexy pair of stilettos first.”
“...IF I SERIOUSLY WAS GOING TO TACKLE ONE CAUSE, IT WOULD BE MAKING sure every school everywhere had some kind of music prograM”
By Loris Peña
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he sky is the limit especially when you’re named after the heavens. With an energy that gets the crowd pumpin’ from night to day, it’s a no-brainer that Sky is one of the sought-after DJ’s in game today. Born and raised in Australia, Sky was one of the hottest babes to grace the pages of Vogue Spain and Amica. But she left the modeling game to pursue her spinning dreams. Obviously loving her job, she shares the pros of being a DJ—the
opportunity to “play music, travel the world, make people dance, and get paid to do [it].” The cons are “sleep deprivation and occasional hangovers.” But what are those compared to playing for the likes of OutKast and Bill Clinton? If Sky was president, though, she’d be “making sure every school everywhere had some kind of music program.” She says “Music has been with me through the best and worst times
THE BEST MAN
of my life... I cannot imagine living without it.” Although busy DJ-ing across America, renovating her home in NYC, and not getting much sleep, Sky, even in her stilettos, remains levelheaded and still enjoys “playing for friends and, for the most part,[is] happy to play whatever they want to hear...”
skynellor.com
DJ ZO doesn’t like to be pigeonholed. “I don’t just want to be a great turntablist,” he says. “I want to be the best at everything I do.” By Sarah Jesri Photographed by Patrick Diokno
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talented skratch artist, DJ Zo has opened for Brother Ali, Justin Timberlake, and Common. To refine his skills, he jams with turntablism’s Hendrix, Grandmixer Qbert. Upon hearing his manic beat juggling, the guys behind the revolutionary innoFADER instantly offered to sponsor him. Among the young guns pushing hip-hop culture in the digital age, he was recently in Korea to perform at R16 B-Boy Festival, where top breakdancers from 15 countries battled it out. “It was very exciting to see the b-boy culture flourishing,” he shares. As a budding producer, he has mixed, mastered, and engineered albums for emcees Sahtyre and Dumbfoundead, the latter being his
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partner in putting up Knocksteady early this 2010. “We decided to start our own label where we can do what we want to do instead of being subject to a larger entity which I saw more as a limitation than as an opportunity,” he explains. They host podcasts where they’ve interviewed RJD2, DJ Premiere, and The Alchemist. They even shot this freestyle battle parody which got thousands of hits on YouTube. It has its philanthropic side to it as well; they teach underprivileged kids how to DJ, skratch, and make beats. The best man sums it up, “Knocksteady is not just a label but a lifestyle movement.”
knocksteady.com
MAESTRO
FISH
and hits
Fresh from their 2010 mixtape, Tacklebox, rap duo THE COOL KIDS is still battling legal issues for their third album Fish Ride Bicycles. Whatever the outcome, nobody can stop them from becoming one of hip-hop’s most legit acts. By Loris Peña Photographed by Keith Mokris
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or someone who likes hiphop and sleep, it was a challenge to stay awake until 3:30 AM but The Cool Kids won over Mr. Slumber. What was supposedly a 15-minute chat turned out to be a 45-minute iChat conversation with the duo’s Mikey Rocks. Excuse my bangs, but we had to get this rollin’. Hooked up by a common friend in Chicago, Mr. Rocks tells us that he and Chuck Inglish ain’t kids anymore. They no longer rock skinny jeans nor do they get hurt when people criticize their music. Still on the fence on what to call their sound, The Cool Kids have agreed to continuously deliver honest music. And for a calling that doesn’t really require an oath, their honesty remains to be the best policy.
Hey Mikey! How’s it going? Pretty good! Just finishing some…new solo music. Chuck [is] making beats for a couple of big artists. The Cool Kids connect with their fans through the Internet. How much time do you spend online? Okay. I’ll tell you the truth…[laughs] Everyday, [I’m] online... I’ll be checking Facebook or Twitter and clicking blogs like Illroots, Nahright, [and] sometimes Pitchfork. How much do you think you’ve grown from That’s Stupid to Tacklebox? A lot of my really older stuff like Bake Sale seems to have the difference between kindergarten to eighth grade. It’s different when you find that music is really your job. Once you
can fully map your head around that, your creativity goes to a whole other level. How do you handle criticism from your fans? It used to hurt my feelings when I read blogs and people say negative stuff, but I realized everybody has an intention with what they’re saying. People are like “You guys suck! You’re the worst group ever! I hate you!” Obviously, no! We don’t suck, and we’re pretty good. We will never be the worst group you’ve ever heard of. After I figured that [out], I became more free to do what I wanna do. Being compared to the greats like Beastie Boys, how do you remain grounded? I think that’s just the kind of people we are. I don’t know if any amount
of success…changes that. We wouldn’t allow it too. [When] you turn to a different person, it starts to wear you down. At the end of the day, what you got up here [points to his head] it’s what’s really gonna make the difference. Tell us something cool that we should like. You gotta grow up with literature and learn things that they won’t teach you in class. You gotta read to find out the extra stuff, man. What is your rule of cool? You gotta be comfortable with who you are, and if you don’t know, then find out! That’s like the ultimate rule. It’s not a color, shape, or size. You gotta know what’s important to you, and make sure you’re honest with yourself and stick to it.
myspace.com/thecoolkids
MIKEY ON THE MIC @sirmichaelrocks tells us #abouttwitter
#abouttwitter I had to do it because we got a lot of fans on the internet who I want to keep up with. It’s weird to me, like telling people what you’re doing.
#whathewouldnevertweet I’m really not one of those people who’d say “Hey I’m on the mall. I’m reading a book. I’m sleeping. I’m working out.”
#whohefollows I’m following like Erykah Badu, Kevin Durant, the basketball player, a couple of sports guys and a bunch of people that you’d never ever know.
