STW2D NO. 52 | 2 / 2015 | APRIL, MAY, JUNE
»THE CITY SERIES #2 LOS ANGELES EDITION«
DEAR READERS, L. A. is the place where I met Mark Gonzales for the first !me. I was a teenager then and new to the big, wild world. It was in this L. A. embassy, together with my friend Charlie Anderson. We were wai!ng in line to get him a Visa for France, when, just by coincidence, the Gonz was standing right in front of us for the exact same. – Haha, and I got the autograph! What else pops up? Skateboarders ridin’ down the s"eets wearing slaps and surf "unks, carrying a sur#oard. Or are they surfers? / sal$ bleached blond hair, matching neon colored sun blocker or nosebones on the noses / muscular, tanned bodies, male and female / me – pale white, greasy hair, s%ck in "affic / »Speak German« one girl was asking all night / »life’s a beach,« I answered / frees$le skateboarding, %besocks, sweatbands, others had rector pads, vans,
chucks / sunburn in my face, splits on my knees / 5 o’clock wake up – »get up, bro, we go surf« / duck divin’ / chillin’ with the new beat genera!on, and livin' large / S%ssy Surf Boards, Skateboarding, Rollerska!ng, Stacy Peralta, Zboys, Alva boys, Black Flag, Limpies, Bash, Gotcha, S!ff li(le fingers? No! – )ey’re from Belfast / I wonder what this finger sign is all about? Hang loose! they say with a cool smile on their face / hang ten! - well, that's a different thing I had to learn about later on / Spirit and Soul / Whus up? Whus up! Not much … For me, L. A. is where it all began. Read the interview with Frank Sina"a, meet Rian Pozzebon, John Pangillinan, Jonathan Paskowitz, Hommy Diaz, Mouse, Kyle NG, Misslawn, Laura Sfez, Kenny Anderson, Eric Koston and many more in this issue of stw2d No.52 ci$ series #2 the Los Angeles edi!on.
DONTSTOP! MARTIN MAGIELKA FOR STW2D
s"eetwear today the quarterly magazine for interna#onal s"eets$les IMPRINT ISSN 1860-9996 s"eetwear today | Alte Hat#ngers"asse 11 | D-44789 Bochum | Germany | Tel: + 49 (0) 234.623 97 89 | office@stw2d.com &.s"eetwear-today.com Editor in Chief: Mar#n Magielka (V.i.S.d.P.) | mm@stw2d.com || Editor: Editor Berlin | Erik Hüsken | eh@stw2d.com || Editor UK | Jason Jules | jj@stw2d.com || Editor USA | David Gensler | dg@stw2d.com || Editor: Michael Leuffen | hml@stw2d.com || Photo Editor: Bas#an Hessler | bas#an@stw2d.com || Fashion Editor: Sara Magielka | sm@stw2d.com || Fashion Assistance: Meike Ratsch | mr@stw2d.com || Design: Judith Anna Rüther
Cover Photo: Tyrone Lebon for S!ssy
Further con"ibutors in this issue: Lisa Pardey, Tobias Wirth, Julia Quante, Selina Reimann, Tamara Svenja, Lisa Lmpas, Lo(e Keijser, Mine Uludag , Linda Frohlieb, Edzard Piltz, Hannibal Saliba, Michael Mann, Vanessa Warkalle, Miriam Alston, Marlena Waldthausen, Johannes Marke#ng, Adver#sing and Publishing: Heavy Traffic UG | Alte Hat#ngers"asse 11 | D-44789 Bochum | Germany | Mar#n Magielka | mm@stw2d.com
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Subscrip#on Service, Retail and Dis"ibu#on inquiries: Meike Ratsch | mr@stw2d.com &.s"eetwear-today.com Na#onal dis"ibutor (Germany): Stella Dis"ibu#on GmbH | Frankens"asse 7 | 20097 Hamburg | &.stella-dis"ibu#on.de Interna#onal dis"ibutors: Aus"ia: Morawa Pressever"ieb | &.morawa.com || Belgium: AMP | &.ampnet.be || Brazil: H.B. Revistas | &.hbrevistas.com.br || Great Britain (UK): Emblem Group || Japan: Kaigai Inc. | &.kaigai-inc.co.jp || Netherlands: Betapress B.V. | &.betapress.nl || Norway: Listo AB | &.listo.se || Spain: Comercial Atheneum | & atheneum.com || Sweden: Svenska Interpress | &.interpress.se || Switzerland: Valora AG | &.valora.com || Singapore: Basheer Graphic Books | &.basheergraphic.com || )ailand: Peng Ha Shieng Co. Ltd. Printed by: Hitzegrad Print, Media & Services, Dortmund Paper by: Igepa Profi Silk We cannot be liable for unrequested material we receive. Unrequested material can be used any #me. Reprin#ng of s"eetwear today – complete or in ex"acts – only by wri(en agreement. Published fea!res from freelancers must not share the opinion of the editorial staff. Place of jurisdic#on is Bochum.
STW2D No. 52 | 2 2015
April, May. June
003
Prefix | “The City Series #2 Los Angeles Edition”
010 012
This page
026 028 036
Intro | The City Series Los Angeles
040 050 052 058
John Pangilinan talks to Hommy Diaz
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J O H N AT H A N PA S KO W I T Z , L I G H T N I N G B O LT
082 092
Cali Girl by Tobias Wirth
102 108 110 126 136 138 152 146
Lines | Huf & GShock, Nixon & Paul, Roxy & Pendleton, Carhart, Asics Gel Lyte 3, Sperry & Gray Malin, Ransom
F R A N K S I N AT R A , S T U S S Y adidas Original Los Angeles / Undefeated technical goods
Citizen of Humanity R I A N P OZ Z E B O N , VA N S Denham & Matt W. Moore, DCshoes & Mouse, Dickies 67 Collection & Vincent Alvarez, Oakley & Eric Koston, K E N N Y A N D E R S O N & C O N V E R S E , ONeill & Kyle NG
Hellz Bellz, Dimepiece, L’ecole des femmes, Seea, Sky by Lisa Pardey Surf Books Intro Surf Craft, Surf Culture, John Severson’s Surf, Surf Graphics, Jayboy, Raymond Pettibon, Sounds of two eyes opening, Stoked Frank & Franka by Haniball Saliba L.A. Music Scene Intro Pharaohs, Lee Noble, Brian Foote, Palmbomen, Filthy Huns, Umberto, Britt Brown, Matthew McDermott, Afterhours, Mata Westcoast Blues by Mine Uludag Last page | Subscription
G-SHOCK & HUF »WHAT« »What« – A short film wri(en, directed and produced by Ma(hew Go(wig fea%res it for some seconds. )e limited edi!on HUF watch. It is a G-Shock, more precise an updated version of the skate inspired GD400 with its bold metal face protector. )e $pical HUF »quake - cracked concrete« design gets visual on the ex"a tough wristband while the HUF logo gets light due to the integrated LCD display. And if you need even more light, push the super illuminator LED Bu(on. Sure this !mepiece is shock and 200-meter water-resistant and comes in a signa%re G-Shock × HUF packaging. Skate )ough.
WWW.GSHOCK .COM WWW.HUFWORLDWIDE.COM
NIXON & PAUL RODRIGUEZ
THE »P« ON THE CROWN Primi!ve, those skate bou!ques are Co-owned by super shredder Paul Rodriguez and next to a bunch of other sponsors he is a team rider for the Nixon Brand since a long while. What started as an oppor%ni$ to open a retail loca!on "ansi!oned to a new brand, Primi!ve Skateboarding, Nixon and Primi!ve saw an oppor%ni$ to collaborate together on a collec!on of watches that share a similar look and feel inspired by Paul’s Primi!ve rosegold board graphics. What came out are these beau!es called »)e Corporal SS«, )e Kingpin, and )e Time Teller, each fea%ring a custom engraved case back and a crown that shows Primitive’s distinctive »P« signa%re script.
L A L I N E S — 12 —
WWW.PRIMITIVESK ATE.COM
S T W 2 D
ROXY AND PENDLETON
COZY FEEL
For this s$lish summer season the girls brand Roxy teamed up with the good people of the Pendleton wool mill. As a legendary and "adi!onal American wool mill, Pendleton puts the cozy in casual and the +zzy into fashion since roughly 150 years. )e wool is known to stand the test of !me anyway so the Roxy designers just added some color+l ethno design and cool cut and s$le to the !ghtly woven fabric. Ac%ally a great comeback of the wool, that established with surf culture already back in the 1950 ies, when surfers discovered the comfy wool for their wave riding needs. Keeping them warm in or outside the ocean this durable apparel brings again a good portion of fun and function to the beach. This line fea%res a nice selec!on of different bikini s$les, towels, le,ings, shirts and hoodies. An iconic 50ies surf staple heads back to the beaches. Enjoy these pieces while let!ng those 10 hang loose.
L A L I N E S — 14 —
W W W . R O X Y. C O M W W W. P E N D L E TO N - U S A .C O M
S T W 2 D
C ARHARTT WIP STORE GIRLS ONLY! Carhar( WIP recently opened its first ever women only store in Berlin. Designed by Italian architect Andrea Caputo, the location has been unmistakably divided into two areas: the en"ance, where customers are welcomed by Berlin-based ar#st Pie"o Sanguineti’ neon signage and a second larger room, linked to the fitting rooms. At the en"ance, the space is dominated by an impressive display table in white lacquered wood, overlooked by square windows, iron racks and a cash desk. In the second, larger area, floor to ceiling iron -rni!re dominates the back wall and creates a link to the fit#ng rooms, framed by racks. )is space is extended with -ll-length mirrors that hide the staff room en"ance. )e floor and ceiling have both been maintained from the store’s previous life, leaving remnants of brick, concrete and plaster. On the opposite side, a rough white wall provides light to the space. Custom -rni!re has been specially designed for the store, "eated with a burnishing process, giving a peculiar and dark aspect to the en#re place. Furthermore, part of the -rni!re includes historical design pieces such as two aluminium cabinets and two metal bookcases. )e store is refined with designer Piet Hein Eek pieces, including a copper lamp and a collage of old Persian carpets that divides the two different spaces. We talked to Kashif Bashir, in charge of Carhar( retail for North Europe, about this ven!re.
A CARHARTT WIP MONO STORE DEDICATED TO WOMEN. WHAT’S THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THIS? As we have 25 years history now with Carhar( Work in Progress and we have always developed a collec!on targeted to women we felt now in our 25th year the !me is right to launch our first Stand Alone women’s store. With a collec!on for SS 15 that has received ex"emely posi!ve feedback from buyers/s$lists and end consumers it makes more sense than ever for us to showcase this magnificent collec!on in a space that is considered and provides a perfect backdrop.
WHAT ARE THE MA JOR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A STORE FOR WOMEN COMPARED TO OTHER CARHARTT WIP MONO STORES? Other than the obvious point of only showcasing our Women’s Collec!on for this store we decided to con!nue our longstanding partnership with Andrea Caputo who has designed many of our stores and as an architect Andrea works closely with the brand in order to create unique spaces. For the Münzs"asse Store, Andrea has chosen an aesthe!c that is recognizable but he has certainly given it a so.er twist without becoming an overly feminine store. Using a beau!+l patchwork Persian rug manufac%red by Piet Hein Eek and a unique Copper Lamp add to this bespoke cabinets manufac%red by Andrea Caputo add to this our custom made C-Logo Neon sign by Berlin based ar!st Pie"o Sanguine!. )is store is unmistakably a Carhar( Work in Progress store. — 16 —
WHAT WERE THE REASONS TO CHOOSE BERLIN AS LOCATION FOR THE FIRST EVER CARHARTT WIP FEMALE STORE? Berlin is an important Ci$ for us having had a presence in Mi(e for 10 years or so we felt it was a na%ral progression to u!lize the interes!ng retail spaces of Berlin. With the world focussing on Berlin during their annual Fashion Weeks it gives us the perfect oppor%ni$ to communicate the direc!on we are taking our Women’s Collec!on.
WHO’S THE CARHARTT WIP WOMAN? )e Carhar( WIP woman is confident, +n, professional, has at!%de, personali$, s$le and intelligence. )e Carhar( WIP woman is in our experience every woman.
ARE THERE MORE STRIC TLY FEMALE SHOPS COMING IN THE FUTURE? We always have an eye on progression and momen%m and whilst I cannot give you a specific !meline I can say we are always moving forward and looking for new oppor%ni!es. )e most important thing with Carhar( Work In Progress stores is the planning and a(en!on to detail. From loca!on to architec%re to product mix. Having success+lly opened our First Women’s Store in Berlin I would confidently say watch this space for +rther developments. With 25 years of history we are looking ahead to making the next 25 years as success+l and interes!ng for our fans.
WORDS: ERIK HÜSKEN
W W W.C A R H A R T T- W I P.C O M
S T W 2 D
C A R H A RT T W I P G I R L S O N LY M Ü N Z S T R A S S E 11 A 10 178 B E R L I N | G E R M A N Y
L I N E S — 17 —
ASICS GEL LYTE III THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY It is a great hype on the streets; these Asics conquer more and more feet. Obviously they are running fetishists the people behind the Brand. Asics coming all the way from Kobe in Japan have a long history. But well it all started with a basketball shoe when Kihachiro Onitsuka launched his first shoe in 1949. At that time the company was named Onitsuka Tiger. Since 1977, due to a +sion of different Brands the footwear got rebranded into Asics. Since than they are known for great running s$les with different approaches to +lfill the needs of many individual Runners and their feet. A very special shoe idea came up 25 years ago. )is fea%re is all about ASICS GEL LYTE III a shoe with 25 years full off history. Dipped in many colors and material varia!ons, they all have one in common – a split tongue. Created by Shigeyuki Mitsui back in 1990 with the approach »to create the ul!mate performance running shoe with the highest level of technology and +nc!on, but one that was visu-
ally pleasing unlike exis!ng shoes at the !me« the shoes caught steady a(en!on due to this unorthodox split tongue. A unique and +nctional feature that allows for be(er fit, and in combination with a low to highdensi$ midsole it simply offers a be(er distribution of pressure and weight for its wearer. Actually one of the favorite shoes of my wife cause of that; she definitely loves to walk in comfortable sneakers but most of them have a to stiff or to tight tongue. )e split makes it more close fi(ing without pressure she says. Originally created as a runner, the GEL-LYTE III has moved beyond the track and onto the streets. Already in the past this Asics s$le was the number one choice of many collaboration partners. It is an endless list, so we take a focus on some of the current releases that celebrate 25 years of a great pair of footwear. Streetwear today says »Happy birthday!«
W W W. A S I C S .C O M
»The Laser Cut Pack« is very special due to a new form of developement. The premium upper is made from just one part of Suede only. Almost seemless they come in three nice and concerted colorways and have another special which is a laser cut out perforating the sidewall and toe box.
The »Lux Gator« pack comes in white and black versions with a glossy croc-textured leather upper accentuated with a little of orange and blue on the sockliner and outsole.
The Store »MITA Sneakers Tokyo« supports ASICS in partying the 25th anniversary of the Gel Lyte III. Limited to 1,990 pairs worldwide their special make up carries premium suede in a variety of blue tonality, accented with red color and white contrasting stitching they have an additional red loop on the heel to have a better jump in and out. www.mita-sneakers.co.jp
»The Packer Shoes« are located in Teaneck, New Jersey and created the »Dirty Buck«. Inspired by Packer origins, they crafted the running model with an eye on luxury and sophisticated aesthetics due to an upper constructed of premium suede and leather. Actually the »Dirty Buck« is known to be a suede leather shoe but the Asics layout just transfers these values to their sporting silhouette. www.packershoes.com
The »High Voltage« Pack features many details of the original shoe, but with special added touches. From its marble printed midsoles to its reflective 3M detailing, and the mix of suede and tech-mesh uppers these add a trendy color way tot he mix.
ASICS Tiger has teamed up with »Titolo«, their Family & Friends retail partner in Switzerland to create a paper cut inspired collaboration. A traditional Swiss art and craft form, better known as Scherenschnitt gets executed on these beauties. The all-black suede upper with woven orange collar incorporates symmetrical cutout details. The silhouettes of Italo and Manuela Titolo embossed onto the back heel show solidarity to the family run business and the appearance of Godzilla is a cheeky nod to Japan, home of the Asics Brand. www.titolo.ch
L A L I N E S — 19 —
S T W 2 D
S P E R R Y X G R AY M A L I N F ROM A B OV E Sperry teams up with revered photographer Gray Malin to create a dynamic collection that adds a fresh twist to Sperry’s most-loved classics and celebrates l’esprit of the ocean.
L A L I N E S — 22 —
W W W. S P E R R Y TO P S I D E R .C O M
»THE IDEA SPROUTED FROM A P I C T U R E I TO O K F R O M T H E HELICOPTER WHILE P H O TO G R A P H I N G N E W Y O R K C I T Y, W H E R E M Y S P E R R Y S WERE VISIBLE. HAVING WORN SPERRY FOR MY ENTIRE LIFE, I JUMPED AT THE CHANCE TO E M B A R K U P O N T H I S S P E C I A L COLLABORATION AND I N C O R P O R A T E M Y PA S S I O N W I T H O N E O F M Y FA V O R I T E B R A N D S , ” G R AY M A L I N
Sperry, the brand known for inven!ng the worlds first boat shoe and photographer Gray Malin came together for a capsule collec!on combining iconic American s$le shoes with Malin’s bold photography. )e collection that celebrates colour, light, shape and summer features Malin’s Lisbon Umbrella, Cefalu Umbrella and Cape Town Wave prints across four different men’s and women’s silhoue(es including the Authentic Original, CVO and CVO slip-on. Bringing the world’s most popular beaches into focus from a bird’s eye view, Malin shoots the locations while flying high above the landscape in a helicopter. »From above, a simple beach or pool becomes a blank canvas that allows me to start seeing the world as art. People and objects become pa(erns creating repetition, shape and form.« )e concept of Malin’s aerial photography evolved by chance. During a stay in Las Vegas he took a picture of the swimming pool scene from his room on the 30th floor. Malin used the resulting image as a screen saver because Malin liked it so much. A.er six months looking at it he figured that other people would probably like it too. His idea was to take pictures of swimming pool scenes from the roo.ops of hotels during Art Basel Miami. Problem was that those responsible for the hotels did not really help him. So Malin figured, if he’d charter a helicopter, he could take all pictures during one flight. Luckily and coincidentally at the same time, the pilot was a photography enthusiast and liked the idea so much, that he even removed a door, for Malin to have a clear view. )is marked the beginning of the aerial series. Each body of work is exclusively Gray Malin’s own vision.