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MAESTRO
RAISING THE FLAG “What I’d really like to do is make people more expressive,” says frontman Charlie Klarsfeld. So, put your hand over your chest, sing and dance with all your energy to THE AMERICANS. By Reena Mesias Photographed by Ben Shapiro
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“
f I’m not American, I’m most probably a Frenchman with an identity crisis,” says Charlie Klarsfeld of, yes, The Americans. But their music, while exuding a push-pull exchange of diverse sounds influenced by pop, R&B, and doo-wop, surprisingly does not go through the same pinch. If it did, it wouldn’t have left Mark Ronson speechless. Collaborating with Mark’s buddy, Sean Lennon, for “Requiem” in The White EP to be released this November, this
EP’s aesthetics is far removed from their usually story-oriented and intensely personal lyrics, making Charlie refer to it as his “Phil Spector wet dream.” “I have a more intimate and vulnerable relationship with [the songs in The White EP],” Charlie speaks of its more poetic songs like “Diamond.” Rider Klarsfeld is set to lead his cowboys (Sissy Clemens on vocals, Kyle Olson on drums, James Preston on bass, and John Stanesco on sax) to
conquer New York and beyond. “I think the name, as well as the [Marlboro-inspired] logo, is an honest representation of [our] identity,” Charlie shares. “[The logo’s color] change is meant to reflect an honest growth in our sound and image. It’s less about putting a cool twist on something that’s already there, and more about letting the music stand for itself.”
myspace.com/theamericansnyc
Call “Diego,” and you’ll get this DJ duo each turning their heads. But that’s actually the coolest about THE DIEGOS—sealing a solid individuality in a scene crowded by replications of “bearded men from Brooklyn.” By Kristine Dabbay Photographed by Patrick Diokno
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ith the flourishing of hipsterism, turning out to be the decade’s denomination of cool, Diego Mapa aka DMaps of Pedicab and Diego Castillo of Sandwich formed The Diegos to break away. “It’s not for everyone, and we don’t claim to be,” Diego says while DMaps explains that, they “play techno with a mix of Sonic Youth, Marvin Gaye, or Beach Boys…and some kitsch” not because of cultural snobbery but to veer away from electro trends. “If you do it just to be cool, then you rob the band of their true essence,” Diego says. As members of more rockinclined bands, they don’t mind the novelty. “[DJ-ing] is a
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skill like guitar-playing…it’s fun because we really see that we’re improving!” Diego says as DMaps states, not sarcastically but Socratic-ally, “I know that I don’t know.” They could have gone all the way ironic with all the hipster claptrap, but they know it’s not to be taken seriously. “Others’ shtick is: they hate hipsters because they’re the real hipster,” but the point is “liking something because it makes you happy.” One day, they’d want to try wearing Daft Punk helmets stealthily and act the part. No need: the quintessentially hip knows that nobody’s really fated to pretend.
Background artwork by Tara Mcpherson, Honoo Youji, Nico Puertollano, & Dex Fernandez
M A S T E R M I N D
If there is one character that people most likely remember from TARA MCPHERSON’s works, it is the image of a girl with a heart-shaped hollow on her chest. Now, the NY-based multimedia artist tells us what she’s gonna draw next. By Nante Santamaria Photographed by Patrick L. Jamora Make-up by Pia Reyes Artworks courtesy of Tara McPherson
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ometimes lined with spikes, flowing with water, dripping with blood, and lodged with bars— this is the heart-shaped hollow on the chest of a girl so common in Tara McPherson’s works, but she’s so over it. “I don’t wanna rely on that theme as my trophy image,” the 34-year-old artist admits. For someone like her who has exhibited her paintings from LA, where she was schooled, to NYC, where she’s currently working, it is a difficult icon to part with. Having illustrated posters for very diverse bands including The Shins, Cat Power, and The Roots, Lady McPherson has been crowned Princess of Poster Art. “It can be a little bit sillier. It can be a little bit lighthearted…” Tara says about
these poster drawings, one of them a fingerstached character she made for The Melvins. She’s also counted making toys with Kidrobot and doing comic illustrations for DC Vertigo in her multimedia oeuvre, all seamlessly meshed that some viewers think of her paintings as digital renderings. Her bright shades of turquoise and reds ironically carry various weights of sadnesses. Call it “gothic” (which Tara defines, laughing, as “bad outfit”), but the art world came up with an apt word for it: pop surrealism. “My work…has its roots in…cartoons, toys, weird TV shows from the 70s and 80s,” Tara enumerates. And in her upcoming solo this October, she’s painting men and delving deep into myths.
From the folklore of Japan (which inspired a lot of her many tattoos) and Mexico, she discovered a Moon Rabbit figure. Tara sketches, in words, one of her new paintings which sounds itself like a myth accentuated with lovers, arrows, and of course, the heart. She hasn’t heard enough Philippine myths, but when she visited Boracay, she recalls being inspired by the water. Incidentally, it was only her second time snorkeling after a terrifying jellyfish sting when she was five but, when she thinks about it, it’s also why she’s fond of blues and the underwater world; she’s trying to understand that long-standing fear. And unbelievably, Tara says, “In Boracay, I worked.” It’s the only way she can come to the Philippines for the annual Graphika Manila as she’s busy preparing for the anticipated solo show. “Tonight, I’m gonna go back to the hotel room and paint,” she insists. She usually finds herself saying “’Oh, I can
finish this part,’ and it can take me a few more hours, and then suddenly the sun’s coming up…” The plan is to reward herself with a month of break before starting again with other projects. Besides teaching in Parsons, there’s Cotton Candy Machine which, aside from being Tara’s studio, is now also a store selling merchandise of all kinds. Tees, pillows, lighters, laptop skins, toys, stationeries— everything is McPhersonized—that is to say she’s all for the democratization of art. Tara can only take pleasure in realizing more layers in her work. She looks at Mark Ryden, a contemporary whose disturbing doll paintings can fetch near a million dollars, saying “[He] started working more personally…” just like her back in the day. So I ask her “How about your [paintings’ prices]?” to which Tara responds “Is there any limit?”
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MASTERMIND
“I DON’T THINK I’M MUCH OF A DARK, HIPPIE, PARTY GUY WHO SEEMS NOT TO CARE TOO MUCH...”
THE SPOTLIGHT
ON GREY
GREY DAMON has more in store besides taking on the absence of Taylor Kitsch in Friday Night Lights. By Joseph F. Nacino Photographed by Russell Baer Grooming by Joanna Pensinger
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t’s no surprise that Grey Damon cuts quite an impression with his good looks and talent. After a relatively small role as Kitch Maynard in True Blood, a waiter in 90210, and several other small roles in 10 Things I Hate About You and Greek, Grey would have probably been saying to himself, “Not anymore,” as he has managed to make the jump to the big time. Playing the up-andcoming football athlete Hastings Ruckle in the fifth season of Friday Night Lights, Grey is content with the character he portrays. “I’m very fortunate to have gotten such fun roles. I couldn’t be happier,” Grey asserts. And despite the fact that this will probably be Friday Night Lights’ final season, Grey isn’t worried. With all that pressure to match Taylor Kitsch’s character, Tim Riggins, and make a memorable final season, Grey promises he’d do his best to learn as much as he could with his new role. In this fly by night industry, it’s quite hard to avoid comparisons. But when asked how he’d play his new 64 - statusmagonline.com
Jason: What’s his name? Hoyt: Kitch Maynard. Jason: That’s a f**kin winning name. -True Blood, Season 3, Episode 4: “9 Crimes”
role differently to Taylor Kitsch’s, Grey thinks there’s really nothing to compare. “Hastings is very different, I think. He moves around a lot. He plays basketball and seems to be very cold at first to most people,” Grey answers. “Also, his values seem to be very different than Tim’s.” But he laughs, denying any likeness to Hastings Ruckle. He describes Hastings as low key, “more quiet and closed off at first on the show than I am in real life.” “I dont think i’m much of a dark, hippie, party guy who seems not to care too much, which explains for the ladies going towards him for one,” Grey adds with another chuckle. There are, however, a few inescapable similarities. Aside from the obvious fair face, the two roles seem like a good fit since Grey had also been into a number of sports like snowboarding, track and field, football, and rugby. While many have tried, only a sprinkling of potential
athletes made the crossover into a successful (or even just a respectable) acting career; Grey didn’t let this stop him. “I always knew I’d be an artist of some sort. I really loved rugby, but that sport beats up your body quick,” Grey says. We’re sure Grey’s getting tired of googling his own name and seeing the same results—references about being touted as the “next Tim Riggins”—to the point that he refuses to answer the question about who’s hotter between him and Taylor Kitsch. People need to know that Grey is his own person—the kind who hates ginger, cold windy weather, murky waters, ice in his drinks, odd numbers, the volume of anything on an odd number, the idea of forgetting to brush the teeth and being in a space suit that recycles the bad breath, sparkling vampires, people who have anything against sparkling vampires, the committee of people who hate people against sparkling vampires, and Heffalumps. Grey doesn’t even compare to anyone.
CONSPIRACY THEORIES
True Blood fans ask: What the hell is Kitch Maynard? A SHIFTER With extra strength that beats previous quarterback Jason Stackhouse, who wouldn’t think he’s one? A WERECAT It’s another breed rumored to be introduced next season, anyway. A FAIRY To explain Jason’s anger against Kitch, there must be some sort of relationship. Plus, fairies are supposed to be hot! A MORTAL Period. A NEW CREATURE Come on. In the True Blood cosmos, anything’s possible.
MASTERMIND
DEATH INSTINCT “Selling isn’t really on my horizon,” says KERMIT TESORO, designer of clothes he doesn’t expect people to wear. Problem is, they’re buying and donning his creations straight off the runway. By Nante Santamaria Portrait by Patrick L. Jamora Runway photos by Bruce Casanova
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fter much adieu about Kermit Tesoro’s Holiday 2010 collection, a collaboration with sculptor Leeroy New, featuring permutations of nude stretch fabrics, molded polymers, and biological appendages, I ask him what he’s currently working on. He mentions a bunk of chemical numbers referring to a shoe stiffener. “You think people are gonna wear this?” I add, then he responds, snickering, with a quick “No.” “Well, there’s no agitation without provocation… There should be a movement to become progressive because if fabric’s all people are wearing, how about the other dimensions?” Kermit justifies his approach. “It just gets coined as fashion,” he says. “My primary intention is to execute [projects using] my medium.”
“I used to cultivate Venus flytrap, pitcher plant,” Kermit talks about his visual obsessions favoring not-so-loved creatures like maggots—“because they’re agents in creating the new… I mean there is beauty in decay…” he explains. Eliciting visceral sensations through his amoebic, echinodermal, and vertebral structures, Kermit maintains “Even if they give me negative criticism, at least there’s reaction… Its value is to show what we can do,” he stresses, “not to dictate a trendy color or silhouette…” It is a deal for someone who proclaims himself a wallflower in the “industry,” announcing his “social fasting” so he can keep starting from nothing.
"I used to cu ltivate Ven us flytrap, pitch er plant..."
DOLL TALES Once upon a time, there lived a young girl named SARAH FABER who had a collection of China dolls and Barbies. One day, she snipped off their fingers, toes, and hair. By Reena Mesias Photos courtesy of Sarah Faber
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arah Faber’s Gothic and Victorian-inspired dolls are not for playing. They are slightly abnormal in proportion, and they have sad stories to tell. “If she’s more of Jazz Age or sly-looking, she might be a drinker who counts cards. If she looks more Victorian, she’s bound to have a tragic past or has something to do with gutters and horrible match factories,” Sarah speaks for them. While everyone obsesses about pursuits of happiness, Sarah mesmerizes in melancholy’s haunting beauty. “I have one doll, Babette, that I was never able to sell. I don’t think she’s the best doll I’ve ever made, but for some reason, I
can’t part with her. She’s gazing toward the sky like she can’t quite understand what the world’s about.” Though she admits she gets “somewhat stuck in the past” in terms of influences, she’s slowly gaining headway by making ball-jointed dolls with anatomically correct faces. “At some point soon,” Sarah also says, “I imagine I’ll look to [Alexander McQueen’s] work for inspiration.” She leaves us wondering if she’ll also progress into putting smiles on her dolls’ faces. Meanwhile, we are left to bask in their sadness—and what a beautiful sadness it is.
blackeyedsuzie.typepad.com
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MASTERMIND
RAISING Augustus
If you think Skins’ Nicholas Hoult is the only lad from About A Boy who’s making the moves, watch out for AUGUSTUS PREW’s growth spurt as he makes movies. By Eirene Uy Photographed by Collin Stark Grooming by Barbara Guillaume
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ith a fashion designer mum and a photographer dad, London-born Augustus Prew is busy channeling his creative birthright into film, theater, and TV. “Each medium demands something different from the actor,” he says. “The trick is to work with people who challenge you to try new things…” In the short film Nightclubbing (2009), Augustus plays a teenager struggling in a gangster underworld, and in The Kid (2010), he portrays an abandoned teen turned criminal. While busy finishing Lee Madsen’s Hated, Augustus also stars in Charlie St. Cloud where he plays Zac Efron’s gravedigger best friend. “Zac’s generosity with
his fans always impressed me even after a long day’s shoot. But with that, he also showed me how important it is to maintain a high level of privacy in your life. Balance is the key,” he says. But Augustus didn’t always fancy himself as an actor. “When I was younger, I really wanted to be a train driver, badly. I still kind of do,” he shares. But for now, Augustus is committed to acting; soon, he’ll be all set to chase after his dream role. “I’ve always wanted to play Winston Smith in Orwell’s 1984,” he says. It may take some time for anyone to do a remake, but Augustus is our odds-on bet to win it.