L A L I N E S — 23 —
RANSOM HANDSOME ,W DOO VWDUWHG DV D UHWDLO ORFDWLRQ IRU ÀQH VWUHHWZHDU DQG VQHDNHUV LQ &DQDGD 6LQFH WKH VWDUW WKH\ RIIHU D brilliant selection of goods they found at renowned international streetwear Brands. Their street garments found home in an exclusive store design, setting standards for today. Sure they designed and created their own apparel line but already in 2009 they started to create footwear. What became later on a huge and long-term collaboration with the adidas Originals brand turned again into Ransom’s very own footwear %UDQG VRPH VHDVRQV DJR 1HYHU UHPDLQLQJ TXLWH EXW DOZD\V ORRNLQJ WR LQQRYDWH SURGXFWV WKDW VXLW WKH urban lifestyle, Ransom draws inspiration from a lifetime of unique experiences to shape itself. With the intention of crafting footwear that’s sporty and stylish they come up with an update on colors and styles IRU WKLV VSULQJ VXPPHU VHDVRQ &DVXDO VQHDN\ IRRWZHDU WKDW IHHOV OLJKW DV D IHDWKHU LV DYDLODEOH JOREDOO\ DW WKH ÀQHVW VWUHHWZHDU UHWDLOHUV WR FRPSOLPHQW \RXU VXPPHU RXWÀW
STRATA – THE CLASSIC LOW TOP IS BACK AGAIN. THESE COME IN PERFORATED SUEDE IN BLACK AND TAN TO BE THE PERFEC T WARM WEATHER WEARS. B R A N D — 24 —
WWW.RANSOMHOLDINGCO.COM
ALTA MOC – THIS SILHOUETTE HAS THE COMFORT OF A TRADITIONAL HANDCRAFTED MOCC ASIN HOLDING PERFORMANCE COMFORTS OF A TECHNIC AL RUNNING SHOE. THESE ALTA MOC BLUR THE LINES BET WEEN MODERN AND TRADITIONAL AND MEET THE ZEITGEIST OF TODAY.
FIELD LITE – THEY COME IN DIVERSE MATERIALS SUCH AS PERFORATED SUEDE OR MARLED KNIT BUT HERE WE SHOW THE EXECUTION WITH CLASSIC VENTILATED AIR MESH IN BLACK , RUBY, AQUA AND WHITE.
B R A N D — 25 —
T H E C R O W D ’ S N O T W H E R E I T ’ S AT. GEORGE ORTON 10/80
Add to that (skating) some hypnotic pulse of music and the human is part of something bigger. Steve Olson 10/79
LO S
W E T R Y TO D E S I G N FOR A GOOD FEELING. J I M M U I R 12 / 78
I GUESS YOU CAN SAY WE HAVE A LITTLE MORE CLASS. RICK HOWELL 7/78
I don’t do anything for free. T. A. 2 / 77
We didn’t choose the time, the time chose us. Stacy Peralta 5 / 82
IT’S OKAY TO REMEMBER, BUT YOU GOT TO LIVE. JAY ADAMS 8 / 82
BUILDING A SKATEBOARD PARK IS, IN REALIT Y, DOING A CONCRETE SCULPTURE, AND, LIKE ANY WORK OF ART, THE MATERIAL HAS IT’S LIMITATIONS. SKIP ENGBLOM 8/78
Rumor has it that the dark side of the moon is where all the rad skate terrain is … S. M. 10/78 L A — 26 —
Hunger, you see, makes the balance better. And a big meal before surfing or skateboarding makes the balance worse. Dorian Paskowitz, the skateboarders diet part III, 79
People are trying to find that basic statement again– basic energy … Jerry Casale (Devo) 12/79
ANGE L ES
WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENIN’? L . A . IS HAPPENIN’. CHRISTIAN HOSOI 4/85
In our cities tour we’ll now take you (from sexy Berlin) to flirty LA - the place something started, what we believe sparked the spirit of the culture and styles we like to dwell on. Streetwear culture is deeply rooted in the attitude of individualism. And only few cities are as concerned with self expression, creativity and the joy of life as this one. And whereabouts will you find so many people beeing so solicitous about their individuality and their need to be themselves ... Well now, wherever else could this have happened? Instead of going into further depiction with all the trimming, we decided to give you some quotes from local individuals, way back in the days - when a certain style somehow enrooted ... (enjoy some nostalgia):
I like to be rad, just for the feeling of it. Muckus 6/78
Y O U H A V E TO P U S H Y O U R S E L F ! V I C K I V I C K E R S 12 / 79
The tracks are bumpy, rutted, but when they ride it they look like they’re riding on glass. It’s like gliding on a wave … smooth … free. Brian Lewis 9/80 L A — 27 —
ST Ü S SY. PA ST. P R E S E N T. AND FUTURE. AN INTERVIEW WITH FRANK SINATRA
L A P E O P L E — 28 —
P H OTO : S T Ü S S Y A R C H I V E
Do you still surf much? I surf less than I used to. I do standup now more, which is a $pe of surfing where you paddle out standing up on a bi,er board.
How did you and Shawn meet? When we got together in 1980, Shawn was making sur#oards. He had been working for the brotherhood and just started his own brand Stüssy. )e Stüssy surfboards were very unique and very well made. )ey had innova!ve shapes, unique graphics, and Shawn would also make T-shirts. )e shirts were very s$lish, and a lot of people wanted them, when they bought sur#oards. And a lot of people just wanted the shirts. )is is how we started the brand - out of the s"ength of his crea!vi$ in the sur#oard business and his contacts.
What sparked your interest? What sparked me was, that Shawn already had a very high-end reputa!on as a shaper. And everything was all very well thought of. Shawn was a premier celebri$ at shaping sur#oards and with his graphics. He was selling T-Shirts, but he didn’t really have the money to do it right and needed advice and help. I lend him some money at first, and then we started the business together. I was drawn to him because he was very crea!ve.
Did you have the slightest idea what you guys were about to kick off? Not at all! And we didn’t take off for 6 years. For 6 years the company was very small and I had to work a second job to get by. Even though Shawn was well known as a shaper, and very sought a.er - the best guys wanted the boards from him -, it really wasn’t a big market, and the world wasn’t ready for the progressive fashion that Shawn wanted to do.
This streetwear culture thing (and Shawn being the first clothing designer in his category to become a kind of popstar in it, with like a fandom) at that time for no one could have been imagined really. But since you used the word celebrity, was there a sense for that? Celebri$ might not be the perfect word. He was already a known personali$. Respected, everybody knew his name and he had recogni!on. And he was somebody that people would "eat in this way. He was making very unique sur#oards.
And you enabled this. He needed a partner. Seriously. So I was the other part to the equa!on. I could not do what he did, and he didn’t have anybody else ready to do what I did.
L A P E O P L E — 29 —
P H OTO S : F R A N C E S C O G I U S T I
And then, in that golden era around the very early 90’s, when things were just starting to go through the roof, – it’s guessing - you were the one who laid out most of Stüssys business philosophy. Stüssy then wasstanding out for two reasons: for it’s original and unique style, but just as much for it’s absolute genuine, and brilliant marketing, which was not doing any marketing other than limiting stores and pursuing restricted/ controlled growth. That was a big part of the image, thus the success of the brand. Was that instinct, or did you have any role models in mind? Where did that idea come from?
L A P E O P L E — 30 —
)at’s "ue. It was the late 80’s (88 to 91). )e business philosophy stems from Shawns and my philosophical vision for a company, which was: we are not going to just be a big commercial produc!on. We were more interested in being a boutique business driven by principals. Shawn used to put it like: for the bros, not the pros! We weren’t interested just in money. And all of Shawn and I were doing wasn’t about big money makers, as
much as it was very cool, and the people who were supporting us didn’t want to be a part of a big company. We were content being a solid li(le company. Of course we turned down a lot of business, and we didn’t do the things other people thought we should do. But we were very pleased with what we were doing. Also, you go back, way back then nobody knew what was going to happen to the industry, nobody knew what things were going to become and how sold out it would be. How commercial it would get and how this would basically ruin the industry. Nobody knew that. What we knew was, that there were a lot of companies growing too fast by doing ridiculous things. And we didn’t want to make ridiculous product just to keep growing. And we also didn’t want to work so hard to have to put together all these programs to keep the retailers happy. With a combination of an ethic, and the fact that we could see, that things were just out of control (and it went on for another five years out of control), we decided to not become part of this. And we didn’t need to. Our philosophy was: we have a good life, a good company, we’re proud of our products and proud of the people we work with; there is no need to do anything else!
L A P E O P L E — 31 —
P H OTO S : F R A N C E S C O G I U S T I
Shawn with the tribe on the one hand and you with a kind of business structure backing that or complementing it with the way you picked your business relations – in like an extended family style rather, but still in the same idea of a relationship – ... this was a little different from your average business connection. )at was how we picked the people we worked with. )ey were people that had a soul like ours. We picked guys who were into the subcul%re, and we were interested in the scene, not just the money. It has always been a lot about "ust. )at is who we are. Shawn definitely valued rela!onships more than money or being a big deal in an indus"y.
Is this where the two of you intertwined, meshed? Yeah, we had to be likeminded, let’s put it that way. L A P E O P L E — 32 —
»T H E Y W E R E P E O P L E T H AT H A D A S O U L L I K E O U R S . « F R A N K S I N AT R A
Since 96 the company is in your hands. From this time on Stüssy pretty much became a real brand within the constraints of the industry and the market. You turned it into a complete and real clothing line, by extending the range of products, f. e. starting to use technical materials, introduced outdoors stuff and more, later started with a complete women’s line. And the brand was better off than ever before. What was the motivation? When Shawn was my partner, the business had to follow his lead. Because Shawn was so crea!ve and so different we could get away with things, that we could not do once he was gone. Once Shawn le. we had to s"uc%re ourselves to be more responsive to the way a company develops a line, with everything that goes along with it. So, you did feel change. ‘Cause all of a sudden, we weren’t one visionary in charge of the whole process, we became a team. )us we had to work differently. L A P E O P L E — 33 —
» I T H A S A LW AY S B E E N A LOT A B O U T T R U S T. T H AT I S W H O W E A R E . «
P H OTO : T Y R O N E L E B O N
F R A N K S I N AT R A
)e way I like to put it is, Shawn was one guy, a very special guy, who could do it all himself from a crea!ve point of view.
Staying true to your vision? I’m not gonna say it was my vision. I’m just going to say, same as every ‘business man’, I needed to react and respond and res"uc%re the company to operate in a new era. )at era wasn’t just Shawn’s gone. It was also more compe!!on than before. So it wasn’t a vision, it was more my reac!on and my management of the si%a!on.
What happened?
L A P E O P L E — 34 —
Very good things had happened. Remember, by the end of 2001 things were so different, very sudden. Stüssy was a 20 year old company, and there were lots of much younger brands whirring in the act around the surf, skateboard, even the hiphop market. Resul!ng in a lot more op!ons to individualize what a person may want to represent.
P H OTO : T Y R O N E L E B O N
In the very beginning of the whole sneaker evolution, when we did those Nikes (early 2000s), all at once customers started to be dra.ing around collectable sneakers. And sneaker culture in+sed fashion and that brought an awareness of hiphop back to fashion. With that we used all of our heritage and all of our friendships around the world in collaboration to make our vision to appear more fresh and more understandable to a new customer.
A family affair. We are very much exited about the +%re and about all the oppor%ni!es of working with new people and at the same !me with people who we worked with for 20–30 years. )at is what is making us who we are today. And my son David is doing that now, not me. It’s a completely new organiza!on based on our cul%ral heritage, working with a new genera!on of people and respect+l of and s!ll involved with anybody that we have ever been involved with throughout our !me. We’re merging the best of our historic past and the current. And for us it’s like: when you got the best people in the world working for you – why change?!
L A P E O P L E — 35 —
P E O P L E — 36 —
S H OT S TA K E N O U T O F S U M M E R 2 0 1 5 S T U S S Y LO O K B O O K , R E W O R K B Y M M
L A
L A
W W W. S T U S S Y.C O M
P E O P L E — 37 —
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ADIDAS ORIGINALS FROM L. A. TRAINER TO LOS ANGELES
L A B R A N D — 38 —
»TAKING INSPIRATION FROM WHERE STARS SHINE THE B R I G H T E S T, THE LOS ANGELES USHERS IN THE LATEST ERA OF MODERN RUNNING FOR ADIDAS ORIGINALS.« WWW.UNDEFEATED.COM WWW.ADIDAS.COM WWW.CONTINENTALTIRE.COM
Los Angeles is the name of this new slick silhouette created by the designers of the adidas Originals Brand. Running along with a com/ look and feel their tech rider says it’s because of an ul"a so. EVA midsole with special EVA compound and a molded sockliner. It’s a new running s$le to compliment your s"eetwear wardrobe and mainly meant to be used in the s"eets. )ey make you reach the "ain in !me but also "ansport that laid back boom bass vibe of L. A. to your knees. But well it is about shoes that take some iconic cues and details from the classic L. A. Trainer, the one with these iconic plugs in the outsole. )e release was in the 80 ies. )e reinvented Idea is now simply called Los Angeles but still captures or be(er updates a best of sporting excellence ou(a Herzogenaurach. Diverse color variations will hit shelves throughout spring and summer anyway but the shoe’s technical upper is meant to be a blank canvas for pa(ern, color and texture baubles that are as limitless as the ci$ of Los Angeles itself. So we can all be curious about color+l and interesting releases scheduled for the end of the year.
ADIDAS ORIGINALS MEETS UNDEFEATED AND CONTINENTAL – LOS ANGELES
One of the first Collaborators that have the pleasure to experiment with these sneaks sailing under the 3-stripe Flag is naturally L. A. based clothing brand and store undefeated. )e decent camouflage look of the upper sits on an exclusive Con!nental rubber co. outsole to make you run faster even on a wet surface. )is is a very interes!ng detail making the shoes even more special. Another statement as shoes that represent technical finesse and the signature s$le and a(itude of »Undefeated«. It is a consortium release, which means this one is only available in limited numbers and you should lookout for these at the finest sneaker dealers around.
» T H E M A N Y PA R A L L E L S BETWEEN TIRES AND SHOES ARE NOT H A R D TO F I N D : T I R E S A R E TO C A R S W H A T SHOES ARE TO RUNNERS – THEY FORM T H E O N LY L I N K W I T H THE GROUND AND MUST U LT I M A T E LY B E A B L E TO T R A N S M I T A L L O F T H E F O R C E S I N V O L V E D. THE RUBBER COMPOUNDS S P E C I A L LY D E V E L O P E D FOR ADIDAS BY CONTINENTAL FEATURE PA RT I C U L A R L Y HIGH LEVELS OF GRIP ON ALL SURFACES, HELPING RUNNERS TO CONSERVE ENERGY THAT WOULD GO TO WA S T E I N A S H O E W I T H L E S S G R I P. « ALEXANDER BAHLMANN, C O N T I N E N TA L T I R E S
»FUCK THE REFS« U N D E F E AT E D
W W W. U N D E F E AT E D.C O M L A B R A N D — 40 —
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UNDEFEATED BORN AND RAISED IN LA It was in 2002 when the premium sneakers only store called undefeated opened its door for the first !me. Located in Los Angeles it was on founders Eddie Cruz and James Bond to compile top-notch sneaker s$les for their shelves. Soon later they already came up with their first groundbreaking collabora!ons and also worked on their first basic clothing line with some cool shirts and sweat wear. The Logo. The 5 bar Logo – five tally marks that represent five winnings. Maybe they represent the five championship winnings of the L. A. Lakers during the 80 ies; maybe it also takes inspira!on of the Black Flag Logo, maybe not. Surely their design is influenced by sports and military cul%re. Of course it is a bold, recognizable and ingenious logo that became known around the world. Edward Taylor, so.gold agency, developed this Logo. He developed a bunch of outstanding designs and logos for some cool other Brands too. Anyway, 12 years later undefeated has stores in Osaka, Shizuoka, To0o, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Silverlake, Santa Monica and of course s!ll in Los Angeles. )eir range of s$les grew to an ins!%!on within the s"eetwear indus"y and since a while the line includes a couple of technical spor!ng goods you should not miss. Undefeated technical goods include a well-edited collec!on of !ghts, shorts, shirts and hoodies in a decent dark grey, tan and camouflage op!c, highlighted with reflec!ve logos. Train hard and never give up. 2 nd to none.
L A B R A N D — 41 —
JOH N PA N G I L I NA N S T O RY T E L L I N ' John Pangilinan is a local in Downtown Long Beach, C A. Here he gained experience working alongside many talented crea!ves at an adver!sing agency. )is job "ained even more his ar!s!c eye so a big part of his nowadays self dependent ac!vi!es sa!sfies his passion for photography. Whether por"ait or commercial his images spin around cars and s"eet cul%re, where L. A. has a lot to offer for him. Well connected he seamlessly navigates in and around these scenes and documents them with unique images and words. Okay, yes, he is also a creative writer and has more skills to develop and manage juicy projects that even blur the lines between automotive and lifes$le. Always on the hunt for cool stories he signs responsible for ad campaigns mainly involved in the car indus"y too. We caught a(en!on to his work and could address a few phrases to John but also give a taster of his work with one of his latest Interviews. )e one he did with Hommy Diaz, the Global Product Director for the Palladium Brand. A nice read following this one.
L A P E O P L E — 42 —
» I L O O K TO S U R R O U N D M Y S E L F W I T H PASSIONATE AND TALENTED INDIVIDUALS WITH POSITIVE ENERGY IN HOPES THAT I C AN LEARN F R O M T H E M A N D B E I N S P I R E D. ” JOHN PANGILINAN
SHOT TAKEN AT THE FORMULA DRIFT PRO CHAMPIONSHIPS
L A P E O P L E — 43 —
WAITING IN THE MASSIVE LINE. BLACK FRIDAY AT THE UNDEFEATED STORE IN L . A .
ID AGENC Y LINCOLN MK X PROJEC T CAR BY DESIGNER JAMES BOND OF THE UNDEFEATED BRAND
L A P E O P L E — 44 —
SHOT TAKEN AT REBEL8 THE »RETURN OF THE LOST ANGELS« ART SHOW AT BARRACUDA IN L . A .
GROWING UP IN … WAS …
LONG BEACH IS…
CONNEC TION WITH CARS AND CLOTHING … INITIAL SPARKS HAVE BEEN … WORKING IN THIS INDUSTRY IS …
Growing up in Southern California was very inspiring being surrounded with so much diversi$ and cul%re. Long Beach is an incredible ci$ that is developing into a hub for the arts, food, and fashion. )e connec!on with cars and clothing is a na%ral progression of individuali$ and personaliza!on. Ini!al sparks have been the need for +nc!on and s$le whether driving or walking the s"eets. Working in this indus"y is humbling, inspiring, and can be a grind. )ere are so many talented and crea!ve individuals in it that it forces you to push yourself to excel.
9 TO 5 VERSUS 24/7
A 9 to 5 can provide stability allowing to decompress outside the office walls and off the clock. Owning your own business you are working 24⁄7, which can be rewarding and +lfilling with the s0 as the limit, but you need to be willing to sacrifice personal !me as you go a.er your goals.
INSPIRATION COMES …
Inspira!on comes from everywhere. Be a sponge and soak it all in.
IT MAKES ME LAUGH WHEN …
SHOOTING IMAGES MAKES ME FEEL …
MY BIGGEST DREAM …
It makes me laugh when my niece and nephews do silly things, which is quite o.en. Shoo!ng images makes me feel content. Photography has always been a passion of mine and being able to con!nually grow and learn the cra. has been an amazing journey thus far both on a personal and work level. My bi,est dream is to "avel the world, leave my mark, and ul!mately live each day to its +ll poten!al.
GREAT, THANK YOU
» T H I S S H O T O F R E B E L 8 A RT I S T MIKE GIANT’S HAND A U TO G R A P H I N G A P O S T E R I S O N E O F M Y FA V O R I T E S AS IT FOCUSES ON THE BODY PA RT T H A T A L L O W S H I M TO C R E A T E H I S W O R K S O F A RT. « JOHN PANGILINAN
L A P E O P L E — 45 —
LEARN TO BE INSPIRED JOHN PANGILINAN TALKS TO HOMMY DIAZ
I look to surround myself with passionate and talented individuals with posi#ve energy in hopes that I can learn from them and be inspired. At the end of the day, one of the most valuable perks of being in this indus"y, are the friendships that are cul#vated and lessons that are learned from them. The ability to share these stories is my way of giving back to the communi$, while hoping to mo#vate others find their own path. Hommy Diaz is one of these people that I’ve had the opportuni$ to know for a few years. Born and raised in Queens, New York, he received his bachelor’s degree in Communication Design from the renown Parsons School of Design. Like many in this industry he was inspired by his love of skateboarding and found himself working for DC Shoes and made the cross-country move to California. He found a new opportuni$ to take the historic Palladium Boots brand in a new direction and serve as the Global Product Director and hasn’t looked back since. I visited the Palladium headquarters to talk about inspiration, motivation, and design with Hommy, along with his contribution to the new collaboration between storied brands, Palladium and Alpha Industries. L A P E O P L E — 47 —
»IT WAS THE SKATE INDUSTRY THAT INSPIRED ME AND HELPED DEVELOP MY APPRECIATION FOR DIFFERENT GENRES OF MUSIC , BRANDING, DESIGN AND FASHION.« HOMMY DIAZ
L A P E O P L E — 48 —
YOU’RE ONE OF THE MOST POSITIVE DUDES I KNOW. DO YOU FEEL YOUR POSITIVE ENERGY CONTRIBUTES TO YOUR WORK OUTPUT?
S T W 2 D
)ank you John and likewise. I believe carrying posi!ve energy is great con"ibu!on to all facets of life. Comba!ng s"ess with a posi!ve engagement is a healthy way to live. Without good health we can’t expect consistent output.
IT’S AN EXCITING TIME FOR YOU WITH A LITTLE ONE ON THE WAY. HOW DOES THIS MOTIVATE AND DRIVE YOU? Expec!ng a mini me is beyond exci!ng. I am curious with an!cipa!on on how becoming a father will change me and help me evolve as a human. )e concept within itself is mo!va!on for me to con!nue my passion to create and make my son proud of me. I look forward to reading this interview with him 20 years from now and look back to how far we have come together.
WHAT ORIGINALLY DROVE YOU TO STUDY DESIGN AND FASHION? I started skateboarding before I was a teenager and never slowed down un!l a.er college. It was the skate indus"y that inspired me and helped develop my apprecia!on for different genres of music, branding, design and fashion.
WHERE DO YOU PULL YOUR INSPIRATION FROM? WHAT OTHER PASSIONS, HOBBIES, OR INTERESTS FEED INTO YOUR DESIGNS? I pull inspiration from my day-to-day travel both locally and abroad. The experience and mix of different cul%res is what inspires me, from architec%re, interior design, food and music. It’s a recipe of s$le that I feed off having grown up in New York Ci$. Traveling has become my hobby and is a priori$ despite the fact that you can see what is going on anywhere in the world via the internet. You can never be too sure where your next inspira!on will come from. )e in-person interac!on and cul%ral par!cipa!on in an environment outside your own is a priceless experience. So get out there and explore other ci!es!
WHAT PARTICULAR PARTS OF YOUR UPBRINGING HAVE SHAPED YOUR DESIGN PRINCIPLES AND PHILOSOPHIES? )rough skateboarding I experienced the signa%re of color and branding. )e many brands I was exposed to both good and bad helped shape my design principles and philosophies. I find the discipline of color incredibly power+l when a brand consistently uses a color or combina!on of colors in their branding for a long period of !me. And with a simple color change it can help re-in"oduce or re-launch a brand through the prac!ce of discipline.
LET’S TALK A LITTLE ABOUT THE LATEST PROJEC T AND COLLABORATION BETWEEN ALPHA INDUSTRIES AND PALLADIUM. WITH BOTH BRANDS HAVING A MILITARY HERITAGE IT MAKES PERFEC T SENSE THAT THE BRANDS WORK TOGETHER ON A COLLEC TION. WAS THIS YOUR CONCEPT? HOW DID IT COME TO FRUITION? Collabora!ng with ALPHA Indus"ies was the first project I pitched to the Palladium execu!ve team upon accep!ng the posi!on. )e Palladium story reminded me of my second job as a teenager which was in retail at an Army and Navy store during the early 90’s in Flushing, Queens. While working there I was in"oduced to the ALPHA brand and its history. )rough the past decade I have no!ced ALPH’s influence on many fashion brands. And during my first week on the job at Palladium I quickly iden!fied that collabora!ng with ALPHA would be a perfect fit due to the parallels of both brands history and con"ibu!ons to military wear. Palladium started out as a tire manufacturing company supplying the European air force. A.er the Second World War the manufac%ring "ansi!oned into making boots in 1947 for the French Foreign Legion ground "oops. At about the same !me ALPHA was producing the flight jackets for the air force and field jackets for the US Army ground "oops. )e goal of our partnership was to create a platform to educate the consumer about the history between both brands. )e product goal was to merge our core heritage pieces. Offering a modern presenta!on consis!ng of the authen!c sa!n flight nylon and recognizable colors of the iconic MA-1 jacket applied to our Pampa and Ba,y boots upper.
L A P E O P L E — 49 —
WORDS: JOHN PANGILINAN PHOTOGRAPHY: JOHN PANGILINAN
L A P E O P L E — 50 —
» FA I L U R E S A R E Y O U R B E S T L E A R N I N G E X P E R I E N C E . T H E Y S A Y A P I C T U R E I S W O RT H A T H O U S A N D W O R D S A N D I S A Y A FA I L U R E I S W O RT H A T H O U S A N D O P P O RT U N I T I E S . «
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HOMMY DIAZ
YOU MENTIONED THE IMPORTANCE OF COLOR AND BOTH THE JACKET AND THE BOOTS WITHIN THE COLLEC TION HAVE ICONIC MILITARY COLORWAYS. HOW SIGNIFICANT ARE THESE COLORS TO THE PRODUC TS? )e Ba,y boots are available in ALPH’s core colors; Black, Sage Green, Maroon and Navy consistent with the highlighted signa%re orange lining. )e colors of MA-1 jacket are significantly important, especially the orange lining. )e reversible lining color pop fea%re was added as an iden!fica!on +nc!on. If and when a pilot was to crash a plane they could %rn the jacket inside out allowing rescue personnel to easily iden!/ them on the ground. )e »Remove Before Flight” red ribbon is used on military aircra.s as a safe$ warning before engaging in use for take off. After pulling the ribbons to clear the planes for flight the air force personnel began keeping the keychain ribbons as a souvenir and its influence eventually made its way on to the MA-1 jacket as hang tag. We are an exploration brand with roots in military aviation and for our collaboration we changed the phrase to »Remove Before Exploring” on the red ribbon on both the boots and jacket. I believe the new ribbon will be a great souvenir due to the history it represents.
THE »REMOVE BEFORE EXPLORING« TAG IS A NICE TOUCH AND MY PERSONAL FAVORITE DETAIL . WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DETAIL WITHIN THE COLLEC TION? I "avel around the world frequently and one of my favorite details on the boots is the medial side metal zippers. We matched the metal zipper from the jacket primarily as a +nc!onal detail allowing you to easily remove your boots without unlacing them at the airport when "aveling to explore other ci!es. )is is a detail that is relevant to our brand concept and makes the experience of flying much more convenient.
DID YOU HAVE ANY INPUT ON THE DESIGN DIREC TION OF THE JACKET? We could not have le. the MA-1 jacket out of the equa!on so we pitched the concept back to ALPHA on a custom slim fit jacket with a unique color block combining all four colors with Palladium signa%re "ims. )e goal was to offer one jacket that can easily be worn with any one of the four boots. )is was the icing on the cake for me personally with the oppor%ni$ to redesign a classic jacket in a modern fit that I sold to veterans and the urban communi$ as a teenager while working at the »Joe’s Army and Navy” store. I am humbled and thank+l to the ALPHA team for "us!ng us with our vision to customize their coveted iconic jacket.
WHAT CAN YOU SHARE WITH US ON FUTURE DESIGNS FROM PALLADIUM? We have a collabora!on with SBTG (Sabotage) from Singapore releasing in the Spring which I am excited about. He’s a great person and a talented ar!st so keep your eyes out for this one.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR YOUNG DESIGNERS? Failures are your best learning experience. )ey say a pic%re is worth a thousand words and I say a failure is worth a thousand oppor%ni!es.
L A P E O P L E — 51 —
S T W 2 D
L A B R A N D — 52 —
WORDS: ERIK HÜSKEN
CITIZENS OF HUMANIT Y BETTER CITIZENS THROUGH DENIM
)e founder of CoH Jerome Dahan grew up in Paris and Mon"eal and moved to Los Angeles in the early 80 ies. He worked for several denim brands and was one of the co-founders of Seven For All Mankind, a brand that was ini!ated as premium from the very beginning. In 2003 Dahan established Ci!zens of Humani$. )e label name derivates from a quote the President (played by Stanley Anderson) says in Dahan’s favorite movie Armageddon: »I address you tonight not as the President of the United States, not as a leader of a country, but as a citizen of humanity.« Dahan describes his brand as »the ultimate expression and realization of what a denim company can be. It is +eled by knowledge, creativi$ and a love for denim; an enduring symbol of the American landscape which has captured the imagination of the world.« In 2006 Adriano Goldschmied, the man who who shaped brands like Diesel, Replay and Gap 1969, came aboard as the creative mind for the men’s
section. Citizens of Humani$ is a premium denim brand for men and women. Premuim denim, this term is closely linked to Adriano Goldschmied who is o.en dubbed the godfather of premium denim. Citizens of Humani$ produces more than 1 million pairs of jeans annually at its own laundry facili$ in L. A. )e label’s DNA is informed by Dahan’s affini$ for postmodern Americana mixed with his classic Parisian a(itude of chic. Add attention for detail and admiration for workmanship et voila, you have a luxury denim brand that is admired and worn by A-list celebs all over the world. Another very interesting aspect of the brand is the bi-annual magazine, called Humani$. Launched in 2012 it profiles people that resonate with the brand. )ose are people from all walks of life (resp. Art, Culture, Fashion, Film, Food, Music, Photography, Sport), ranging from Tennis-legend John McEnroe to ink-master Mark Mahoney to Franca Sozzani, editor-in-chief of Vogue Italy, amongst others.
» A S T H E C O M PA N Y ’ S N A M E S U G G E S T S , O U R M I S S I O N I S TO S H O W C A S E T H E E N E R G Y AND PASSION OF CREATIVE INDIVIDUALS« FOUNDER JEROME DAHAN
W W W . C I T I Z E N S O F H U M A N I T Y. C O M
L A B R A N D — 53 —
RIAN POZZEBON AND VANS PAIRED FOR LIFE At first your parents, your grandparents or your aunt decide which footwear is right to choose for you. "e guy in this fea#re, Rian Pozzebon, should be around 35 years + by now, and since he was a li$le kid it’s been decided for him to wear Vans. Both – Rian and Vans-Shoes – were born/est. in California, and an LA lifes%le helped them grow. Vans started out with a small shop in the early 70’s, where the basic products of the Vans Brand were on display and customers had been given endless possibilities to customize their shoe styles, by picking their own choice of color-varia&ons. Ini&ally skateboarders and BMX riders wore the shoes with the 100 % na#ral rubber outsole. But Vans shoes became a hit not only at the BMX race'acks or in skateparks. Also surfers, and later on a mains'eam crowd interested in s'eet cul#re discovered them on their part. Vans became one of the favorite footwear brands in the global s'eetwear phenomena and its communi%. Rian Pozzebon however, was finding his feet in them. He customized his first pair at the local store at the age of 13 and con&nued his passion … becoming the Head of Design at Vans a few years ago – an alliance for life? … We had the chance to get a few questions answered from him, in the midst of his busy schedule.
GROWING UP IN CALIFORNIA – WHAT WERE YOUR INTERESTS?
L . A. LIFESTYLE. BUT THAN YOU HAD YOUR FIRST JOBS IN THE INDUSTRY, HOW DID IT START?
I enjoyed my childhood in California. I was raised on the east side of Los Angeles in an area around Pasadena. Southern California is predominately sunny most of the year; so life as a kid is spent outside jumping BMX bikes, s!ck ball, basketball in the driveway and skateboarding.
I had some skateboard sponsors along the way and in college I started a backpack company. A.er four years of figh!ng factories on produc!on issues, I gave up. The outcome of it all, I realized I am not a cu(hroat businessman and that product design was my calling. But to survive, I took the first oppor%ni$ I got from a friend, to be an independent sales rep. )rough those years, I worked with Axion Footwear, Elwood Clothing, WeSC, and Allian Snowboards. )en took a job as the Men’s Sales Manager for S%ssy. I was here for a short period before I got the oppor%ni$ to become a product designer at Vans.
WHAT WAS MOST IMPORTANT? Friends were most important, un!l age 11 when I picked up a skateboard. )at changed my life.
SK ATEBOARDING ALL DAY. EDUCATION? Educa!on, I miss it. I didn’t appreciate it as much as I should. There were too many distractions and I didn’t have enough pa!ence to sit through class at any age. I enjoyed the social aspect, but craved the world outside.
LOS ANGELES, WHAT’S SO SPECIAL? L A P E O P L E — 54 —
Los Angeles is a mel!ng pot of people from both around the coun$, and around the world. Some are searching for the impossible dream of becoming a famous movie star, others, for oppor%ni!es to live.
YOUR FIRST PAIR OF VANS SHOES – REMEMBER THE STORY. Vans shoes are my childhood. )anks to my mom, who archived some pieces from my childhood gear. I used one of my first pairs of Vans in the photo. )ank you, mom! My first Vans memory is wan!ng Slip-Ons, but my mom would only let us get navy Authen!cs. It wasn’t un!l I was 11 that I was able to talk my grandmother into get!ng me a pair of navy Sk8-His.
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» VA N S S H O E S A R E M Y C H I L D H O O D. T H A N K S TO MY MOM, WHO ARCHIVED SOME PIECES FROM MY C H I L D H O O D G E A R . I U S E D O N E O F M Y F I R S T PA I R S O F VA N S I N T H E P H O TO . T H A N K Y O U , M O M ! ” R I A N P OZ Z E B O N
L A P E O P L E — 55 —
AND THAN? WHAT MADE YOU BECOME A FOOTWEAR DESIGNER? INITIAL SPARK . First spark probably came when I started custom making my Vans shoes. Most kids avoided it because it took so long. But I really liked it because I had something nobody else had. My first custom was at the age of 13, and I made a pair of royal blue Native American’s with a white outsole. I think they only came with black outsoles at the !me. )en when we were in High School, I found out that if you bleached a pair of Vans, they %rned brown and khaki, no ma(er how crazy of a combo it was. Custom rejects were plen!+l at my local Vans store… I wish my mom kept some of these.
YOUR FIRST TOUCH TO WORK FOR THE VANS BRAND. STEPS YOU MADE. My best friend Jon Warren and I were a package deal. Vans wanted Jon, and he wouldn’t come alone. Somehow he talked them into hiring him and me, the Sales Manager from S%ssy to design shoes. It’s pre(y +nny how it all happened. We were hired to rebuild the pro skate program at Vans. My first touch was building a new classics collection for skate shops only, called Skate Originals. We changed the specs, pa(erns, sidewall taping of the Vans classic shoes to match the days when they were made in the U.S.A..
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT VANS LINES YOU ARE WORKING ON? Right now I am the Head of Design for Classics, California Collec!on and Vault.
DEFINE THE DIFFERENCES.
L A P E O P L E — 56 —
Classics is a collec&on of shoes based on our heritage. U!lizing the shoes from our past, like Slip-Ons, Authen!cs, Old Skools, Sk8-His, we materialize them and color them each season for a broad range of consumers. We also collaborate on large-scale projects like Star Wars in the category. "e California Collection utilizes the same classic silhoue(es but premium materials with an elevated twist on details that will narrow the consumer down due to the higher price. Vault is a collection of shoes that houses our more aspirational collaborations and a collection of classics called »OG« that carry characteristics identical to the original Vans shoes made in the U.S.A. Most notably, a narrow shape and higher foxing tape (sidewall).
PHOTO: STEFAN SIMIKICH
PHOTO: JASON LEVINS
PHOTO: STEFAN SIMIKICH
L A P E O P L E — 57 —
LATEST INSTALLMENT IS THE HARMONY KORINE COLLABORATION. HARMONY G A I N E D FA M E A S T H E TEENAGE WRITER OF THE C O N T R O V E R S I A L H I V E R A C U LT CLASSIC FILM KIDS. HARMONY CREATED THE CUSTOM CHECKERBOARD PRINT P A T T E R N A N D H I S A RT W O R K IS FEATURED IN THE FOOTBEDS ON HIS AUTHENTIC PRO »S« AND SLIP-ON PRO »S« S T Y L E S I N C A N VA S A N D S U E D E . R I A N P OZ Z E B O N
THE CHARAC TERISTICS OF A VANS SHOE. WHAT IS THE MOST AUTHENTIC ONE? For me, the most unique Vans silhoue(e is the Old Skool. A shoe Vans created in 70’s for the skateboarders in the Santa Monica and Venice area. It looks like no other shoe in the market.
YOUR WORK ROUTINE? Everyday is different. If I am not "aveling and in the office, it’s filled with working on color CAD’s, "end search, brainstorming on catalog photo shoots, laying out an exhibi!on on a collabora!on project, or searching for a great designer to add to our team. Never a dull moment around here.
WHAT NEEDS IT TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL TEAMWORK? Communica!on. Not being afraid to put everything out on the table. No need to hide the limita!ons someone can have on a project. I am ok if someone says no.
COLLABORATIONS IN GENERAL . WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT OPINION, STATEMENT? Collabora!ons have been a highlight for me. If it wasn’t a collaboration with a friend, it’s been with someone I have built a rela!onship with. I’ve been incredibly luc0 to enter the personal spaces of some of the most crea!ve people of our genera!on. Just about all our collabora!ons have come na%rally and without force. )ey are usually from friend connections and happen organically. The idea is to design something together that everyone is proud of. Each one I’ve done had a purpose and a lot of the !mes it wasn’t to make everyone happy. I think that’s ok and that some!mes people lose focus and just slap some art on a shoe for sales.
FAVORITE COLLABORATIONS OF THE PAST? You might think this is chea!ng… But the Vans Syndicate category was one big collaboration. Berto, Jon, Tom, Jay and I embarked on a journey, created something new for Vans, and collaborated with each other and with friends every step of the way. I made a roll call for Civilist a couple years ago and it was quite surprising to look back on… Cartoon, Muir, Cardiel, Ice-T, Dressen, Shawn S%ssy, Humpston, Jessee, Tetsu Nishiyama, Kessler, and the list goes on… Damn proud.