“The trick is to work with people who challenge you to try new things…”
RIDDLE SPOT ROSS TANNER is probably the only model who likes food more than designer clothes, shows, and fame. Don’t ask why. He likes to keep us guessing. By Reena Mesias Photos courtesy of NEXT Models
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was asleep on the sofa,” Ross recalls when asked about his breakthrough. “I went with my girlfriend Alice “Dellal [to] a shoot. I woke up to the photographer asking me if I fancied being in [it]…and it all took off from there.” A former BMX rider and musician, Ross seems like the quintessential tough guy. And he is, as he usually got into trouble as a “rebellious teen.” “I always spent my grounded days on building sites as punishment for my crimes,” he says. That first impression is even doubled by his tattoo overdose—his favorite being his friend’s initials on the back of each arm. “It was my first tattoo. I got it shortly
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after his death,” Ross says, quickly adding, “R.I.P., Richard Ball.” Although he’s made it big, having done Vogue editorials and more, Ross remains levelheaded as he insists on making his girl’s bed and treating his friends out (when he snagged his first check). “[I took them] to the South by Southwest Festival in Texas,” he recounts. Tough or not, Ross’ air of mystery is what we find most fascinating. He vaguely pronounces, “I have a secret plan that will see me through life comfortably, but it’s a secret so that’s all you’re getting.”
‘'I wake up to the photographer asking me if I fancied being in the shoot.'’
MASTERMIND
SIMONSAYS In the harshly dubbed cultural desert of Hong Kong, an oasis is blooming most recklessly. The man behind the mirage, SIMON BIRCH, tells us how he tries to give hope to the city. By Lucy Arthur Artworks courtesy of Simon Birch
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n a city where the bottom line is top priority, art takes a backseat to its trendier cousin, design, because frankly, it’s more lucrative. Indeed artists are not commonly held in high esteem because their work often lacks tangible commercial outcomes. “[People in Hong Kong] are just not encouraged to pursue creativity,” multimedia artist Simon Birch attests. “Parents tell their kids to get a real job and invest in property.” Lost profits maybe, but lost prophets? Not so much. Hope & Glory: A Conceptual Circus may be the catalyst that Hong Kong needs to justify what some people see as its misnomer, Asia’s World City. This circus’ ringmaster is Birch, respected local artist-cum-DJ-cum-movement maker who filled 20,000 square ft. of exhibition space. A series of interlinked multimedia installations featured the work of over 100 international artists—among these pieces were fighter plane cockpit style video pods, a neon green cage in which two diametrically opposed films played on a loop, and a mirrored skateboard ramp. These were rounded off with a bevy of performers wandering through the space in costumes reminiscent of the Mos Eisley Cantina in Star Wars. In true circus style, the experience solidified the symbiosis of beauty and terror, duality at its most artful. Its escapist nature was heightened by the fact that the exhibit was built as a massive black hole—a darkened, sci-fi-inspired labyrinth, smack bam in the middle of Hong Kong, that pulled in 60,000 people in a span of 8 weeks. How exactly did Birch pull this off? Part opportunism, part idealism, and a whole lotta hustle. As someone who is no stranger to life’s duality, it also helps that he possesses that intangible quality characterizing the instigators,
galvanisers, and trailblazers among us. “No one had ever attempted something on this scale here… [This] made it feel like I was engaged in a pioneering endeavor, that I was the first to climb conceptual Everest,” says Birch. “I also felt motivated to make a point what one broke artist can do with a little passion, hard work, and determination.” Beyond simply exhibiting the work of all involved, Birch was attempting to provide an arena in which people could mingle in collective wonder while being inside the art itself, not simply observing it. Through this direct regard for the spectators, it was hoped that an actual sense of community could be fostered, hopefully catalyzing the beginnings of something substantial in Hong Kong’s sleepy art scene. In the spirit of this, the show was provided free of charge (much to the delight of the prepubescent kids who gave the mirrored skate ramp function to its form). Originally an oil-painter, Birch’s mission has since mushroomed into something beyond simply selling paintings. Anyone who can pull together Louis Vuitton, Diesel, and the government and convince them of the feasibility of a show this grandiose deserves some serious kudos. To go ahead and actually do it, with limited time and meager funding to boot, is no less than inspiring. “If you need money to make your art, and you don’t have any, there’s nothing wrong with getting the corporate/commercial world to pick up the bill if they are willing,” Birch says. Who knows what foundations he has laid down in the process? While we find out, make sure your next trip to Hong Kong involves creating demand for an art scene and paying homage to that which already exists.
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"At times, [you're] debating if you should get gas and food or buy fabric to create another piece [instead.] "
LAPE'S Stores have rejected ALFRED LAPE’s garments; they turn out to be “not what they’re looking for.” However, the ones who are looking for his gear happen to be Ne-Yo, Kid Cudi, The Black Eyed Peas, and Diddy. By Giano D. Dionisio Portrait by Jennifer Marckx Men’s lookbook by Nicholas Trikonis & Kevin Lasting Women’s lookbook by Matt Plunkett
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lfred Lape is branching out from making vests for a pop n’ lockin’ Chris Brown to establishing his womenswear line. As of late, “Tightrope” belter Janelle Monáe wore a LAVSH bow tie on the cover of 944, and word has it that Megan Fox has been browsing the lookbooks. It’s a rough transition from Alfred’s hardware-heavy men’s coats to his sleeker (though by no means too feminine) women’s aesthetic. The strong outerwear is still present but is now draped over thigh-high boots, curve-hugging skirts, and tan blouses with loose hanging straps and fastened chains. But before invading the retail world, Alfred Lape taught himself the art of the stitch with a pocketful of lint and a bounty of ideas rattling in his head. ‘Til now, he designs and
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executes all the clothing for his brand, LAVSH, on his own, and it’s a constant struggle. “It’s like going to college without financial aid or your parents paying for tuition,” he relates. “Like having a kid when you’re a teenager—all your money goes towards the kid. At times, [you’re] debating if you should get gas and food or buy fabric to create another piece [instead].” Judging by his work environment, he chooses the latter. His factory-cum-studio is strewn with yards of textile, industrial sewing machines, interlocks, cutting tables, patterns, dress forms, and sketch books. He eagerly slogs through 12-hour days, treating the outcome of his labor as his precious offspring. Alfred’s work is nonstop—seaming suede pads,
adding buttons and rivets to leather vests, attaching braids to pockets, and starching his cashmere lapels—each cut and sewn detail vying for attention. But, this one-of-a-kind appeal has its cons. Alfred expresses trouble in continually creating unique things while trying to expand his brand. His creative process is cyclical, garnering attention from the very same people who influence him. “I’m constantly watching what artists wear... I get motivated and uplifted [by] the things I listen to, putting me in a mood to create.” He narrates, “There was a video shoot for Uffie, and Pharrell wanted to wear this red leather jacket that I had made, but we couldn’t let him wear it because Ne-Yo wore it to an award show... With these types of gigs, they’re
always last minute!” It’s kind of surprising that he still has the time to squeeze in that “last minute” with all the sketching, cutting, sewing, and rabid people pleasing he does. “My business partner Danny Prasad says that I get offended if people don’t like some of [my] pieces... He says, ‘Not everyone is going to like everything you make.’ He’s right, but I want everyone to like it still!” laughs Alfred. The designer is ringleader, clown, juggler, acrobat, and aerialist of his own one-man circus. People would happily run away to join the troop, wear one of his band jackets, and jump through hoops of fire, so long as their perfectly seamed coattails don’t get singed.