WHAT NEEDS TO BE SAID? L A P E O P L E — 58 —
I am surrounded by great people. I am thank+l everyday that I get to walk in and work along side the design team I have. )ank you Mark, Tony, Luis, Angie and Calvin.
THANK YOU RIAN.
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PHOTO: STEFAN SIMIKICH
PHOTO: JASON LEVINS
PHOTO: TAYLOR BONIN
L A
PHOTO: JASON LEVINS
P E O P L E — 59 —
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WORDS: ERIK HÜSKEN
HOUSE GUEST ARTIST #9:
DENHAM X MATT W. MOORE Ma$’s background was in ac&on board sports and graffi&. He’s applied principles of those fields to his bold, graphic aesthe&c in analog and digital media, developing an digital abs'act s%le he dubbed ›Vector)nk‹. Whether working in fine art or commercial applica&ons, Ma$ finds that each sparks the other. Graphic design projects o*en inform the murals he paints around the world. Cross-pollina&ng between disciplines allows him to refresh his perspec&ve constantly. Many of Ma$’s most memorable projects have been at the intersec&on of art and design, and o*en involve substan&al collabora&ve processes. For Denham Ma$ collaborated on the new Byzan&ne collec&on. He has produced a wider assortment of graphics used across different s%les including: MWM FRACTILE, MWM CAMO as well as s%les in the sweats category and a couple of key prints used on linings of the new jacket range. We had the chance for a quick talk with him.
HOW DID THE COLLABORATION WITH DENHAM COME TO FRUITION? I’ve known about Denham for years and I have always had a great respect for the brand, their mission, and a(en!on to detail. It was a na%ral process with Liam and team briefing me on the collec!on’s overall direc!on and aesthetic influences. From there I explored many different op!ons and unique ways to !le my rendi!on of the scissors into hexagonal grids. Then I handed off those assets to Denham and they walked it through sampling and various applica!ons.
INCORPORATING THE SIGNATURE SCISSORS INTO THE DESIGN SEEMS TO BE OBVIOUS AND BRILLIANT AT THE SAME TIME. AND IT’S DONE SO UNOBTRUSIVELY. WHEN DID YOU GET THE IDEA TO DO IT, BEFORE YOU EVEN STARTED OR DURING THE PROCESS OF DESIGNING? As with all ›Denham House Guest Artist‹ projects, the scissors were the beginning point of the graphic explora!on. We decided that my op!cal-illusion abs"acted geome"y was a good fit for this collec!on, so I designed the scissors into a diamond camouflage pattern. It worked out quite well to have them fit within a parallelogram that when repeated became a hexagon well suited for repeat !ling. L A L I N E S — 60 —
CLOTHING IS SOMETHING THAT’S ALWAYS MOVING WHEN WORN, WHAT’S THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN TERMS OF CREATING A DESIGN FOR CLOTHING OTHER THAN FOR A FIXED SURFACE?
Designing for fashion and tex!le is always fun. It moves, the work becomes a living canvas. Staying mind+l of the different ways, and the different distances from which the end result will be viewed is very important. For example, from a distance the camo tee looks as if the person has just arrived from a walk through a rainstorm from the s0 with diamonds. Up close there are plen$ of details for the viewers eye to dive into. I really enjoy this $pe of thinking, and designing, with vantage point at front of mind.
WHAT’S THE MA JOR DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COMMISSIONED WORK AND DOING FREE PAINTINGS AND HOW DO YOU APPROACH THESE TWO FIELDS? There are some obvious differences between doing collabora!ons with brands and doing personal artworks and murals. I enjoy both! It is very sa!s/ing to work as part of a team and bounce ideas around, all s"iving towards the greatest results.
WHAT ADVENTURES ARE ON YOUR AGENDA FOR 2015? I’m very excited for this year. Lots of international travel for murals and in-situ 3D work this Spring and Summer. A three month ar!st residency and solo exhibi!on in San Francisco at 886 Geary. Currently launching Core Deco 2015 offerings including new jacquard loom throws, ceramic !les, and some awesome +rni%re collabora!ons. Very much looking forward to get!ng back on my bike and back to the bricks pain!ng on big walls a.er a long cold winter in Mon"eal.
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T H E A D V A N C E R PA R K A B Y M AT T W. M O O R E
W W W. M W M G R A P H I C S .C O M W W W. D E N H A M T H E J E A N M A K E R .C O M
L A L I N E S — 61 —
W W W. M O U S E M O V E M E N T.C O M W W W. D C S H O E S .C O M
DCSHOES AND MOUSE PAINT. SKATE. DOMINATE. Hey, DCshoes are on our feets since 1994. It was a very good !ming to start a skateboard Brand. Meanwhile they broaden their field of ac!vi!es towards ac!on sports in general. Skate, sure! Snowboarding, Motocross and drif!ng with fast cars are now the sports fea%red on their cool webpage. But we s!ck to skateboarding, so yes, since I remember, it was cool to paint or art work the grip tape. Cali has a graffi! ar!st taking care of such art form. Grip tape art with the technique of stencil art gets in the mix when ar!st Mouse starts to create. Now he gives some added flair to one of our favorite DC shoes. )e DC Switch S is a low profile vulcanized skate shoe with great grip to flip, the flexibili$ and board feel you need. )is edi!on comes with an all canvas upper that sacrifices durabili$ for comfort and breathabili$ for not to s!n0 feet. Mouse added a color+l sockliner, an artwork on the insole, and the shoes come with a double label branding on the tongue manifes!ng this co-work. Nice.
L A L I N E S — 62 —
LIL’THUGS FOR K1X L. A. ATTITUDE
W W W. K 1 X .C O M W W W. L I LT H U G S .C O M
For more than 10 years we know about Lil’)ugs by now. He gained fame due to his heads"ong cartoons, his two dimensional illus"a!ons of a famous crowd assembled out of s"eetcul%re, Hip Hop and related sports like basket or baseball. For sure we saw already a bunch of his iconic pieces featuring the most eminent celebrities of the 90 ies rap game such as Snoop Dog, Tha Do, Pound, Game and others. For this L. A. based issue some related designs caught our a(en!on. Our friends at K1X teamed up with Lil’)ugs and as this is an ongoing collabora!on, they work close already for a few years. Sharing s$le and at!%de on shirts and sweat wear this team up makes real sense. And »)e Fresh Prince of Bel Air« staring Will Smith, or the »Los Angeles Show!me« mashing up L. A. Lakers and Hip Hop was already on our list, but LT’s new »at!%de« design made this a cli4anger. Cartoon s$le and very iconic this graphic comes right on !me to celebrate the upcoming 2015 American biographical drama film directed by F. Gary Gray called »S"aight Ou(a Compton«. )e film shows the rise and fall of the Compton rap group N.W. A, whose members include Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren and DJ Yella. )e film !tle is also the !tle of their N.W. A debut album that came out in 1988. )at N.W. A posse gets iconic again on the K1X goods fea%ring Lil’)ugs latest work. Remembering the "uth about life in the hood.
L A L I N E S — 63 —
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THE DICKIES 67 COLLECTION DURABILITY AND EASE OF MOVEMENT
DICKIES SK ATE TEAM RIDERS ARE VINCENT ALVAREZ, JON SCIANO, DAN PLUNKETT, STEVIE PEREZ, RONNIE SANDOVAL AND PETER HEWITT
L A L I N E S — 64 —
A s"ong heritage, yes! )e Dickies Brand in"oduced its famous signa%re pant code numbered 874 – the indus"ial work pant already in 1967. Okay!? )at is why they are paying homage to this classic with its newly created Dickies 67 Collec!on. So yes it is more than just an update on these though pants. It is a line fea%ring a short, a nice Jacket, some hoodies and shirts with diversi$ in decent colors. S"ength, durabili$, and comfort. Not only in Los Angeles, but there at any case, the Dickies Brand is widely known and shaped the cityscape with its huge fan base in many streetculture offshoots. We know Dickies in general are though enough but all these Dickies 67 garments are updated for the needs of a skateboarder. )is Collec!on fea%res garments with reinforced s!tching and added s"etch that can easily adapt to whatever stair set lies ahead. So… the indus"ial work pant 874 rides along in a slim s"aight fit, 7.25 OZ mechanical s"etch twill fabric. Ac%ally it is a perfect mix to have the +ll range of mo!on and flexibili$ but toughness while bailing. Same does the 11˝indus"ial work short, shirt and service jacket. )e color pale(e encompasses an urban earth tonali$ with charcoal, black, brown, navy and sand. Jump in to jump around.
W W W. D I C K I E S S K A T E .C O M
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»VINCENT HAILS FROM WEST COVINA , C ALIFORNIA , OTHERWISE KNOWN AS EAST L. A . GROWING UP IN EAST L. A . NOT ONLY HONED VINCENT’S SKILLS FOR SKATING ROUGH SPOTS, BUT IT MADE VINCENT THE PERFEC T C ANDIDATE TO BECOME DICKIES FIRST PRO RIDER. VINCENT GREW UP AROUND DICKIES, AND HAVING HIM ON THE TEAM JUST MADE SENSE. VINCE HAS AN EXTREMELY UNIQUE APPROACH ON THE BOARD, AND THIS UNIQUENESS IS WHAT MAKES HIM STAND OUT AMONGST ALL THE OTHER PRO’S OUT THERE TODAY.« DICKIES TEAM
L A L I N E S — 65 —
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OAKLEY & KOSTON ROLLIN’ MODELS Oakley, this Brand produces thermonuclear protection for your eyes. Cool eyewear hits shelves since, yes already since 1975 when James Jannard started the company. Okay it all started with grips and gloves to ride your motoX or BMX, but soon after there was the »Razor Blade«, »the Frogskins« and goggles you should not have missed while racing tracks on your bike. I was so proud of my first »Eyeshades« back in the 80ies. They really made me ride faster. Anyway, did you know the name Oakley refers to Oakland and Berkeley, the two cities that Jannard visited when he was a cool but little kid? Since than Oakley grew to one of the biggest players in the sports glasses game but also produces clothing and other cool gear now. Most of these pieces were developed with fundamental athlete input and got tested extensively in the field, whatever field it might be. As this issue is related to L. A., it is a great pleasure to introduce
you to a local, one of the best skateboarders of all time. Eric Koston. This guy simply rocks as he won to many contests to name here and has endless standing out video parts. His arsenal of signature footwear weapons is filled up now by his sponsor Nike SB, before it has been És and Lakai. He coowns the Brand Fourstar clothing with his skate mate Guy Mariano and also co-owns the skatepark facilities including the related cool website »the Berrics”. This name is made up of Steve Berra and Eric Koston. Oh well, Mr. Koston seems to be a busy man. But as this magazine is about good people but also about cool products and we already mentioned the Oakley Brand before, we are pleased to introduce you to their newest collaboration result called Oakley »silver«. Some cool Koston signature sunglasses to protect your eyes with all technical details that an Oakley tech rider has to offer.
»THE WORLD IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT, AND ERIC KOSTON’S WORLD IS SHAPED BY IDEAS THAT TAKE IT OUT OF THE ORDINARY. HE LOOKS AT SKATE PARKS AND URBAN TERRAIN LIKE AN ARTIST LOOKS AT A C ANVAS, AND THAT SAME CREATIVIT Y BRINGS HIS OWN PERSONAL TOUCH TO WHATEVER HE STRIVES TO ACHIEVE. WHAT BEGAN ON THE STREETS OF L.A . AND THE GROUNDS OF LOCKWOOD SCHOOL FUELED A CULTURAL MOVEMENT FAR BEYOND A DECK AND FOUR WHEELS.«
WWW.OAKLEY.COM WWW.FOURSTARCLOTHING.COM WWW.THEBERRICS.COM
L A L I N E S — 67 —
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PRETTY SWEET KENNY ANDERSON I come from a #me when Ray Barbee was king. )e king of s$les and smiles. And now? He s#ll has it, but there are people that came after him and that make me think of him again. Kenny Anderson is such a guy – with a big warm smile and great natural style! If I were a director, I would cast him, Keanu Reeves, Jamiroquai and ... Oh, wait, let’s also invite Arto Saari and Chris Isaak! ›What the hell is going on around here?!‹ All good, Mr. Muir, please stop waking up the neighbors. Especially that Mr. Adams is very sensi#ve. So, quiet, boy, please! ›But can you do a handstand!‹ Oh boy – ban this – the s"eam-of-unconsciousness is heading for the happy mental cinema that just opened its doors. Let’s get in and enjoy the flick brought to you by Girl films and Chocolate cinema, mostly shot by )e Ty Ewans, starring Kenny Anderson in ...
L A S K A T E — 68 —
I N T R O & I N T E R V I E W B Y LO R E N ZO TA U R I N O
»... PRETTY SWEET«! THAT ECLEC TIC SK ATE FLICK WAS BOMBALICIOUS! BESIDES ALL THE SUPREME SK ATING, THE THING I LOVED THE MOST, WERE ALL THE DETAILS AND FUNNY FLOW-SESSIONS, LIKE YOU GUYS WENT CAMOUFLAGE BY SK ATING DOWNTOWN L . A ., WEARING BUSINESS SUITS Yeah, stereo$pically you’re wearing your suit to go to work. )at’s what we do. We work as skateboarders. It was +n rolling around and seeing reac!ons like »Wait! )ey’re dirt bag kids, they should wear +cked up clothing«.
‘SHIT, »EM BUMS ARE ROLLING!« WHOSE IDEA WAS IT? I think Spike’s, Ty Evans’ and Rick Howard’s.
TALKING ABOUT SPIKE … GOOGLE TOLD ME, THAT HE’S TO BE BLAMED FOR GETTING YOU INTO SOME B-BOY AC TION WITH BJÖRK? It was an a.er par$ for her show. )ere was a concert in Boston, New York. Since Spike knows her, she invited us over.
HE DID THE VIDEO FOR HER SONG »IT’S ALL SO QUIET«. Yeah, "ue. So, everyone wanted to spark up the dancefloor and these guys were calling me up and I was »No, I’m talking«. It’s not, that I’m like a circus act. )ere were some tables and Björk pulled out her rug and started calling me out and I was »Oh, come on, man …«
WHAT MOVES WERE THEY PULLING? Spike, her and her harp player started doing this thing where they just jumped onto each other. It was a weird pile they piled up. )at was cool, so we started. Everybody was having +n.
EVEN THOUGH DEADLINES AND BUSINESS STUFF ARE A PART OF THE WHOLE SK ATEBOARD THING AND CAN BE PRETTY ANTI-PRODUC TIVE, HOW DO YOU STAY CONNEC TED TO THE ESSENCE OF SK ATEBOARDING? WHAT’S THE MOST INSPIRING THING TO STILL ROLL ON A USELESS WOODEN TOY? Mainly, it’s the feeling of it. )at feeling you have, when you push, the feeling you have when you learn "icks, the feeling you have, when you land a "ick! If that wasn’t s!ll there for me, I wouldn’t be doing it. I would be skateboarding forever, but not professionally. It’s the act of skateboarding. You can’t master it. It’s a form of expression. S!ll feeling it that same way.
DIGITAL NATIVES GET ON THE STREETS AGAIN AND GET REAL! DON’T JUST DO IT IN COMPUTER GAMES. BUT BACK FROM DIGITAL REALIT Y TO THE REALIT Y ON THE STREETS, LITERALLY. I READ THAT YOUR CAR RUNS BY ... … used oil from the restaurants. Usually, they pay to dispose it, but I pick it up from their back and "ansport it to my containers at home. Essen!ally, I use their old oil and clean it. It runs very well. Diesel engines ran on peanut bu(er, when they first came out. So, my car runs on oil from the )ai restaurant. And it smells like it (laughs).
L A S K A T E — 70 —
W W W.C H O C O L A T E S K A T E B O A R D S .C O M W W W.C O N V E R S E .C O M
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THE ESSENCE OF SK ATEBOARDING? Mainly, it’s the feeling of it. )at feeling you have, when you push, the feeling you have when you learn "icks, the feeling you have, when you land a "ick! If that wasn’t s!ll there for me, I wouldn’t be doing it.
L A S K A T E — 71 —
L A S K A T E — 72 —
THE CONVERSE CONS KA3 IS THE KENNY ANDERSON SIGNATURE ST YLE. KA3 STAYS TRUE TO THE CONS SKATEBOARDING HERITAGE WITH ITS CLASSIC SILHOUETTE, INTEGRATES FUNC TIONAL FEATURES LIKE THE TRAC TION RUBBER FOR A GREAT GRIP ONTO YOUR BOARD. NIKE ADS A DROP-IN LUNARLON SOCKLINER FOR PERFEC T CUSHIONING WHILE THE PERFORATED MEMORY FOAM COLLAR FORMS TO THE FOOT BUT ALSO PROVIDES BREATHABILIT Y WHILE THE GUSSETED TONGUE OFFERS STABILIT Y AND COMFORT.
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SO, DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM DRIVING IN THE CAR AND MAYBE ANNOYING THE LADY THAT’S IN THE CAR WITH YOU? It smells more for the person behind me. More on the outside, not on the inside. When you start, you definitely smell it. Just like fries, but what’s wrong with that? Gas smells horrible.
YOUR K A3 IS CLEAN AND SIMPLE. HOW MUCH INPUT DO YOU HAVE WHEN IT COMES TO SHAPE AND DURABILIT Y? )e designer and me went back and forth and Cons has access to all these amazing materials. Classic Cons is always canvas, but my shoe is rubber in+sed, so it lasts longer. )en there’s also the suede one and … It’s about different material for different s$les. To me, it’s cool to mess with all the different materials, I’m not »I only want this!«
BACK TO THE STREETS, EAR , TO THE RAMPS. IT WAS INTERESTING TO READ THAT YOU’RE A HUGE FAN OF CHRIS MILLER. I started ska!ng in 1986 and the two videos I had were the … and Savannah Slamma. Chris Miller did a bs air, locked up in the pool and slammed. That always stood out to me. Not the slam, but the way he carved and did the bs air. He was on my radar more than anyone. It was always him and Gonz, Gonz, Gonz. )ose guys and Ray Barbee for sure. His s$le on the pic%res, the way his arm was.
MATT HENSLEY, ANYONE? It was very unique. It inspired me to do some "icks. Even to this day.
FOR EXAMPLE? Sugarcane. Growing up, I call it the Miller grind. Over rota!on to fakie smith.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO AFTER THE PROFESSIONAL PART OF SK ATEBOARDING WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE ANYMORE? HOW OLD ARE YOU AND DO YOU HAVE KIDS? I’m 38 and I have 3 kids. One is 10 and then the 6-year-old twins. Being a skateboarder, your mind is always open and progressive. We think differently. I work a lot with design. I work a lot with business s%ff. I was able to shi. through from label design to clothing design. I prepped myself with different "ades and learned different things. Marc Johnson, Chris Roberts and I started a company called ‘)e back for$’, it’s an idea company. Right now I focus on skateboarding, "aveling and shoo!ng photos, but as a posi!on or a job ... I think, it will come na%rally.
YEAH, ALWAYS GO WITH THE FLOW. ANY LAST WORDS TO CHOCOLATE? We’re leading into the 21st year of Chocolate now! It’s amazing to have this anniversary and to be a part of it. Chocolate represents skateboarding the way I love it: the humor, the comedy, the raw skateboarding. Some of the greatest human beings on/off their boards, to me it’s exactly where I want to be. Spike, Rick, Mike and Megan and everybody on the team. It’s such a part of the history of skateboarding – s!ll to this day!
… »TO THIS DAY« IS A GREAT REMINDER FOR THE SECRETARY OF THIS TEXT. TIME TO CATCH A MIGHT Y, MIGHT Y POWER NAP. BEFORE GOING TO BED, LET ME DO THE MATH: CHOCO + CONS + CONSISTENC Y + ST YLE + SMILE + SK ATEBOARDING + THE BACK FORT Y = KENNY ANDERSON HELL WELL , THAT’S FAIR AND ENOUGH. FAREWELL AND GOOD NIGHT, GOOD KNIGHT. OVER & AU REVOIR , LORENZO
L A S K A T E — 73 —
O’NEILL AND KYLE NG NARRATIVE TAC TILE EXPERIENCES
L A L I N E S — 74 —
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»I’M JUST A SURFER WHO WA N T E D TO B U I L D SOMETHING THAT WOULD ALLOW M E TO S U R F L O N G E R « JACK O’NEILL , INVENTOR OF THE WETSUIT IN 1950
L A L I N E S — 75 —
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L A L I N E S — 76 —
I think the O’Neill Brand needs no big in"oduc#on. Surf, skate, snowgear in s$le. Specials call themselves O’Riginals and are fea!ring a premium cra.smanship. So now, an exci#ng O’Riginals collabora#on caught our a(en#on. O’Neill developer have teamed up with L. A. based photographer and designer Kyle NG. He is known for his design projects Farm Tac#cs and AXS Folk Technology where he creates »narra#ve tac#le experiences«. With O’Neill he worked on a capsule collec#on that puts a
modern take on a vintage surf look. With the garments he is twis#ng a neo--!ris#c but laid back Cali s$le with a techy but washed out and sun bleached look and feel. )e 15 pieces line includes boardshorts, bu(on downs, tees, caps and bags. Organic co(on shirts fea!re an all over storm cloud print based on an old kimono graphic. Classic surf vibe gets in the mix by the dip-dye classic Aloha island print. Oh and the bags are -lly waterproof and house well planned pockets for your beloved technical equipment. Well-done Kyle.
W W W. O N E I L L .C O M W W W . A X S F O L K T E C H N O L O G Y. C O M
L A L I N E S — 77 —
JONATHAN PASKOWITZ LIFE’S A BOLT!
L A S U R F — 78 —
DORIAN PASKOWITZ WITH 8 OF HIS 9 SURFING CHILDREN: DAVID, JONATHAN, A B R A H A M , I Z Z Y, M O S E S , ADAM, SALVADOR, AND NAVAH ( THE YOUNGEST SON JOSHUA IS MISSING IN THIS PIC TURE)
T H E P A S K O W I T Z F A M I L Y I N 1 9 76 . A L L T H O S E CHILDREN WERE RAISED AND HOMESCHOOLED IN THIS C AMPER BY PARENTS DOC AND JULIETTE
THE PASKOWITZ C AMPER
A short while ago I no!ced that the lightning bolt logo started to appear again here and there. Primarily a red glossy finished sur#oard with this black & yellow bolt logo popped into my eyes. I had not seen this for a long !me. Quell surprise: another oldschool surf brand seems to be back! And a cool range of clothing was on display next to it, embellished with this energe!c logo. Lightning Bolt was a huge success among sur#rands up un!l the 80’s, but then dropped out somehow. Now they are relaunched, revamped. )is sparked my interest and I wanted to find out more about it. Who runs this Brand today, who carries on this tradition? Jonathan Paskowitz is the answer. Paskowitz, hmm? )is does sound familiar. Looking closer, I found out he happens to be of the known Paskowitz family. The Paskowitzes, back in the days, had chosen a lifes$le that would be considered pre(y incredible or at least inconceivable to most of us. Dorian »Doc” Paskowitz, Jonathans father, chose the nomadic way of life for him, and his wife and children (eight sons and one daughter). A life dedicated to surfing – +ll time! And a 24foot camper as a home. )e »Doc” was some kind a self-pro-
claimed guru, a former physician, who consequently had spent the bi,er part of his time promoting his philosophy, which he called »the 5 pillars of health«: diet, exercise, rest, recreation, and habits of mind. )e communi$ was the family. )eir diet to be organic raw food, no sugar, no fat. With a choice like this, they didn’t need much money, and had no big bills or taxes to pay. Home was anywhere the camper was parked. And of course it always was parked either right on, or as close as possible to the beach and the surf. )e Paskowitz kids were homeschooled only – on the beaches of Southern California, Hawaii, Mexico and Israel. And they surfed every day. In the summers, they se(led in San Onofre Beach, California, where the family had established the renowned Paskowitz Surf Camp in 1972 ('Surfwise' a film by director Doug Pray documents this extraordinary story). Jonathan Paskowitz was a team rider of the Bolt Brand in the past. He became world longboard champion, and while still surfing radically, he started working in the industry for brands such as Black Flys, Gotcha and others. Today he is running the popular Lightning Bolt Brand. We had the chance to ask him a few things.
L A S U R F — 79 —
»…BUT BEING A NOMAD C AN BE AN E XCITING AND WONDERFUL PATH TO TAKE.« J O N AT H A N PA S K O W I T
L A S U R F — 80 —
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Definitely sharks. It's not that my dad thought people were dangerous. )ey are dangerous. We all know that. But sharks are be(er than school. )ey are the ul!mate school. And I think my dad would prefer we had life experiences and learned life lessons more than books lessons. He was an ex"emist, and I loved him for that. As I got older I had to catch up on the books. But I never felt like I was hobbled by my upbringing and lack of school.
SHARKS OR SCHOOL?
)at's a hard ques!on it's almost an answer like, Duck!!! Some of the Hawaiian lessons my dad would always tell me rank pre(y high. Words of wisdom! A friend of his said one!me: »you go you get, you no go you no get.« Simple at it's base, but a great credible "uth. If you "y there's a chance you may succeed, there's a chance you may fail as well. But if you don't "y you don't get shit.
BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED?
Nomadic life! It’s a wonder+l thing. I think in a lot of ways humans are inherently nomadic. Wanderlust, that's something that seems to be inside of every one of us. For us it was easier to do because we lived in a "ibe, portable best friends. It was not hard for an outsider to crack into our friendship though. But we knew all those guys that we made friends with in Block Island, Rhode Island that winter (or any other place we stopped) we probably wouldn't see again. But being a nomad is an exci!ng and wonder+l path to take.
NOMADIC LIFE?
Well surfing as a lifes$le is something you cannot really quan!/. You just love to surf so I guess surfing as a lifes$le would mean you try to figure out a way to work little, that gives you time to surf a lot. So I guess being a lawyer or doctor is the best surfing lifes$le. But most surfers opt for bum, or they sell surf clothes and they are mul! millionaires. I don't know if I would say I was a pro surfer. I only got paid a couple of !mes. And 1987 and 88 I was the long boarding world champion. And I had a hell a lot of +n.
SURF AS A LIFESTYLE, BECOMING A PRO SURFER?
A friend of mine Rob was doing some work for a guy that helped me dis"ibute BLACKFLYS way back in the days. He came up to me and said – hey my guys got Lightning Bolt and I was like »really«, I hadn't heard that name in 20 years. He hooked me up with his friend in Por%gal who had bought the license and away we went.
LIGHTNING BOLT – INITIAL CONTAC T?
L A S U R F — 81 —
»MOST PARENTS SAY ›GO TO SCHOOL . DON’T GO SWIMMING WITH SHARKS, THAT’S DANGEROUS.‹ OUR PARENTS SAID ›YOU C AN GO SWIMMING WITH SHARKS, BUT YOU’RE NOT FUCKIN‹ GOING TO SCHOOL – THAT SHIT’S DANGEROUS!”
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S A LV A D O R PA S K O W I T Z , T H E 7 T H PA S K O W I T Z S O N
)e logo is all about energy. Everybody knew Gerry Lopez was all about energy. As the rumors spread, it even%ally %rned into weed.
THE BOLT LOGO – WEED OR ENERGY?
)e brand of the past, that's a big one. Imagine if today Quiksilver, Billabong, Hurley, and RVCA were all one company. )at's how big bolt had been. But it wasn't just big it was the soul+l surfing brand of all !me. It was that brand at the %rning point of surfing. )e summer of 1969 things were changing. Some people said it was the end of the summer of love. But it was also the beginning of the surfing revolu!on, as boards got smaller. Imagine everybody was driving vans and "ucks before and then a guy came out to the road in a Porsche! )e North Shore, the waves, the surfers, and the bikinis – surfing was s"ong and fierce and sexy. But today is exactly the same.
THE BRAND OF THE PAST AND TODAY. DIFFERENCES?
We want to make good clothes for good people who want to enjoy our products. We want something that serves a purpose and is comfortable and something that speaks to the history of lightning bolt. )ere's a lot of things lightning bolt was famous for I look forward to making but for right now it's all about making comfortable cool lightning bolt things and lots of bitchen sur#oards.
APPROACH FOR THE FUTURE?
THE THING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO SAY SO PEOPLE CAN READ IN A MAGAZINE?
I think one of the great reasons for the successes of the Paskowitz family is my mother Julie(e, but everyone always gives the atten!on to dad. And I secretly want to live and work in Paris; it's where my heart is.
OK AY, THANK YOU.
L A S U R F — 83 —
CALIFORNIA GIRL PHOTOGRAPHER: TOBIAS WIRTH FA S H I O N S T Y L I S T: JULIA QUANTE (PERFECTPROPS) H A I R & M A K E - U P S T Y L I S T: SELINA REIMANN MODEL: LOTTE KEIJSER (M4 MODEL S) P H OTO G R A P H E R A SS I S TA N T: A G ATA G U E VA R A S T Y L I N G A SS I S TA N T: TA M A R A S V E N J A H A I R & M A K E - U P A SS I S TA N T: LISA L AMPAS
S H O O T — 84 —
PULLOVER: LEVI’S TANKTOP: WESC C AP: AMERIC AN APPAREL
S H O O T — 85 —
JACKET: TIGER OF SWEDEN S H O O T — 86 —
TOP: WEEKDAY SKIRT: AMERIC AN APPAREL SHOES: ADIDAS ORIGINAL S HAT & BRACELET: & OTHER STORIES
DENIM OVERALL: AMERIC AN APPAREL SPORTS-BRA: NIKE DENIM JACKET AROUND THE HIPS: CURRENT / ELLIOTT X CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG RING: & OTHER STORIES WATCH: C ASIO HIP BAG: AMERIC AN APPAREL
S H O O T — 87 —
SWIMSUIT: MARLIES DEKKERS SKIRT: RESERVED BRACELET: MARLENE BIRGER RING: BOND HARDWARE SHOES: MONKI
S H O O T — 88 —
JACKET: C ARHARTT SPORTS BIKINI: ANITA
S H O O T — 89 —
DRESS: DENHAM S H O O T — 90 —
BIKINI: PRINCESS TAM TAM BAG: L ACOSTE SUNGLASSES: BERSHK A
JACKET: RAOUL SPORTS-BRA: NIKE PANTS: DRYKORN SHOES: NIKE EARRINGS: & OTHER STORIES RING: ELE MIŠKO
S H O O T — 91 —
COAT: STUTTERHEIM | BIKINI: TRIANGL S H O O T — 92 —
SLAPS: ADIDAS ORIGINAL S | EARRING: CHEAP MONDAY RING: & OTHER STORIES | SURFBOARD: VOUCH SURF SHIT
COAT: JEREMY SCOTT X ADIDAS ORIGINAL S SHIRT: EDWIN SHORTS: C ARHARTT SHIRT AROUNG THE HIPS: DR. MARTENS SUNGLASSES: MYKITA X MAISON MARTIN MARGIEL A RING: ELE MIŠKO
S H O O T — 93 —
WHAT THE HELLZ!? WORDS: NICOLETTE SCHARPENBERG
Hellz Bellz – the women’s s"eet brand from L. A. was founded in 2005 by Lanie aka Misslawn who worked before as the Art Director for Jay-Z’s Rocawear Juniors line. We asked Lanie why most of women’s s"eetwear brands s!ck in the »Hook Up« look and what a female s"eet brand needs to gain s"eet credibili$ in a men-dominated apparel segment.
OK AY LANIE, PLEASE GIVE US FIRST AN INTRODUC TION OF YOU: WHO ARE YOU, WHERE ARE YOU FROM AND WHAT IS YOUR PROFESSION AND PASSION? My name is Lanie, however I’m also known as Misslawn … It’s the name I chose for myself waaaaaay way back, as my screen name when AIM first came about, lol. I was born in New Orleans, L. A. & grew up in San Diego. I’m the Founder and Creative Director for HLZBLZ, a women’s s"eet brand and my passion is design, art and cooking.
WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND HL ZBL Z? Hellz Bellz started in 2005 when I was a young, super hungry & eager designer that just wanted to get my ideas out there, however… how, it all unfolded was neither s"ategic or something I expected. It happened rather organically, when I was s!ll working as the Art Director for Jay-Z’s Rocawear Juniors line. I was always "ying to push a certain direc!on for the brand. A direc!on that was either not the route my counterparts agreed with OR they just seemed to overlook. At the !me, I knew there was a market for a girl that wanted more lifes$le graphic tees … Similar to what men were doing with Supreme, S%ssy, etc … bu(hey were s!ll s%ck in the »hook up« look. Pants matched the top, that matched the jacket that matched the sneakers. Anyways, my ideas %rned into piles of graphics that I figured needed to get out there. So, because I had friends who had s"eetwear bou!ques, I decided to compile all the graphics, create a line sheet and send over to them but first I needed a name. I dabbled here and there with some other names but one day, I was
— 94 —
listening to an AC/DC song called »Hell’s Bells«. )ere was a lyric in the song that went, »Cause if good’s on the le. then I’m s!cking to the right…” and that’s when it clicked, Hellz Bellz. )at lyric was MY philosophy. From a young age, I was always that girl that went against the grain. If someone told me no, well go figure… I was gonna +cking do it anyways or if someone expected me to be a certain way, well how shocked would they be to find out I was completely the opposite?! But more importantly, I was going to design and create a brand for girls that was different. I was going to fill a void in the market and create bad ass, edgy, fashion forward clothes for girls that whether they knew it or not yet… needed it in their lives.
WHO IS YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE? )e HLZBLZ girl is young but definitely not naive. She’s sure of herself… super confident and not afraid to express herself whether it be thru her words, fashion, music and/ or art. She’s cul%red in the s"eet scene both past and present… and has her eyes and ears open to the +%re. She’s s"eet savy, empowered, and doesn’t let anyone or anything get in the way of her goals & passions.
EVERY BRAND NEEDS SUPPORTERS TO GET BIG. WHO ARE YOUR HOMEGIRLS? Yes, support is always a plus but for me what ma(ered most, especially in the early stages of the brand … was that the product stand for itself and the support and adora!on would come later. My !ght circle of homegirls happen to
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be a mix of ridiculously talented women who i’ve either known majori$ of my life to my girls who’ve worked with me on the brand in the beginning and have since moved on to bi,er and be(er things … becoming boss’s & directors in their own right.
WHAT DOES A FEMALE STREET WEAR BRAND NEED TO COMPETE IN A MALE DOMINATED FASHION SEGMENT? When HLZBLZ first started we were one of maybe 2 – 3 other female brands. Back then, I paid no mind to it … It didn’t matter that I was in a male dominated industry because at the end of the day, I wasn’t catering to men… I was designing for my girls and all that mattered to me was that I con!nuously came out with innova!ve and forward product that was !meless. Fast forward to now and there’s a good hand+l of other female brands to where it shouldn’t even be an issue. We went from showing our collec!ons in predominately male branded "ade shows, to having our own women sec!ons to now having our own s"eet/contemporary shows.
WHAT IS REAL GIRL POWER? Real girl power is being united. Fuck the catty bullshit synonymous to women … it’s all about empowering and suppor!ng the success, asser!veness and more importantly the individualism of each other.
QUOTES AND LETTERS PLAY A BIG ROLE IN YOUR DESIGNS. IS THIS ELEMENT A MUST TO BE A »REAL« STREETWEAR BRAND?
No not at all … It’s just something that we love to do. Each to their own ...
WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT FOR YOU WHEN YOU CREATE A COLLEC TION? )e most important thing is that I absolutely love the collec!on and feel as though it’s a pure reflec!on of the brand and what we stand for.
WHO ARE YOUR IDOLS? My mom is my bi,est idol … She’s by far the s"ongest woman I know & taught me the importance of being able to stand on my own. Another idol of mine I’d have to say is Vivienne Westwood; She’s a pioneer in design and was an ins"umental factor in early bri!sh punk fashion, which is where I pull a big chunk of inspira!on from.
WHERE ARE YOUR FAVORITE PLACES TO BE IN LOS ANGELES? If I’m not at home, which is definitely my favorite place, I’m more than likely ea!ng … I love ea!ng in the Silver Lake area and if we need to work off those pounds from all the ea!ng, you’ll find me hiking with my husband and dogs at our favorite park, Elysian Park.
FUTURE PLANS? I just want to con!nue growing the brand and hope+lly opening a store loca!on in the near +%re.
WWW.HL ZBL Z.COM
— 95 —
WORDS: NICOLETTE SCHARPENBERG
DI M E P I E C E BE YOU, BE STRONG, AND FUCK WHATCHA HEARD DimePiece L. A. created a a major buzz on the scene selling "ailer loads of garments with their infamous »ain’t no wifey” slogan in the past few years. )e California-based girl power brand is helmed by design duo Laura Fama and Ashley Jones. Founded in 2007, their vision was to create a lifes$le label that took urban s"eetwear and brought it up to date for right now. Using bold and empowering slogans alongside cult graphics, they have become the ul!mate goto label for an uninhibited s$le "ibe of women with their own unique iden!$.
LAURA, GIVE US A BRIEF INTRODUC TION: WHO ARE YOU, WHERE ARE YOUR ROOTS AND WHAT IS YOUR PROFESSION? Ashley and I are both from Southern California, we both studied fashion in college & completely immersed ourselves in L.A.’s night life cul%re. Together, we have handled the business, design, and marke!ng aspects of our brand for the past 8 years. Fashion has been our passion for years and with that we hope to expand our brand to the female audience who can relate.
WHAT GALS DO YOU WANNA REACH WITH DIMEPIECE? Our ul!mate audience is the gal on go, s"ong, open minded, and confident. She’s into the counter culture of the genera!on. Influencer of all $pes of genres which could be a tastemaker in "ends, music, food, lifes$le, interna!onal "avel, good energy and overall embodies her sexuali$ to the +llest. )e $pe of women who is confident & authen!cally nice to people and respects other women.
EVERY WOMEN’S BRAND NEEDS A GIRL GANG TO RAISE. WHO ARE THOSE EPIC WOMEN WHO SUPPORTS YOU? We support and love women in all $pes of fields of the arts, we some how gravitate with these epic force fields of wavelengths of epic women of our genera!on. We all na%rally gravitate towards each other and support each other. Shout out to our gals!!!