lavshlv.com
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H E A V Y
n*e*r*d isn't just shooting toward becoming chart-toppers in their latest album Nothing. In fact, you only need to look at the night sky to know how high they can rocket. By Kristine Dabbay Illustration by Soleil Ignacio Polaroids by Phillip Leeds 'Hot-n-Fun' stills by Meeno
H I T T E R
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So
the question is, how can Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo, and Shae Haley rocket or rock it higher when their benchmark had always been stellar clusters? “I would want to travel to space with Neil Armstrong,” Pharrell tells us of his dream destination, which isn’t exactly a far place, considering he co-founded the record label Star Trak and production duo The Neptunes with longtime buddy Chad. Both of them were even compared to Trekkie favorites by The Source, Chad paralleled to Spock with his somewhat stiff demeanor (something he disagrees with) while Pharrell is compared to Captain Kirk. So I ask Shae about his big screen avatar. “I wasn’t a major Trekkie head as a youngster. I would say the only character I could relate to is Optimus Prime. He was the nucleus!” he quips. So if you’re thinking that this trio is up for world domination, maybe you need to review your N*E*R*D lit. Ruling the world is, after all, a dated task when you can rule the galaxy. But before you get ahead of yourself, know your Physics. First up: knowing the force that made them the captains of their ship.
Check Ignition It’s a little too Peter Parker if we say that N*E*R*D members were really the nerd herd back then. Or it’s a little too Tony Spark if we say they had always been the shit. They’re regular guys too. “We’re all old friends…there aren’t real quirks…I mean we all have different opinions, but it’s a true collaboration…we talk it out…see what works best,” Pharrell shares as Shae talks about his early influences. “A Tribe [Called Quest] definitely affected my life and exposed me to jazz samples and artists I had no clue about... But hip-hop as a whole changed my life and swagger as a teenager. Then I was introduced to Nirvana, Manson, and Soundgarden... My mind has been fucked ever since.” statusmagonline.com - 73
HEAVY HITTER
Don’t be surprised,then, if you find yourself bobbing your head to their beats even if you consider yourself a hip-hop snob. N*E*R*D’s music seems to crack every genre-abiding shell as it fuses rap, rock, funk, jazz, soul, and everything else that can shake booties. And if booty calls are your thing, the more you will be hurled into their music with Pharrell’s lyrics often criticized for being sexually explicit (“Don’t u mistake this ma this is not love/ It’s lust/ No cuddles and hugs/ This is for floor and rugs”). All he can say is “I make music…I can’t think about what critics are going to say…of course I want them to like it…but hey…” Quite an open-ended statement, but that’s the same
style their sound captures. Even if it dictates a thought, it leaves spaces for you to fill in. “It’s important to us that we make music that people can feel but more importantly they can identify with. The subject of a record, combined with the right rhythm and chords, could dictate your mood at a specific time…and as directors, [we] are well aware and conscious of that responsibility,” Shae shares. Who would have thought that the same people accused of being lyrically perverse have a superhero granddad alter ego? (We can almost hear the guttural inflection that “with great power comes great responsibility.”) Match that with the acronym: No one Ever Really Dies and you got one hell of a rocket science zooming to unfold.
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ChaSing Orbit
UPWARD SPIRAL
It’s an obvious but commonly bypassed logic that one has to surround himself with the best company without outshining the masters or, in this case, the stars because chances are, your turn to rule is bound to come in your own sweet time. An opportune step came in every way as Pharrell and Hugo formed The Neptunes where they got to work with the likes of Blackstreet and Kelis, even producing her debut album Kaleidoscope. But it’s in the early 2000s when they joined Shae and formed N*E*R*D, first as a side project, that they began to really gain momentum. “We encountered many challenges as a band, but I must say our biggest is making records that radio can embrace. Most of the subject matter of our singles that we leaked in the past were a little too edgy for radio...” Shae recounts. Maybe the world was just caught off-guard. Who cares? With In Search of…’s (2002) “Lapdance” or Fly and Die’s (2004) “She Wants to Move,” it was high time that they become freed from being eclipsed. Seeing Sounds (2008) made sure that their sound was indeed seen and flocked by the multitude. No, they weren’t just flocked, actually. They moved to a direction that launched the pack into an upswing.
If Seeing Sounds made them visible exponentially, selling 80,000 copies in its first week, their side projects preceding Nothing surely thrust them further. They even had a female member named Rhea, who chose to go solo. “Well, we put a lot into this album...takes a while…” Pharrell jokingly mentions, laughing, how it all came together then he turns quite serious when describing his own efforts. “I have a clothing line Billionaire Boys Club/ Ice Cream. I am co-owner of a fabric company that uses recycled bottles to make fabric called Bionic Yarn. I designed a line of jackets for Moncler, a collection of chair for the Emmanuel Perrotin Gallery, and I also just scored the music for the animated movie Despicable Me with Hans Zimmer… pretty crazy.” Even if there’s a lot on each member’s plate, though, Pharrell explains that the concept for the album was “that we made a whole record and scratched it and started from nothing.” Shae explains further. “Our approach for this album was to make records that politically makes sense but more importantly resonates with our audience.” If these are all words to you, then listen to their first single “Hot-n-Fun” featuring Nelly Furtado. It goes like,
HEAVY HITTER
'I make music... I can't think about what critics are going to say...' -Pharrell
“please feel free to los e your mind…this is stadium music, 50,000 at a time.” But it isn’t all gas and stadium anthems. They have a mellower side apparent in “Sooner or Later” where Pharrell’s rapping turns into soulful solos. Good to hear that there are more of these 70s-inspired songs in Nothing. “We have a lot of ballads on our new album…
we’ve always done slower songs,” Pharrell says. But don’t think that their pacing is slowing down just because of more measured beats. Judging from their seemingly Indian/ Mayan-inspired road trip video for “Hot-n-Fun,” these guys are just warming up. Where’s that trip headed? We could only surmise. But with Pharrell rocking that kitschy fur
hat and rugged vest as if he’s hiking toward the Machu Picchu or decoding the Nazca lines, maybe they’re going to some alien territory. We sure want to join the ride. As David Bowie voiced in “Space Oddity” circa the same era that Nothing takes its cue from: “Take your protein pills and put your helmets on…5, 4, 3, 2, 1…liftoff.”
n-e-r-d.com
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HEAVY HITTER
sorry, ms.jackson LA ROUX sullies up the synth with a nod to the unshakeable eight-o’s—for reeeal. By Anna Canlas
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“ I D ON’T THI NK THAT D R E SSING I N AN AN DROG YNOUS W AY M EANS YO U S T OP BEI NG F EMI N IN E A LT OGET HE R .”