YOU DESCRIBE YOUR BRAND AS »THE MOST PREVALENT CONTEMPORARY STREET STYLE IN WOMEN’S APPAREL THROUGH AN ARRAYED PRESENTATION OF UNINHIBITED FASHION-FORWARD STREET WEAR.« – A BRAVE ANNOUNCEMENT. WHAT GIVES YOU THE COURAGE FOR SUCH A STATEMENT? We ac%ally create and design whatever we want on clothes. We’ve got several le(ers from angry a(orneys from huge corpora!ons about us flipping their logos or insignia. We grab life by the balls with our graphic tees and accessories.
Our new Summer 2015 collec!ons is going to blow people out of the water! Just a hint, it includes sexual references and our favorite Southern California fast food joint. Our team is +ll of badass women who are brilliant and have a s"ong ass opinion on poli!cs, equali$, and sexuali$. We "anslate that through our clothing, which is why women love & relate to our gear.
WHAT MESSAGE WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRANSPORT WITH YOUR LOOKS? Be you, be s"ong, and +ck whatcha heard.
WHO ARE YOUR HEROES? We have so many heroes, but mostly it would have to be our badass mothers who have sacrificed so much for our educa!on and s"ong will to see us succeed as young women. Shout out to all the moms around the world!
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE FASHION SCENE IN L . A? L. A. is booming right now, the vibe here is vibra!ng. So many people are moving here around the globe for fashion, art, and film. )e fashion scene here is great, people are open to so many eclec!c s$les, from it’s casual s"eet s$le, loud vintage, or simple boho chic. Our s$le is very all over the map; we have so many personal s$les within the brand it shows through our accessories and graphics. L.A. is the place to be right now, the fashion scene and brands all support each other and constantly helping each other with connections in manufacturing and creative types. We’re constantly exchanging ideas and friend references to people who are talented within photography, s$ling, designing, and manufac%ring. It’s really exci!ng in L. A. we love it and love the fantas!c weather.
WHAT ARE CURRENTLY THE PLACES TO BE IN LOS ANGELES? So many awesome places! Great shopping areas are in the arts dis"ict, downtown L.A. is booming, Fairfax Ave is booming with men’s s"eet wear, and Abbot Kinney in Venice beach is great for outdoors shopping. Los Angeles is so amazing for thri. shopping and vintage finds too.
AND FINALLY: WHAT’S NEXT? Live our dream by working with our talented friends, expanding our brand globally, opening our first retail flagship store, global collabora!ons with brands we respect & admire, and to be happy as we grow! We want to influence our genera!on in a posi!ve way and influence women to empower themselves!
» W E A C T U A L LY C R E A T E AND DESIGN WHATEVER WE WA N T O N C L O T H E S . «
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L A U R A FA M A , D I M E P I E C E
WWW.DIMEPIECELA .COM
L A B R A N D — 97 —
L’ÉCOLE DES FEMMES MY PROFESSION IS FREEDOM Laura Sfez was born in Paris and raised between Paris and Los Angeles. Today she runs the clothing brand L’école des Femmes. Living in Los Angeles and being originally from Paris, Laura +ses L. A. sleaze with French froufrou, making her brand a statement made up of classic, elegant, sexy cinema!c and French clothes for women. Laura started simply designing the collec!on, today she’s also her own model and tes!monial. )is combina!on has opened up a world for her that is s!ll expanding …
LAURA TELL US, WHAT IS IT ALL ABOUT WITH L’ÉCOLE DES FEMMES? It’s a life I am leading and photographing as it unfolds. It is the world that I want to live in; a world where the modern and old standards of being a woman, are not important to me. In this world, being free to explore myself and enjoy myself are what ma(ers. In this world I can tell whoever I want to +ck off and never depend on anyone enough to have to alter myself or integri$. I have s"ong convic!ons on beau$ that I want to share and I will not let money, men or even fashion dictate to me what they think. I want to in+se not only a joie de vivre and pre(y visuals, but words. Words need to be important and well chosen again …
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE NAME L’ECOLE DES FEMMES ( TITLE OF A THEATRICAL COMEDY BY SEVENTEENTH CENTURY FRENCH PLAYWRIGHT MOLIÈRE ) FOR YOUR BRAND? It is definitely inspired by the play by Molière. )ere is no literal reference from the play itself however. )e play is about a man who pays to have a girl raised in the coun"yside to become his wife. When she is finally primed and ready for him however, she falls in love with a young man her own age. My take on the words L'ecole des Femmes is slightly different. In Molière’s case it is a school for a wife,
L A B R A N D — 98 —
in mine it is a school for women. By school I do not intend it to be lessons, but more focused on s$le. )ere are a lot of references to classic ideas of school uniforms and themes s$led for women's silhoue(es.
WHAT IS THE MESSAGE OF THE BRAND AND WHO IS YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE? My message is clear. I am free and uncompromised and have no hesita!ons… My target is not a man or a girl or a woman. My target is the spirit of rebellion, we are everywhere. )ere is a sickness of shallowness all around us. Our reali!es distorted and our messages more and more shallow. I want to target people with depth who want something else.
YOUR BRAND IMAGES ARE SEXY AND SOMETIMES PROVOCATIVE, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRANSPORT WITH THIS OPTIC? Power and fearlessness. I think the images are sexy but honest. )ey are not photoshopped and unlike other fashion imagery, there is never a hair and makeup person or assistant or any of that nonsense. It is just me and a friend or just me and my sister. One or the other; Isabella and Ava. )is is sexy done by a woman, not a man. Overdone hair and heavy makeup is not sexy in my opinion. Perfec-
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WWW.LECOLEDESFEMMES.COM
!on is not charming and fakeness establishes no connec!on. I am interested in connec!ng.
T-SHIRTS WITH BARDOT, DEPARDIEU AND OUI WHAT IS THE SUBTEXT BEHIND THESE IMAGES? )e Oui t-shirt ac%ally originally was simple; I wanted to make a t-shirt with the word OUI on the front and NON on the back. When searching for interes!ng fonts, my brother s%mbled upon the original Oui magazine font and I simply loved the sexy aesthetic and went with it. I named my little red dress the Bardot dress because I feel like I can easily imagine her dancing to flamenco guitar wearing it … As for Depardieu – I love his work and charisma. I find him to have both a s"ong masculine and feminine side that he is never afraid to reveal in his roles. I also love that he was a hood rat with poor reading skills before becoming a "uly great actor reci!ng some of the greatest classic French litera%re and delivering it beau!+lly.
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT »UNE FEMME LIBRE«? Une Femme Libre is just something I wanted to wear for myself. I didn't draw the inspiration from anything other than wanting to feel like a femme libre and to manifest it from time to time in bold on a t-shirt and in photos because I think it is a beautiful and still new thing to be.
WHAT ARE THE CULTURAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FRANCE AND USA? I can only speak about the differences between Paris and Los Angeles. Cul%rally, Paris is very old, dense and deeply rich in its history and field of vision. One can have a very imagina!ve existence in Paris whether they are in a cafe, crossing a bridge or simply buying a bague(e. )e architec%re and four very marked seasons all have a past that is touching to anyone visi!ng from anywhere. In Los Angeles it is a great wide open space with palm trees, the beach and mainly cars. Los Angeles cul%re feels relaxed but isn't relaxed.)e sun and beau!+l na%ral California outdoors and surroundings are a much more interesting culture to me than that of Los Angeles. )e greatest cul%ral difference to me can be summed up by suppositories. In France when we are ill, we are not afraid to shove something up our ass.
HOW SHOULD A REAL FEMME BE? She should be real. She should be confident and love herself first. And then obey everything that na%rally comes to her. A femme who does not abandon her "ue humani$ is a beau!+l and deeper being than a femme concerned with retarded standards made up by other retards. Why do we listen to pre(y retards? Do we not seek a deeper beau$ anymore?
WORDS: NICOLETTE SCHARPENBERG
L A B R A N D — 99 —
SEEA A LWA Y S K E E P Y O U R SURFER LADIES IN MIND WORDS: NICOLETTE SCHARPENBERG
L A L I N E S — 100 —
Amanda Chinchelli is a designer and surfer from L. A. She has combined these two passions into her profession and founded from a personal desire the brand SEEA – a surfwear label for ladies which is both practical and beautiful. We talked with Amanda about what girls want for surfing and what makes SEEA different to other female surfing gear…
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L A L I N E S — 101 —
W W W.T H E S E E A .C O M
YOUR BRAND SEEA SPECIALIZES ON SURF FASHION FOR WOMEN – WHAT MAKES IT FEMALE? Seea is ex"emely feminine and that is exactly why I created it. I felt there was a void in the surf wear market for suits that were beau!+l and prac!cal for the ladies. I started surfing wearing ugly board shorts and rashguards and I always felt super awkward and uncomfortable.
HOW DID IT ALL START? It started as a personal desire to wear something +nc!onal yet feminine and elegant while I surfed. I was a freelance designer for other brands, so I had the technical background and experience, and I wanted to create something on my own that I knew was needed. I was living in San Francisco at the time and the water there is definitely not warm enough to wear swimsuits, so I bought a few sewing machines and started crea!ng samples for my own "opical surf "ips.
IN WHAT WAY DOES SEEA DIFFER IN COMPARISON TO OTHER FEMALE SURFING BRANDS? I think Seea is one of the first female surf brands created by a women who ac!vely surfs and keeps her surfer ladies in mind throughout the en!re design process. I wanted Seea to be appealing to women because they love it and not because men would be checking out their suits (or — 102 —
lack thereof) in the line up. But then soon enough I learned that many men ac%ally think Seea suits are sexy precisely because they are elegant and don’t reveal too much. Either way, I believe that your own surfing abili!es are affected by how confident you are, and a certain amount of confidence arises na%rally from knowing your suit won’t fall off while you’re out there. Beyond that, some people don’t care what they have on, but for me, I find that I will surf be(er if I like what I’m wearing, because I feel good about myself, for myself! Many of our customers and fans talk about this same feeling when they wear Seea, and I think this source of empowerment is really what sets Seea apart from other surf and swim brands.
WHAT DO SURFER GIRLS WANT WHEN IT COMES TO SURFING GEAR? I believe that most surfer girls want to wear something comfortable but that doesn’t compromise their s$le. Sun protec!on is ex"emely important while you surf, so our long sleeve one piece suits are perfect for those all day sessions.
HOW AND WHO IS A TYPICAL SEEA CUSTOMER? )e great thing about Seea is that we have a great varie$ of customers, from teenagers to 40+ who just love to surf and don’t feel they need to over expose their bodies to prove they are ladies and can surf.
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WHAT INSPIRES YOU WHEN CREATING A NEW COLLEC TION? I am not too much of a thinker I just work. )e evolu!on of a suit or of a print is very different every !me. )is summer collec!on is inspired by my homeland, Italy, where I grew up. I have a one year old and I couldn’t go back to Florence for almost two years so I wanted to dedicate it to my origins and the forma!ve work and family experiences I hold so dear.
WHAT DOES SURFING MEAN TO YOU? Energy, +n, challenge, peace, s$le and freedom. Surfing is the only !me when I am "uly able to enjoy the present.
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE SURFING? )is ques!on is tough to answer, as I love watching talented male and female surfers do their thing, and I appreciate an individual's surf s$le no ma(er their gender. To me, the key differences lie in the abili$ to explore surfing as a profession, the differences in pay, and in the way surf companies con!nue to rely on sex appeal to market their female riders. Guys know that girls can really surf and for me it's a matter of apprecia!ng different s$les. )at being said, I’m not a fan of the contest scene or performance surfing for men or women. Yes, women surf differently than men, and men have the edge on physical s"ength and maneuvers, but to
me, that’s not what should define your abili$ to earn a living as a professional surfer.
SURFING IN L . A . IS LIKE? Crowded, but magical most of the !me. I live in Orange Coun$ and there are so many good surf spots here. It’s perfect for me as I love longboarding and the surf is mostly consisted with small to medium waves, which is perfect for a log. )e water is never too cold and this winter we are get!ng some crazy hot weather which is terrible for the drought but so enjoyable to surf.
WHAT SPOTS ARE YOUR FAVORITE ONES? San Onofre and Cardiff for sure.
WHEN YOU DON’T SURF WHERE CAN WE MEET YOU? At my home office sketching or sewing or at the park playing with my daughter.
WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS? I’d like to be able to hire more people, it’s so great to share this passion with likeminded individuals and be able to help them support their own families. And of course, get!ng some help means more free !me to surf! ha! I would also like to create a line for mini surfer girls and keep expanding our higher-end fashion line called LeibySeea. — 103 —
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T- SH I RT : S H O O T — 104 —
NEW ERA
B A C K PA C K : DR E SS:
DAKINE
ADIDAS ORIGINALS
WALK IN THE SKY MODEL : LISA ROGHMANN @ AGENTUR AQUAMARINE MODEL MANAGEMENT PRODUC TION & PHOTOGRAPHY: LISA PARDEY @ WWW.LISAPARDEY.DE
JUMPSUIT:
ADIDAS ORIGINALS
TOP:
ADIDAS ORIGINALS
LEGGINGS:
ADIDAS ORIGINALS
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SH I RT:
K AUF DICH GLÜCKLICH!
DR E SS:
K AUF DICH GLÜCKLICH!
SHOE S:
SPERRY
S H O O T — 107 —
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TOP & SHORTS: S H O O T — 108 —
TOP:
K AUF DICH GLÜCKLICH!
K AUF DICH GLÜCKLICH! SK I RT:
WESC
DR E SS:
ADIDAS ORIGINALS
L A S U R F — 110 —
L A S U R F — 111 —
S U R F C R A F T: D E S I G N A N D THE CULTURE OF BOARD RIDING Sur:oards were once made of wood and shaped by hand, objects of both cul#ral and recrea&onal significance. Today most sur:oards are mass-produced with fiberglass and a stew of pe'ochemicals, moving (or floa&ng) billboards for athletes and their brands, emphasizing the commercial rather than the cul#ral. Surf Cra* maps this evolu&on, examining sur:oard design and cra* with 150 color images and an insight)l text.
THE MIT PRESS (2014) | ISBN 978-0262027601
L A S U R F — 112 —
S U R F C U LT U R E : T H E A RT H I S TO R Y O F S U R F I N G Surf Cul#re examines the history of modern sur:oard design from 1900 to the present. It’s a comprehensive examination of surfing's impact on western cul#re and its cul#ral bleed into mains'eam. Also explored are surf related ac&vi&es and by-products such as skateboarding, surf photography, film, clothing, and music. Plus it’s designed by David Carson.
L AGUNA ART MUSEUM (2002) | ISBN 978-0940872271
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JOHN SEVERSON’S SURF John Severson, an avid surfer, revolu&onized pop cul#re’s vision of surfing and surf cul#re through his prolific ar&s&c output. A photographer and painter he created a body of work related to the Californian surf subcul#re and in in 1960 he founded influen&al Surfer magazine. "is book explores his lifelong surf odyssey through pain&ng, photography, film and publishing.
DAMIANI (2014) | ISBN 978-8862083263
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SURF GRAPHICS BY JEAN-MICHEL GLASMAN A compila&on about the visual evolu&on of more than 30 brands of surfwear, boards, accessoires, symbols and surf graphisme with more than 1000 graphics and illus'a&ons up to the year 2000. Vintage so to speak.
YOC AR (2000), ISBN 978-2906792111
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JAYBOY Jay Adams (RIP) was hands down one of the most influen&al skateboarders ever. His stepfather Kent Sherwood, one of the founders of Z-Flex skateboards in 1976, took photos of Jay as a boy, long before Friedman, Stecyk or anybody else shot photos of him. Special moments of Jay, his friends Shogo Kubo, Tony Alva, »Baby« Paul Cullen and others cap#red in black and white shots.
CONCRETE WAVE (2006) | ISBN 978-0973528664
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ARE YOUR MOTIVES PURE? R A Y M O N D P E T T I B O N S U R F E R S 19 8 5 – 20 13 Pet&bon depicts the vaunted athletes as enlightened but also burdened figures. "e rebels against social norms as &reless subordinates of na#re and of hubris. "e &ny sta#res on the surface of a giant blue wall of water are reflec&ons on ego and fame, naiveté and bravery, loneliness and mortali%.
VENUS OVER MANHATTAN (2014) | ISBN 978-0990358619
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SOUNDS OF TWO EYES OPENING – SOUTHERN C A L I F O R N I A L I F E : S K A T E / B E A C H / P U N K 1969 – 19 82 Spot documented various Los Angeles subcul#res – sun-splashed beach scenes and dimly lit hardcore clubs; big-haired, bikini-clad roller skaters and grim, graffi&-adorned basements. »I began taking photographs in 1969 and visually crossed cul#ral divides that folks now want to philosophize over, but such theorizing is always ineffec&ve. In the end, you were either there, or you weren’t.«
SINECURE BOOKS (2014) | ISBN 978-1938265105
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SOUNDS OF TWO EYES OPENING SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LIFE: S K A T E / B E A C H / P U N K 1969 – 19 82
S TO K E D : A H I S TO R Y O F S U R F C U LT U R E , Surf journalist Drew Kampion 'aces the evolu&on of the modern beach cul#re and the challenging, beau&)l sport that gave rise to it. From its Polynesian origins and the early days of Duke Kahanamoku's beach boys, to the Californias%le surfing cult that exploded in the 1960s, to the interna&onal pro circuits and radical big-wave contests of today, Stoked tells the compelling story that has inspired en&re genres of music, movies, fashion, and art.
GIBBS SMITH (2003) | ISBN 978-1586852139
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FRANK AND FRANKA GO TO HOLLYWOOD S T Y L I N G & R E A L I S AT I O N
HANIBALL SALIBA PHOTOGRAPHY
MICHAEL MANN @ HOUSE OF ORANGE HAIR AND MAKE UP
VANESSA WARK ALLE @ NINA KLEIN P HOTO ASSIST E N T
MIRIAM AL STON MARLENA WALDTHAUSEN MODE L S
VINCENT @ MEGAMODEL S JASMIN @ PL ACEMODEL S
S H O O T — 126 —
VINCENT
T A N K T O P BURTON PA N T S : MAVI JEANS S A N D A L S : RAF SIMONS BY ADIDAS
JASMIN
S W E AT E R : ELEVENPARIS S H O R T S : ADIDAS S H I R T : PAIGE S A N D A L S : ROCKET DOG
VINCENT S W E AT E R :
ADIDAS ORIGINALS
SHORTS:
NIKE
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JASMIN DE N I M JAC K E T :
LEVI'S
JASMIN DE N I MSH I RT: PA N T S : BAG :
PAIGE
TOPSHOP
EASTPAK S H O O T — 129 —
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JASMIN DE N I M JAC K E T : LEGGINGS:
LEVI'S
ADIDAS ORIGINALS
VINCENT S W E AT S H I R T : SHORTS:
ADIDAS ORIGINALS
CHEAP MONDAY
GL ASSE S:
TOPSHOP
S H O O T — 131 —
VINCENT DE N I MSH I RT: PA N T S :
DENHAM
B A C K PA C K : WAT C H :
G-STAR
EASTPAK
KOMONO
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JASMIN DE N I M V E ST:
SCOTCH AND SODA
S W E AT E R : SHORTS:
LEVI'S
ADIDAS ORIGINALS
VINCENT TA N K T OP : PA N T S :
WESC
DENHAM
DE N I MSH I RT: SA N DA L S :
UNIQLO
TOPMAN
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VINCENT DE N I M JAC K E T : S H O O T — 134 —
PA N T S :
G-STAR
CHEAP MONDAY
T- SH I RT :
MINIMUM
U N DE RSHORTS:
BJÖRN BORG
JASMIN T- SH I RT :
VALENTINE GAUTHIER
SHORTS: SA N DA L S :
TOPSHOP
ADIDAS ORIGINALS
GL ASSE S: WAT C H :
KOMONO KOMONO
LO L OS S A AN NG G IIN N TO T O TH T HE E
L A M U S I K — 136 —
A S P OT L I G H T O N L . A .’ S CONTEMPORARY UNDERGROUND MUSIC SCENE
ELES ELES LIGH L I G HTT A S P»L.OT L I G H T O N L . A .’ S A. is vast and unknowable, generalizaC O N T E M Ptions O RareA useless. R Y UL.NA.DisElikeR itGalways R O Uis:N D aM sprawling U S I Cmetropolis S C E Nfull E of whatever you're looking for. Cultural highs and lows are just illusions here« says Britt Brown, man behind the L. A. based label Not Not Fun. As usually music features about the grooving movements in the enormous freeway city focus on artists like Ariel Pink, DâM FunK, DJ Harvey, Flying Lotus or Odd Future, Stw2d tried to look at the vibrant underground scene in the City Of Angels and interviewed ten musicians, producers, artists, club runners, and label makers to gain an insight into their work and to paint an alternative map of the contemporary L. A. music culture. WORDS: MICHAEL LEUFFEN
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P PHARAOHS HARAOHS PHARAOHS IS A DIVERSE L.A. ELECTRONIC QUARTET WHOSE STYLE VEERS FROM BALEARIC FUTURE DISCO TO DUBBY INSTRUMENTAL NEW WAVE. THEY HAVE RELEASED ALBUMS ON 100% SILK AND ESP INSTITUTE, AND CO-RUN THE FAMED INTERNET RADIO STATION, DUBLAB. L A M U S I K — 138 —
WWW.PHARAOHMS.COM
HEY PHARAOHS, CAN YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF A BIT TO OUR READERS. SINCE WHEN YOU MAKE MUSIC TOGETHER AND IN WHICH PROJECTS YOU ALL HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN BESIDE YOUR BAND?
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Pharaohs started around 2008, sort of a meeting by chance, and friends in common. All of us have been involved in in many bands, projects and artistic endeavors. From electronic bands, to radio stations, to gamelan orchestras and failed tours of Europe. Besides that there’s not much to say about us.
YOU RELEASED MUSIC ON 100% SILK AND ESP INSTITUTE. HOW ARE YOU LINKED TO THIS LABELS AND WHAT MAKES THEM SPECIAL? They are both prominent L. A. labels, and definitely on the same where we are coming from. The connection was natural and sort of inevitable. 100 % Silk has been really supportive and we feel it put our music out there for many to discover. With ESP Institute it was a bit different, we were big fans of the label, and when he offered us to put out a 12” we just jumped to the opportunity. The identity of both labels is very defined, each has a different approach to a similar message.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING NEW IN THE PIPELINE RIGHT NOW? Yes, there’s a 12” with 3 songs coming out on V.O.W. (Vinyls On Wax) Records Limited. This is going to be the first release for this new Los Angeles label. Also, Geographic North is putting out a 7” with two tracks on it, which is a fun opportunity to have a different approach to the music on that format. Other than that, playing shows, and finishing our second full-length release.
WHAT CAN PEOPLE EXPECT WHEN THEY SEE YOU LIVE? Our live performances can be very dynamic because we are a 4 (sometimes 5) pieces band. We always leave room for improvisation and reformatting and reinventing songs as we go. The mix of that with a structured base gives it a lose feeling. For us its just plain fun playing together, and hopefully that is transmitted to the audience.
WHAT HAS L.A. TO OFFER THAT NO OTHER CITY HAS? We have the space shuttle on display.
CAN YOU NAME US THREE RECORDS FROM L.A. THAT HAD AN INFLUENCE ON YOUR WORK AS A BAND? Beach Boys »Pet Sounds” Alice Coltrane »The Ashram Tapes” SFV Acid »818 Vol 1 & 2”
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE PLACES TO HANG OUT IN L.A.? The beach and the Dinner House M.
WE HEART SOMEBODY SAY: LOS ANGELES IS A BLEACHED-OUT, SOULLESS PIT. WOULD YOU AGREE? AND IF SO WHY? Until you live here, you won’t really understand this city. Those comments have always existed. But in the end all cities have their stereotypes for the tourists.
ICE-T ONCE SAID: LOS ANGELES IS A MICROCOSM OF THE UNITED STATES. IF L.A. FALLS, THE COUNTRY FALLS. ALSO HERE: AGREE OR NOT? AND WHAT PART YOU TAKE IN THIS COSMOS? L. A. is a strong city the only thing that will make us fall is an earthquake into the ocean.
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WWW.LEE-NOBLE.COM WWW.NOKINGSRECORD.COM
LEE NOBLE LEE NOBLE IS THE FOUNDER OF THE TAPE L ABEL NO KINGS, WHO AL SO RELEASES SOLO ALBUMS ON LEE NOBLE IS THE FOUNDER OF THE TAPE LABEL NO KINGS, WHO ALSO RELEASES SOLO ALBUMS ON L ABEL S SUCH AS BATHETIC AND OTHERS. HE AL SO DOES FREEL ANCE LABELS SUCH AS BATHETIC AND OTHERS. HE ALSO DOES FREELANCE LITHOGRAPH PRINTING AND DESIGN WORK FOR VARIOUS ARTISTS, MUSICIANS, AND BUSINESSES. LITHOGRAPH PRINTING AND DESIGN WORK FOR VARIOUS ARTISTS, MUSICIANS, AND BUSINESSES.
HEY LEE, CAN YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF A BIT TO OUR READERS. SINCE WHEN YOU MAKE MUSIC AND IN WHICH PROJECTS YOU HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN BESIDE YOUR SOLO WORK?
DO YOU THINK THAT LOS ANGELES HAS A STRONG INFLUENCE ON YOUR WORK AS A MUSICIAN, LABEL HEAD AND RISOGRAPH ARTIST?
HI – I make mostly slow, atmospheric music hinging on a combination of ambient drone and folk elements. Previously I was in Poet Named Revolver throughout high school and college – we were a post-punk-meets-folk outfit from Nashville. I was also involved in a group-sound-collage project called Horsehair Everywhere, and improvisation collaboration with Derek Rogers called Circuit Rider UK.
It’s a very diverse place. It’s like a big collage. Coming from the south, the plant life here is still pretty thrilling and alien to me and I love that. When there is fog or rain at night here it’s kind of magical. I love driving through the 2nd street tunnel at night. The light is always great. I don’t get to the beach much, but the desert is beautiful – so those parts give an impression. To me it’s more Blade Runner than Beach Boys. I haven’t released very many Los Angeles artists though, which is unfortunate.
YOU ALSO RUN THE TAPE LABEL NO KINGS. WHAT WERE THE IMPETUS TO LAUNCH IT IN 2006 AND WHY A TAPE LABEL BACK THEN? At first we were a CD-R label, just a name to put on the music we were releasing ourselves, Poet, Horsehair, Sparkling Wide Pressure – Nashville/Murfreesboro people. We hand-stamped white paper sleeves. Though, CD-Rs began to seem disposable, and we realized a few years later on how accessible and affordable tapes were. An opportunity to letterpress the j-cards held my interest better than the size and shape of CD packaging.
CAN YOU NAME US SOME THINGS THAT YOU HAVEN’T DONE YET IN LOS ANGELES BUT YOU ALWAYS WANTED? I still need to see the Museum of Jurassic Technology.
WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST LABEL HIT SO FAR?
CARTOONIST JOSEPH BARBERA ONES SAID: »LOS ANGELES WAS AN IMPRESSION OF FAILURE, OF DISAPPOINTMENT, OF DESPAIR, AND OF ODDLY MAKE SHIFT LIVES.« – TRUE AND IF SO WHY?
I usually release tapes in small batches and I think Coupler, Motion Sickness of Time Travel, and Inez Lightfoot sold out very quickly together. The Trabajo tape got a good response too.
Many people I know seem quite comfortable and happy here! Though I do have some friends working in the animation industry and that does seem like a drag!
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B RBRIAN I A N FOOTE F O OT E BRIAN FOOTE IS AN L.A.-BASED PRODUCER WHO RECORDS ANALOG ACID MUSIC UNDER THE MONIKER LEECH. SUMMARIZING SOME OF HIS ACTIVITIES – HE ALSO RUNS THE LABELS PEAK OIL, ECSTASY, AND AUDRAGLINT. HE ALSO RECORDS ALL KINDS OF ARTISTS AT HIS ELABORATE HOME STUDIO AND DOES PR FOR THE STORIED CHICAGO LABEL KRANKY. HEY BRIAN, CAN YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF A BIT TO OUR READERS. SINCE WHEN YOU MAKE MUSICAND IN WHICH PROJECTS YOU HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN? Hey, my main music project these days is called Leech. I did something called Nudge for years and years and have helped out in different capaci!es in a pile of things over the last couple decades for ar!sts and bands like Zola Jesus, Ensemble Economique, Miracles Club, L. A. Vampires, Atlas Sound, etc etc etc. TO OUR KNOWLEDGE YOU LIVED ALSO IN PORTLAND, OREGON. WHAT MADE YOU MOVE TO L. A. AND WHAT MAKES IT WORTH IT?
reduc!ve: Audraglint is different varie!es of synthe!c pop in a very considered clean design. Peak Oil is farther out $pes of music in bespoke jackets. Ecstasy focuses on house music made on hardware with no shame in using a vocal. IN WHICH WAY DOES L. A. INSPIRES YOU TO ALL YOU DO? In some other spots i've lived, it's almost as if it's frowned upon if you take what you do seriously in music or art. )at doesn't exist here at all as far as i've come across. Everyone's hustle is a huge inspiration to me. It's a sprawling communi$.
I moved to L. A. to be with the woman who would be my wife and mother of my child. I think what strikes me the most about L. A. in comparison to other large North American ci!es is the decen"alized aspect of it. It's like 30 smaller ci!es all touching. I never been to another ci$ where this is so ex"eme.
IF SUDDENLY L.A. WOULD BE COVERED BY SNOW DO YOU THINK THE ART YOU CREATE WOULD CHANGE?
CAN YOU TELL US THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOUR LABELS AUDRAGLINT, PEAK OIL, AND ECSTASY? FOR WHAT STYLE DOES EACH ONE STAND FOR AND WHAT DO THEY ALL HAVE IN COMMON?
WHAT NEW STUFF DO YOU HAVE IN PIPELINE RIGHT NOW?
)e main difference is that I run all these with separate collaborators, so they are the real differences. To be grossly
I grew up in a part of the coun"y that's covered in snow. It wouldn't make much difference other than put!ng me in a bad mood where I wouldn't want to work in the s%dio. )e weather is a huge at"ac!on for me to this area.
I am finishing up new Leech releases and put!ng out the 2 nd Personable [aka M Geddes Gengras] album on Peak Oil. Kran0 is always busy, we are doing a new album from Valet next.
THEECSTASYBLOG.BLOGSPOT.DE WWW.AUDRAGLINT.COM WWW.THISISPEAKOIL.COM
L A M U S I K — 141 —
PALMBOMEN PALMBOMEN
THE HOLLAND-BORN PRODUCER KAI HUGO AKA PALMBOMEN JUST RECENTLY MOVED TO L . A. VIA A SHORT STOPOVER IN BERLIN. IN 2011 HE WAS A RED BULL MUSIC ACADEMY PARTICIPANT. 2013 HE RELEASED HIS DEBUT ALBUM »NIGHT FLIGHT EUROPA« – A RECORD FULL OF BEWITCHED ITALO ARPEGGIOS, WEIRD SYNTH CHORDS AND MELANCHOLIA. HIS LATEST ALBUM IS CALLED PALMBOMEN II AND FEATURES 14 TWISTED HOUSE TRACKS PREPARED ON OLD HARDWARE.
L A M U S I K — 142 —
WWW.PALMBOMENMUSIC.COM
HEY KAI, CAN YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF A BIT TO OUR READERS. WHEN DID YOU START WRITING/PRODUCING MUSIC – AND WHAT OR WHO WERE YOUR EARLY PASSIONS AND INFLUENCES?
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I started making music using ReBirth when I was really little and slowly started buying records (early Bunker stuff and other electronics) and synthesizers. Then studied composition and from there I started making music under Palmbomen.
ARE YOU CAUTIOUS ABOUT BEING PUT INTO A BOX? Yeah, especially because I like to work roughly, with tape and all, and then you’re in some kind of a ‘lofi’ area, which it is not peers about for me.
WHAT MAKES A TRACK EXCEPTIONAL TO YOU? TELL ME A CLASSIC THAT YOU FEEL IS REALLY OUTSTANDING AND DESCRIBE WHAT IT IS ABOUT IT THAT MOVES YOU SO MUCH. I like harmonies most, special harmonies that I haven’t really heard before, or that make special flavors that I don’t know so well yet. It can be in any music, I don’t really feel tied to a certain specific genre, I hear this all in Nirvana songs where they have nice second vocal line on top of the main one, or in 80s Italo disco, like teh track »Witch« by Helen, where there is such an adventure in chord structures. But it can be also sometimes about things that are raw and have almost no harmonies, like I-F’s »I Do Because I Couldn’t Care Less«. That is about a driving force. And it sounds like the truth, but actually in those overdriven toms you hear still harmonies, gnarly harmonies though, but interesting.
TO OUR KNOWLEDGE YOU MOVED FROM AMSTERDAM TO L.A. WHY? WHAT MAKES THE TOWN SPECIAL? I love that the people are so energetic to do things and I love the music scene here. And to have sunlight all the time is great too. I’m not used to be outside so much. I love that.
L.A. IS A CAR TOWN? HOW DOES THIS INFLUENCE YOUR WORK AS A MUSICIAN IN TERMS OF SOUND AND VISION? I actually never owned a car, but I have to now. I love it actually. Driving a car. Especially here, because its big and you have so much scenery. I love to just drive around by myself to get inspiration. I also like it to pick up friends by car and eat out or something, the car is something like a happening here that I never experienced before.
WHAT DOES L.A. OFFER MUSICALLY THAT NO OTHER TOWN OFFERS? I like that L. A. has such a band history with great artists coming from here. Things like Ariel Pink, the whole Mexican Summer thing and the big band history in the 80s. The electronic music scene feels really fresh, like really young. There is no real established underground, but it’s moving all the time. I love that. In cities like Berlin its much more defined, and there are these standard places to go to. This feels undiscovered.
JONI MITCHELL ONES SAID: »IN NEW YORK, THE STREET ADVENTURES ARE INCREDIBLE. THERE ARE A THOUSAND STORIES IN A SINGLE BLOCK. YOU SEE THE STORIES IN THE PEOPLE’S FACES. YOU HEAR THE SONGS IMMEDIATELY. HERE IN LOS ANGELES, THERE ARE LESS CHARACTERS BECAUSE THEY’RE ALL INSIDE AUTOMOBILES.” WHAT’S YOUR OPINION ON HER DESCRIPTION? I actually find a city like New York more like one big collection of buildings and concrete.While everything here is so different and spread out. There’s so much different nature around and that makes it so cinematic. I miss public transport though. That’s something that’s really lacking here. But cars are great too. You can be together with people in cars. Smile. IF YOU COULD DESCRIBE THE HEARTBEAT OF L.A. TO SOMEONE THAT HASN’T FELT IT, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY? People always have a wrong impression of L. A. They know maybe Hollywood strip and Beverly Hills, and those are the nastiest tourist parts of the city. You have so many great places here, but it’s more hidden. So spend some time and find them. Don’t go to the tourist spots.
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WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ PAGES/FILTHY-HUNS
FILTHY HUNS FILTHY HUNS Filthy Huns is one third of Minneapolis tribal biker-psych band Daughters Of The Sun, who now records doomed highway songs under the name Filthy Huns, powered by drugged drum machines and desolate desert electric guitar. HEY FILTHY HUNS, CAN YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF A BIT TO OUR READERS. SINCE WHEN YOU MAKE MUSIC AND IN WHICH PROJECTS YOU HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN BESIDE FILTHY HUNS? Hi man. My name is Nick Koenigs. I’m originally from Minnesota, but currently live in Echo Park in Los Angeles, CA. )e other project I’m involved with is Daughters of the Sun, besides FH. WHAT DOES THE NAME FILTHY HUNS MEAN TO YOU? WHAT DOES IT REPRESENT BEYOND BEING AN ARTIST NAME? Well it’s a Hunter S. Thompson reference from his book »Hell’s Angels«. I don’t think of myself as some 100 % er biker, but I do appreciate the idea of living by your own set of rules, instead of "ends dicta!ng what’s hot or bullshit like that. I’m into the imagery of the name as well. I like things grimy. It’s got to be visceral. It’s got to be primi!ve. WHAT IS YOUR MUSICAL BACKGROUND? WHAT WAS THE IMPETUS BEHIND THE START-UP OF THE FILTHY HUNS PROJECT? My background is just playing in punk/hardcore bands since I was 15. Pre(y much always playing guitar. Been doing Filthy Huns since late 2010. It started as just a li(le M solo side project. I was pre(y busy with Daughters of the U Sun, a band that formed in 2005 in Minneapolis. At the L A
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end of 2010 I le. Minneapolis for Aus!n, TX. With the distance between me and the other member of Daughters of the Sun, I started playing out and recording under Filthy Huns. )e A side of my s/t tape on NNF was recorded in my garage in Aus!n swea!ng to death in 110 degree heat. A.er a year in Aus!n the move to L. A. happened. ON WHAT FUTURE PROJECTS ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW? Mainly just con!nuing with Filthy Huns, but dabbling in some other thing. I’ve been a country music fan for quite some!me now, and have been wri!ng some songs I that vein too. Real down ‘n out smokey hon0 tonk shit. Hope to share some of those in the +%re under Nic0 Sleighbells. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH WITH MUSIC? Nothing really. I mean I will always write and play if people will have me. When everything works it just feels good. )at’s all I’m interested in. It’s that brief escape from all the bullshit, and everything sits right where it should and nothing exists except a great clear feeling. )at’s what I want. IF YOU HAVE TO DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND TO SOMEONE WHO HASN’T HEART IT, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY? I would say it sounds like the ou"o to Talking Heads’ »Burning Down the House«. Just long s"etches of road with plen$ of space. It’s visual to me.