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HEAVY HITTER
BEFORE
the eighties revival, before the androgyny with her Miami Vice suits, before the indie-lectro romp, the pomp-adourian quiff, and 350,000 album copies sold in UK alone, Eleanor Kate Jackson was a rave kid—a gold-chainrocking, 80s-trainers-wearing, be-fringed, she-banged rave kid. “Honestly?” she recalls. “I looked like M.I.A. Lots of bright colors, leggings, tribal prints, and slouchy, comfy stuff… When I very first started going raving, I was still in folk mode and had long, straight hair, wore skinny jeans and winklepickers… I loved the energy of dance music; I knew people weren’t going to have a great night out listening to me play folk songs on an acoustic guitar.” What they will listen to are all manner of tech-treated sounds with an analog core: cue CSS…skew Passion Pit…queue for MGMT. Screw Jay-Z. Such was the robotic warmth with which noveau club kids shut out hip-hop and hugged it out with electro music. The movement has died down a bit at least. After enjoying its peak in ’09 with weekly listening parties at hipster ground zero spots, electro-music and its fused genres electro-hip-hop and electro-rock have moved into less rabid venues and college parties. It is a good thing if one thinks about it. More fidelity, less flirting (speaking completely in music terms, of course), allows for complete mano y mano with the sound—an aural prerequisite for the more robotic
electropop and the synthesizedvocal-heavy synthpop—twin genres that Eleanor; nay, Elly; nay, her flame-haired, garçonne persona La Roux, an amalgam of the masculine le roux and feminine la rouse, are wont to rock onstage. See, for all the high-pitched crooning on “Bulletproof,” there’s still a lot of hyper-beats to wade through—synth, sullied-up eighto-style, laser-pulse blips and Arcade-fiery vibrations that coat the singer’s crystalline voice with a shell so hard it’s brittle, like a woman with a heart of cold. “Me and Ben [Langmaid, La Roux’s perennially missed out and undepicted half] do have a particular fondness for 80s music, the sounds and synths,” admits Elly of their inclination towards the influential decade. “And obviously, Back to the Future is an all-time classic.” In fact, the liner notes for their July 2010 release, Sidetracked, a compilation curated by Elly and Ben, have the two gushing about certain, timebound references: Jam Crew – “Exotic Nations” “This makes me feel like I’m in some Michael J. Fox 80s movie at the high school disco! How many tracks can you say that about?” Joyce Sims – “(You Are My) All And All” “I always want my snares to sound like this, and we love the way this track sounds so cheap and epic at the same time. I bet it was made on a shoestring budget!” Blancmange – “What’s Your Problem?” “We both absolutely love this! I think Hot Chip’s ‘Ready for the Floor’ borrowed a lot from this, which is no bad thing. If you’re going to borrow, borrow well!”
british
Japan – “I Second That Emotion” “Japan’s sound was so unique and haunting; this cover of a Smokey Robinson song is equal to the original in our book. From these indications, it’s no surprise, then, that La Roux’s cheat sheet of music idols lists British synthpop acts like Yazoo, Erasure, Depeche Mode, The Human League, Heaven 17, and the aforementioned Blancmange. But, in light of the fact that the two are not predisposed to musical thievery, the duo also like crediting seminal influences like folk singers Carole King and Nick Drake, along with Madonna, Swedish duo The Knife, progressive rock singer Gerry Rafferty (a cosmic primordial influence for the two), songs like Punkin Machine’s “I Need You Tonight” and “Harmony” by Suzy Q— old disco favorites to be warmed up and reinterpreted with natural instruments for the band’s next album—and of course, David Bowie whose hold on Elly has spilled over into fashion as well. “I’ve always liked dressing like a boy,” she says. Wearing well-tailored jackets and her trusty men’s loafers from Gucci even onstage at the Viktor & Rolf Spring/Summer 2011 menswear presentations, Elly is La Roux. “I don’t think that dressing in an androgynous way means you stop being feminine altogether,” she continues. “I love feeling feminine.” That said, La Roux is not just Elly. Being an electronic act driven by instudio musical production, just as important as what Elly lays on the mic are what Ben laces the tracks with. Introduced in 2006 by a mutual friend, Elly and the house-trained Ben started out, surprisingly enough, with an acoustic project under the moniker Automan.
Two years later, though, French indie record label Kitsune Records took the duo under their wing, releasing the already-electronified single “Quicksand” under the act’s current name (La Roux) and make (synthpop). The song quickly won over critics and fans, with dirty beats and lyrical allusions to “an intense moment with someone, when maybe you’re watching a film or listening to music, and both of you are yearning for the other one, and it’s almost painful to sit next to them,” said Elly in an interview with thelondonpaper. com. But it was their second outing, “In for the Kill,” that did just that. Remixed by dubstep producer Skream, and coinciding with a supporting act gig on Lily Allen’s UK tour, the song debuted at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart, beaten just three months later by the number-one-on arrival status of their eerily ominous third single “Bulletproof.” Exhibit A: During a gig in Perth, Australia, lightning struck the stage lights, just barely missing their keyboardist. Exhibit B: By the end of March, Elly herself expressed concerns over a chronic sore throat that was eventually linked to her current bout with bronchitis and pharyngitis. Today, the band is rounded out with the addition of two keyboardists, Michael Norris and Mickey O’ Brien (girlfriend to actor Jim Sturgess, cousin to Radiohead’s Ed, and herself, Ladyburden of MySpace fame), and finally, percussionist William Bowerman, formerly of indie band I Was A Cub Scout. With this full-on lineup to boot, “We go in to the studio in 3 weeks,” Elly says with utter excitement. “I can’t wait.”
laroux.co.uk
shore
A guide to England according to Elly.
Winklepickers: shoes with a severely pointed toe, culling its name from the act of picking out the meat from winkles (i.e. periwinkle snails), apparently a popular choice for seaside snack time in England; worn from the fifties onward by Brit rock fans of the male and female species.
Best Stop Last September The fantasy-themed Bestival Festival in Isle of Wight, a music fest where concertgoers vie for top honors in the costume category. As the very unofficial event’s official judge, Elly has this advice: “Think laterally. It’s always the costumes that are the most obscure that do it for me. My friend came to one of our parties dressed as a Freudian Slip once. Dressing up as a wizard isn’t going to cut it, I’m afraid.”
The Meaning of Myspace “Constantly putting up webisodes or telling fans what kind of biscuit you’re eating just isn’t interesting. The more dull information about yourself you put up, the less intrigue there is about you. The less intrigue, the more quickly people lose interest.”
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So Me’s artwork modified by STATUS
,, The
old school music business rules are This is what Daft Punk
dead.
has,,
taught me; we wrote our own rules.
There
will always remain a constant verve about clubs, especially in Paris, where the altest of indie girls, the trippiest of club kids, and the most fly of hip-hop heads come together to get lost in La Ville-Lumière’s palpable euphoria. “We like to party. We like to not be serious, but we all do this very seriously!” exclaims Pedro Winter aka Busy P who is at the helm of this all too familiar bacchanalia. Once the music starts playing really loud, once the alcohol bottles begin
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pouring into shots (or directly into mouths), and once the partyphiles find their bodies soaking into some heart-pumping, antediluvian shuffle, you get a party for the music gods’ sake. They don’t have a choice but to let loose, go nuts, and have their eardrums stereophonically and completely fucked. This cannot be without a busy perpetrator igniting party grounds through his label’s unstoppable music that only gets better with time. Being the founder and himself a lineup member of Ed Banger Records, Busy P has nurtured the careers of electro princess Uffie, the label’s art director So Me, and the Grammy-recognized Justice among other
tastemakers in the electronic genre. “I am so happy to be living in 2010,” he says when asked what the Ed Banger label represents today, adding, “With our laptops, nothing can stop us now.” Nowadays, you can literally be in a hotel room in Tokyo, make a remix on a plane, and broadcast it from an airport to sell it online via any digital platform. “You can... make [album] artwork with Photoshop,” quips Busy P who will be performing with So Me at Australia’s Parklife Festival later this year. He continues, “Of course, only the talented ones will survive.” After all, music is art and, like all art forms, it needs some
,, With our
laptops,
nothing ,, can stop us now.
form of discipline, smugness, and unshakeable commitment for it to really take off. Continuing the legacy put to motion by the great Jean-Michel André Jarre, pioneer of French electronic music not to mention synthpop, ambient, and the New Age sound genre, Busy P and his Ed Banger crew have been traveling the world from one party to the next, bringing with them their infectious sound, multimedia sensibilities, and a Dionysian flair and dynamism that resonate well with partygoers everywhere. “I’ve been DJing since 1995; it’s a part of me I love sharing with the crowd,” he maintains. Needless to say, Ed Banger events get pretty wild and jam-packed. “At an Ed Banger party, you can listen to anything from Vampire Weekend, Kraftwerk, Metallica, techno stuff…” he tells Dazed and Confused, and still the crowds go wild. Obviously, there’s no particular genre of music that cements itself on an Ed Banger playlist. Their choice of tracks is as eclectic as eclectic can get, and this very pedagogy dictates the way Busy P has treated his company over the years. “Nowadays, there are no rules; I run my label the way I want. The old school music business rules are dead,” crediting his time with Daft Punk for these astute sensibilities. “This is what Daft Punk has taught me; we wrote our own rules.” Prior to setting up Ed Banger, when he was known only as Pedro Winter, Busy P
managed the electronic music duo, credited for heavily influencing the French electronic music and house scene. Having worked with the Grammy award-wining artists from 1996 to 2008, Busy P was able to bring his expertise and own experiences later on to the table, cultivating the careers of DJ Mehdi, Mr. Oizo, Breakbot, and other acts after parting ways with Daft Punk to put up Ed Banger. “I, of course, have more fun when I am onstage as Busy P,” he admits, “but supporting my artists and helping them to create their [own] adventures is what makes me proud and happy.” Busy P professes that seeing Daft Punk, and now, Justice, through his own recording label, become one of the biggest electronic acts in the world to date is a pretty nice feeling. “This is why electronic music is so fun. It’s still a new genre, not a mainstream thing yet. We are an indie label, and we still have to fight. Fighting in a good way, I mean,” he jokes. When asked how the success of Justice and his involvement with Daft Punk has shaped his career and how his life had been for the past decade, he says “It is really a personal thing; I mean I have no goal in life, but yes, I am happy I was part of those two adventures. Aside from that, I am like everybody…” he says, “this is what I do, and I’ve been lucky.”
edbangerrecords.com
SLOW IT DOWN “There is no recipe for success,” Pedro preaches that no one should be busy but depressed. “All I say to people who ask me, I tell them to enjoy it as much as they can.”
GENERATION SOUNDTRACK “Justice vs. Simian’s ‘We are Your Friends’ is deFinitely the track that expresses what we’ve been doing for the last ten years. It’s funky, makes the girls smile, and the message is so true; we all had MySpace proFIles, and “being friend” means much more nowadays.”
SKATEBOARDER AT HEART “Skateboard is the best school of life, I like to say. It opens my eyes, my ears, and my heart. Even if I am not skating anymore, I will always be a skateboarder inside. I am following what’s up, I love videos from Girl Skateboard or Flip. Skateboard is about challenging yourself; this is what I do with Ed Banger Records now.”
AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE “I am working with my art director, So Me, on a Busy Pictionary show, me DJing and him making fun of me and the crowd on a giant screen behind us. I love touring Oz; they have nice boobies in the crowd.”
WHEN HE’S NOT BUSY “I try to surf the waves, cook, watch the tons of DVDs I buy on the road but I’m unable to see. Oh, and I am searching for love too.”
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NIGHTVISION DAVINIA’S COCKBLOCKERS Photos by Gerard Estadella
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NIGHTVISION
JAY SEAN AFTERPARTY @REPUBLIQ Photos by Kevin Bautista
STATUS STYLE ISSUE RELEASE PARTY @Members Only
Photos by Carlos Creencia, Paolo Ruiz, & Lemi Palermo
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NIGHTVISION
manila design week @Encore
Photos by Carlos Creencia
HANDS ON YOUR HEAD Photos by The Cobrasnake
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NIGHTVISION
LIL JON LIVE DJ SET @REPUBLIQ
Photos by Lemi Palermo & Barry Ambrosio
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NIGHTVISION
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XFACTOR OXYGEN GO-SEE PARTY FEAT. DJ SKRIBBLE @Republiq
Photos by Mon Mangila, Revolution, & Doc Marlon Pecjo
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Where to find stuff in this magazine BRANDS AC + 630 Greenbelt 5, Makati City ADIDAS Adidas stores and shoe departments nationwide ALDO Greenbelt 5, Makati City ANTHOLOGY Anthem, Greenbelt 5, Makati City ARMANI EXCHANGE Power Plant Mall, Makati City ARTWORK Glorietta 5, Makati City BILLABONG Stoked Inc., Power Plant Mall, Makati City CARBON Greenbelt 3, Makati City CELIO Greenbelt 3, 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 DETAILS Power Plant Mall, Makati City DIESEL Power Plant Mall, Makati City DISSIZIT Trilogy Boutique, 110 Alvion Center, Rada St., Legaspi Village, Makati City 328-1071 DOROTHY PERKINS TriNoma, Quezon City ED HARDY Anthem, Greenbelt 5, Makati City ELEMENT Stoked Inc., Bonifacio High Street, The Fort ES’ Stoked Inc., Bonifacio High Street, The Fort FIRMA Greenbelt 3, Makati City FRED PERRY Greenbelt 5, Makati City FOREVER 21 SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City KATE SPADE Power Plant Mall, Makati City LIZ CLAIBORNE Shangri-La Plaza, Mandaluyong City
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Marithé François Girbaud Glorietta, Makati City MATIX Aloha, Power Plant Mall, Makati City MERCURIOS mercurios.etsy.com MOSS TIES mossties.etsy.com MUNDO The Ramp, Crossings, Shangri-La Plaza, Mandaluyong City MY LAVALIERE mylavaliere.etsy.com NIKE Nike stores and shoe departments nationwide NINE WEST Power Plant Mall, Makati City NIXON Stoked Inc., Power Plant Mall, Makati City 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 SCHU TriNoma, Quezon City SEBAGO Urban Athletics, Greenbelt 3, Makati City SNEFTER snefter.etsy.com Quezon City STEVE MADDEN Greenbelt 5, Makati City SPRINGFIELD Greenbelt 3, Makati City SUPPER CLUB supperclub.etsy.com TOMATO SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City TRUNK SHOW TriNoma, Quezon City TOKIDOKI
Anthem, Greenbelt 5, Makati City TOPMAN Greenbelt 3, Makati City TOPSHOP Power Plant Mall, Makati City VANS Vans boutiques, SM Department Stores, Landmark Department Stores, Urban Athletics, Toby’s, Olympic Village, American Rag, Athlete’s Foot, Sports Warehouse Zoo York Urban Athletics, Greenbelt 3 Creative Artists Russel Baer (Photographer) russellbaer.com Rachael Brier (Photographer) racheebphotography.com Kevin Bautista (Photographer) backtothepicture.tumblr.com Bruce Casanova (Photographer) flickr.com/brucecasanova Ming Han Chung (Photographer) runwaynewswire.com The Cobrasnake (Photographer) thecobrasnake.com Carlos Creencia (Photographer) caloy119photos.multiply.com Patrick Diokno (Photographer) patrickdiokno@gmail.com Brian Dowling (Photographer) runwaynewswire.com Gerard Estadella (Photographer) icanteachyouhowtodoit.com Dana Lara Goldstein (Photographer) danalaurengoldstein.com Barbara Guillaume (Make-up Artist) barbaraguillaumemakeup.com Patrick Heagney (Photographer) patrickheagney.com Patrick L. Jamora (Photographer) behance.net/padraick Ty Johnson (Photographer) secondecho.com Kevin Lasting (Photographer) contact@artenegra.com Philip Leeds (Photographer) bbcicecream.com/blog/2010/07/15/polaroid-fun-z/ Stevyn Llewellyn (Photographer) modernglossy.com Chris Lusher (Photographer) pbase.com/lushlife Mon Mangila pixrepublik.com.ph
Jennifer Marckx (Photographer) flickr.com/kjten22 Meeno (Photographer) meenophoto.com Miguel Miranda (Photographer) miguelmiranda420@yahoo.com Keith Mokris (Photographer) keithmokris.com Jean-Baptiste Mondino (Photographer) mondino-update.net Deidre O’Callaghan (Photographer) deirdreocallaghan.co.uk Lemi Palermo lhemiepalermo.tumblr.com Doc Marlon Pecjo docmarlon.multiply.com Joanna Pensinger (Make-up Artist) eamgmt.com Matt Plunkett (Photographer) mattplunkett.com Revolution (Photographer) peaceloveandrevolution.com Pia Reyes (Make-up Artist) piareyesmakeup.multiply.com Paolo Ruiz (Photographer) paoloruiz.com Ben Shapiro (Photographer) benshapirophotography.net Tim Schultheis (Photographer) timschultheis.com Dom Smith (Photographer) antoinedom.com So Me (Artist) so-me.coolcats.fr Collin Stark (Photographer) collinstark.com Nick St. James (Photographer) 0917-801-6425 Melvin Sun (Photographer) melvinsun@gmail.com Nicholas Trikonis (Photographer) contact@artenegra.com Marc Whalen (Photographer) marcwhalen.com Julie Brooke Williams (Stylist) juliebrookewilliams.com PHOTO STUDIO Triptych Studios G/F Sarmiento Condominium, 177 Yakal St., San Antonio Village, Makati City miguelmiranda42@yahoo.com
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: VEILS
They’re from my last collection. I love wearing veils out at night for some mysterious glamour.
VINTAGE POSTAL DESK
TOM FORD LIPSTICK IN CHERRY LUSH
I do all of my work from here, and it has all of these secret drawers to hide things in.
Appropriate name and an absolute staple.
JAPANESE MAPLE TREE
This tree is on my terrace in the East Village. The red color is so gorgeous!
EDDIE BORGO CONE RING
I love it so much that I never take it off. Eddie has amazing jewelry, and it doubles as a self defense device!
STILETTO DAGGER TATTOO
I got it at Brooklyn’s Saved Tattoo, which is one of the best shops in New York.
ALLIGATOR VEST VINTAGE PATENT LEATHER HAT BOX
This was a birthday gift from my best friend. It has the most incredible moire silk faille interior and is so luxurious to store my hats for traveling!
I made this from an alligator killed at my family property in Florida where I grew up. It was then tanned black and glossy.
YELLOW GOYARD NOTEBOOK
I bought this in the St. Honore store on my first visit to Paris ages ago.
NINA RICCI HEELS
One of my favorite pair of heels are from Olivier Theysken’s final collection. They are my sparkly witch booties!
CAKE PLATES
This silver one is from my mom and is my favorite to entertain with.
GIGI BURRIS
Call it whimsy or call it personality, milliner GIGI BURRIS and her unorthodox yet ladylike toppers got it. With her crowning glories sold internationally, featured in magazines like Interview and Vogue Italia, and donned by popstars like Rihanna, we just can’t help but take our hats off, er, on, to her.
gigiburris.com
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