UMBERTO UMBERTO
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SINCE 2009 MATT HILL AK A UMB E R TO R E L E A S E D F O U R A L B U M S A N D S E V E R A L E P S F U S I N G SOUNDTRACK ATMOSPHERES WITH DANCEFLOOR SYNTHESIZER ARPEGGIOS. PREVIOUSLY HE PLAYED SYNTH AND BASS FOR THE EXPERIMENTAL BAND EXPO ’70. LAST YEAR HE COLLABORATED WITH ANTONI MAIOVVI ON A NEW SCORE OF THE HORROR MOVIE CLASSIC, »THE TEX AS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE,« WHICH WAS RELEASED ON VINYL ON THE DEATH WALTZ LABEL .
Since 2009 you have released a bunch of album and Ep’s under your alias Umberto. What is the connec&on between them all in your opinion? They’re all scores for imaginary films for the most part. The first two albums, »From The Grave…« and »Prophecy Of The Black Widow« are homages to horror scores of the ’70s and early ’80s. »Confrontations« was a score to a sci-fi film. »Freeze!” is sort of a wacky homage to cop films. »Final Exit« is a record for someone to listen to while they commit suicide using a helium hood. »Night Has A Thousand Screams« is music I composed to perform as a live re-score for the film »Pieces.” Some of your albums are dark and bewitched. How do you do such music in a sunny place like L.A.? What inspires you to be dark? Well, I block out all the windows and turn on a lamp in my place. I can’t write music when there’s sunlight shining in. I hate the sun. As for inspiration, I usually just use my own imagination and come up with a story and then do music for it. Sometimes I’ll be inspired by an article or book I read. I read a lot of news articles about murders, kidnappings, heists and stuff like that. You also released music as Silvio: can you tell us something about this project? Silvio is just a name I use for more upbeat disco and house stuff I’ve worked on.
What is a %pical L.A. weekend like for you? On Friday evenings I usually hang out with some friends or watch a movie. I usually just sit around watching movies on Saturday. On Sundays, my girlfriend and I go out to eat hamburgers then we usually watch a movie or listen to music. Otherwise, on occasion I’ll go to the New Beverly for a double feature or the Egyptian Theatre to watch a film and eat pizza across the street. Do you have any secret talents or weird hobbies you’re into? I guess I do a lot of stuff that people consider weird. I like to polish the railroad rails. I live right by the tracks so I walk there some evenings and do that. I make prank phone calls everyday. Sometimes I like to pretend I’m a rabbit and jump everywhere I go. I live on a big hill so I like to wear a suit and roll down it for fun. I think it’s funny because the people walking around probably think I’m some businessman who tripped and rolled all the way down. Some say that Los Angeles is a lonely place because you o*en drive to places alone listening to the radio? If this is 'ue, does it have an influence on your art at large? Well, I don’t leave the house that much. When I do go out I don’t turn on the radio. I’d have to say that driving around alone has no influence on my music.
Are there any other contemporary projects in which you are involved? If so can you tell us a bit about them? Antoni Maiovvi and I collaborated on a record that’s coming out this month called »Law Unit« from Death Waltz Recording Company. It’s a bit different than the music we normally do on our own. I suppose it’s kind of industrial. We’ll be touring during May and June in Europe.
L A
WWW.UMBERTO.BANDC AMP.COM
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BRITT BROWN BRITT BROWN IS THE MAN BEHIND THE LONG-RUNNING L. A. BRITT BROWN IS THE MAN BEHIND THE LONG-RUNNING L. A . LABEL NOT NOT FUN, HELPING HAND AT ITS SUBSIDIARY DANCE LABEL NOT NOT FUN, HELPING HAND AT ITS SUBSIDIARY DANCE IMPRINT 100% SILK, ONE HALF OF THE OCCULT DUBBED-OUT I M P R I N T 10 0 % S I L K , O N E H A L F O F T H E O C C U LT D U B B E D - O U T SCI-FI DUO ROBEDOOR, AND FREELANCE WRITER FOR BRITISH SCI-FI DUO ROBEDOOR, AND FREELANCE WRITER FOR BRITISH AVANT-GARDE MUSIC MAGAZINE THE WIRE. A VA N T- G A R D E M U S I C M A G A Z I N E T H E W I R E .
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WWW.NOTNOTFUN.COM WWW.LISTENTOSILK .COM ROBEDOOR .TUMBLR .COM
HELLO BRITT, CAN YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF SHORTLY AND TELL US WHAT YOU DO?
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I run NNF, I help with 100 % Silk, I write for The WIRE magazine, I go to the post office once a week, I play keyboards and drum machines and howl in Robedoor, and I sleep late whenever possible. WHAT IS COMING NEXT ON YOUR LABELS NOT NOT FUN AND 100% SILK? Too much, as always. For NNF there are full-lengths by White Poppy and Beat Detectives looming, plus a lot more just over the horizon. SILK is pretty dense with tapes, plus vinyl by Jupiter Jax and Bobby Browser. HOW IMPORTANT IS L.A. FOR YOU AS A LABEL RUNNER AND MUSICIAN? Crucial. Personally I’m not sure I’d have the stamina to work as hard as it takes to do this if the weather wasn’t heavenly and the climate didn’t call to me to leave my shelter and thrive in the sun on a semi-regular basis. I also like the freedom here, socially and spatially. There’s room to move, and move on. And there’s avocados and legal marijuana. AND WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TOO WHEN YOU COME BACK HOME FROM FOREIGN PLACES? Wearing a t-shirt. Parking. Cheap fruits and vegetables. Seeing friends. IF YOU COULD DESCRIBE THE HEARTBEAT OF L.A. TO SOMEONE THAT HASN’T FELT IT, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY? I’d wax rhapsodic about white skies, vistas of cars, and the specter of Mexico. WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU IN L.A. DURING THE WEEKENDS? Downtown in some warehouse waiting for someone to stare at their laptops and play repetitive electronic music. Or in some apartment, high, watching a warped VHS tape. CAN YOU PLEASE RECOMMEND TWO UPCOMING L.A. BASED ARTISTS TO OUR READERS, WHICH YOU FEEL DESERVE THEIR ATTENTION? I’m wary of the word »upcoming,” but I leave the house to watch Pharaohs play. For dancing I’m partial to Magic Touch. For skulking poetically I listen to Afterhours. HOW DO YOU SEE THE CULTURAL ART AND MUSIC SCENE OF L.A. NOWADAYS? AND WHERE CAN A VISITOR SEE AND FEEL IT THE BEST? L.A. is vast and unknowable, generalizations are useless. L.A. is like it always is: a sprawling metropolis full of whatever you’re looking for. Cultural highs and lows are just illusions here. WHICH ARE CURRENTLY THE MOST JUICY L.A. CITY DISTRICTS AND WHY? Well, cold-pressed juice bars are, like, the THING here, so most districts are pretty juicy. Poor artists live in Boyle Heights and Highland Park and Koreatown. Fancy cultural people with better jobs live in the Arts District and Silverlake or downtown. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PUBLIC RECREATION AREA AND WHAT MAKES IT SO PERFECT FOR RECREATION? Ernest E. Debs Regional Park: scenic trails winding directly up into the smog layer, a manmade pond full of algae, and panoramic views of El Sereno and parched hillsides. IS L.A. STILL GOOD FOR SUB CULTURE IN YOUR EYES? Poverty and desolation and freedom are ideal soil for subcultures; L.A. is plentiful in all three. A LOT OF PEOPLE COME TO LOS ANGELES AND THINK THAT THEY’RE GOING TO BE FAMOUS, JUST LIKE THAT. IS THIS TRUE? Sure. It’s a good place to become famous. Slash and burn. IS IT TRUE THAT IF YOU LIVE IN LOS ANGELES FOR LONG ENOUGH, YOU’RE GOING TO GET SOME SURGERY? Depends what your soul looks like, and the company you keep.
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M AT W M T T M AT T THHEEW MCCDDE REMROT M OT Matthew McDermott is an eclectic electronic DJ who throws the LA party series »States Of Being«. He also writes for the authoritative online electronic music magazine Resident Advisor. HEY MATTHEW, CAN YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS. SINCE WHEN YOU DJ AND IN WHICH PROJECTS ARE YOU INVOLVED?
ITS SAID THAT IN LOS ANGELES, BY THE TIME YOU’RE 35, YOU’RE OLDER THAN MOST OF THE BUILDINGS. IS THIS RIGHT? AND IF SO: WHY?
My name’s Matt McDermott, I’ve been spinning records for a bit over a year, throw the »States Of Being” parties and write for Resident Advisor.
I guess this is referring to the city’s unending obsession with youth and beauty? I don’t know, I think the city’s armchair (and actual) historians are looking backwards more these days. Documentaries like »Los Angeles Plays Itself” are roughly A People’s History of the City of Angeles, and even the revival of Broadway in Downtown L. A. looks back to a previous, gilded age. Musically, ’80s funk and its g-funk heir are still hanging on and older Latino dudes are hitting the Freestyle sections hard every day. I think it’s a city that’s aware of its past.
WHAT IS YOUR MUSICAL BACKGROUND? WHAT WAS THE IMPETUS BEHIND THE START-UP OF YOUR PARTY SERIES? I studied classical piano as a child and young adult, and eventually got into jazz with a pretty serious onset of indie rock-ism coming in college. I eventually got fairly deep into experimental music, Krautrock and dance music via amazing radio stations like WFMU and WNYU. I knew there was a world of kinetic music I wasn’t fully grasping, so I eventually attended Movement in 2007, caught Rhythm & Sound, Moodymann, Jeff Mills, began to understand the communal aspect. All the while, I was playing in bands, setting up basement and bar shows in Pittsburgh, PA which eventually led to underground parties and working with the VIA festival, combining music and video art. When I moved to L. A. three years ago, I wanted to go back to basics a bit, a basement, a red light, a feeling. I’m lucky to have found a great crew and some people who enjoy taking the journey.
HOW DO YOU SEE THE MUSIC SCENE OF YOUR TOWN? WHAT IS GOOD, WHAT IS BAD ABOUT IT? Everything in L. A. encourages you to retreat into your own space. You drive everywhere, the city is sprawling, people who live by the beach don›t visit the barren warehouse district where raves are held and vice versa. That said, there are so many freaks carving out their own utopia. The music scene is alternately massive, quiet and surprising.
WWW.STATESOFBEING.COM
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JONI MITCHELL ONES SAID: »IN NEW YORK, THE STREET ADVENTURES ARE INCREDIBLE. THERE ARE A THOUSAND STORIES IN A SINGLE BLOCK. YOU SEE THE STORIES IN THE PEOPLE’S FACES. YOU HEAR THE SONGS IMMEDIATELY. HERE IN LOS ANGELES, THERE ARE LESS CHARACTERS BECAUSE THEY’RE ALL INSIDE AUTOMOBILES.« WHAT’S YOUR OPINION ON HER DESCRIPTION? AND IF IT IS TRUE: DO YOU MISS ADVENTURES? L. A. can be an alienating place to visit or try to make your hometown for this reason. You’re not brushing up against people on the subway, or walking stone-faced through the diaspora. In Joni’s description, those stories, adventures and songs take on an air of whimsy that strikes me at odds with the concrete jungles in the east. Alternatively, L. A. does not open itself up to you easy. It’s a furtive city where anything, or nothing, can happen quickly. For every time I’ve felt alone there’s another moment of unique beauty. On a lighter note, anyone who doesn’t think there are street adventures here is obviously not familiar with L. A. drivers.
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AFTERHOURS AFTERHOURS Afterhours, the multi-talented New Jersey transplant living in L. A. who has played in L. A. Vampires and Sun Araw as well as his own damaged Jandek project, Queen Victoria. Since 2012 he has been recording exclusively under the moniker Afterhours, making nocturnal trip-hop inspired music for Not Not Fun.
HEY NICHOLAS, CAN YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF A BIT TO OUR READERS. SINCE WHEN YOU MAKE MUSIC AND IN WHICH PROJECTS YOU HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN? I’ve been making music since I was a teenager. Before A.erhours, I had a band called Queen Victoria. I also played with L.A. Vampires for a li(le while and Sun Araw for a li(ler while.
WHAT DISTINGUISH ALL THESE PROJECTS AND WHAT MAKES EACH OF THEM SPECIAL FOR YOU? Queen Victoria was my first serious project, like decons"uc!onist-folk, very personal to me and not very enjoyable to anyone else. And most of the time, not me, either. A holdover from teenage years and the music that was influencing me then. A.erhours sort of came out of that, out of an understanding of my own limita!ons with the guitar and an impulse to make music with less of my own "ace on it. I was experimen!ng with samples and sound collage, and with making more rhythmic music. L. A. Vampires was special for the celebratory na%re of the project and the way in which we performed. )e spontaneous joy of collabora!ng with good friends and the lightheartedness of the music itself.
WHAT ARE CURRENTLY YOUR MAIN COMPOSITIONAL- AND PRODUCTIONCHALLENGES? I think the challenge is to remain dissa!sfied and to fight to maintain forward momentum. Because it’s very comfortable to stay still, to find a niche and pace back-andforth in it. As the fidelity of my sonic palette gets higher, there’s this... well, I’m saying this as someone who comes to elec"onic music from a background in more lo-fi music, but there can be this feeling of awe that comes from suddenly having access to new sounds, specifically ones that
WWW.SOUNDCLOUD.COM/AFTERTHEHOURS
could be characterized as sounding »professional« or »commercial.« And it can be easy to lean into those sounds in a way that places your work in an unintended context. I’ve always sort of liked muzak, I’m into the idea of background music. And so it’s +n to play with that aesthe!c, but I think it’s important to stay focused on re-contex%aliza!on, on subversion.
ANY NEW RELEASES PLANNED? In a couple months, I have a record coming out on Non Projects called »Christmas Lights )rough a RainS"eaked Migraine.« A casse(e called »Post-Geography« just came out on Not Not Fun and there are a couple of other tapes I’m working on at the moment.
WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT THE MUSIC SCENE IN LOS ANGELES? )e infras"uc%re of the L. A. scene is frus"a!ng because there just aren’t enough interes!ng venues opera!ng at the moment to accommodate everyone making experimental music. But atmospherically, I think the ci$ is in the best place its been for a while. Lively, multidisciplinary, unpreten!ous. Rela!vely li(le classist bullshit, rela!vely li(le exclusivi$.
HENRY MILLER ONES SAID: «LOS ANGELES GIVES ONE THE FEELING OF THE FUTURE MORE STRONGLY THAN ANY CITY I KNOW OF. A BAD FUTURE, TOO, LIKE SOMETHING OUT OF FRITZ LANG’S FEEBLE IMAGINATION.» STILL TRUE AND IF SO: CAN YOU GIVE SOME EXAMPLES THAT PROOF IT? I spend most days in Los Angeles squin!ng through harsh, flat sunlight and coughing up sludge into my bathroom sink. Usually against the backdrop of barking dogs, car alarms, smoke alarms, helicopters and police sirens. Life on Earth seems des!ned to more and more closely resemble this.
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HEY MARIA AND PATRICK, CAN YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF A BIT TO OUR READERS. SINCE WHEN YOU RUN YOUR VENUE AND IN WHAT YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH WITH IT? Our names are Patrick and Maria. We run an a gallery space called MATA Noise. We’ve been at our space on Pico since March 2013. Our claim to fame is our »outer sounds” shows. Lots of noise, experimental music, improv and other challenging aural experiences. In a lot of ways the space is really a means to an end. Our real goals are to showcase exceptional line-ups, present work we think is valuable regardless of how it measures in any traditional, commercial notions of success. In a lot of ways the space is agenda-less: we have particular criteria for what we do, specific taste for the art we show and those, among other guidelines are what we feel produce the magic that happens inside our doors. Really, the gallery is a vessel to progress those things and maintain the culture that spawns that work in the first place. So maybe in a larger sense those are our goals. It just so happens that MATA has been the best avenue to see them through. We think it’s important not to have a lot of ego about a brand or space. Some of the stuff we provide a venue for could potentially happen else where, and when it does that’s fine: what matters most is that good, challenging, innovative work has a place to be presented. HOW DOES TYPICAL WEEKEND AT MATA LOOKS AND SOUND LIKE? Friday nights are good for noise. Saturdays, not so much: we’re right next-door to a Salvadorean Evangelical church and they go ham. We keep the peace in part by limiting events to the rest of the week. Sunday nights though: we turn up. ARE YOUR REPRESENTING ANY SCENE OF THE TOWN? IF SO, WHICH ONE. OR ARE YOU CAUTIOUS OF BEEN PUT IN A BOX? Not sure if we represent a single particular scene. We’re very happy to be a bit of a home to Los Angeles noise. We do a pretty discrete program here so a certain circle of folks tends to gravitate here. We really aren’t concerned about being put in a box. There isn’t much at stake for us with regards to people who don’t really get it mislabeling our efforts. We do what we do. IF YOU SHOULD DO A FORECAST OF WHAT IS THE L.A. SOUND OF TOMORROW WHAT WOULD YOU SAY? Part of the beauty of L. A. is how disparate it is. While that can also be a pain in the ass in some respects, what’s incredible is how varied and anomalous so much of what emerges from the city can be. I think the future might hold less and less of what could ever be considered an »L. A. sound.” WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MATA AND OTHER L.A. VENUES? From L. A. venues in general: too much to list. There are certain venues though that we certainly feel a certain kinship with: East 7th Punx downtown and Dem Passwords gallery of West Adams top that list. FINISH THIS SENTENCE: ‘L.A. WOULD BE A BETTER PLACE IF ONLY…? … everyone who didn’t like it left.
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WHY DO YOU THINK DOES THE MAIN CHARACTER IN JIM JARMUSH’S LATEST MOVIE «ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE» SAY, THAT IN L.A. ONLY THE ZOMBIES LIVE? Oh, that’s just like some kind of corny lip service to this stupid piece of L. A. mythology: that you can »rot with out feeling it here” (John Rechy) or some myopic noir motif. That’s not really the reality on the ground for most people here. Romantic though, and it’s a trope that’s stemmed tons of great literature from and about L. A. To the extent that quote acknowledges L. A. is a magical place we certainly agree.
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M ATA M ATA SINCE 2013 THE COUPLE PATRICK AND MARIA RUN MATA – A PROMISING PERFORMANCE SPACE IN LOS ANGELES, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON NOISE, EXPERIMENTAL, AND IMPROVISATIONAL MUSIC. L A
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PAUL
K N I T T E D S W E AT E R : LYLE & SCOTT D E N I M PA N T S : CITIZENS OF HUMANIT Y
KRISTA
K N I T T E D S W E AT E R : FILIPPA D E N I M PA N T S : LEVI’S S H O E S : NIKE
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K
WEST COAST BLUES
STYLING: MINE ULUDAG @ NINA KLEIN HAIR & MAKE UP: LINDA FROHLIEB @ NINA KLEIN PHOTOGRAPHY: EDZARD PILTZ, WWW.F1-REPRESENTATION.DE PHOTOASSISTENT: DAVID JENEWEIN MODELS: PAUL @ SEEDS, KRISTA @ IZAIO
PAUL
PA N T S : LEVI’S B E A N I E : STUTTERHEIM
TOP:
KRISTA MARCO POLO
KRISTA
D R E S S : SESSUN K N I T T E D S W E AT E R :
GANNI
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KRISTA
S H I R T : SCHIESSER H O T PA N T S : MONKI
PAUL LEVI’S
PA N T S :
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PAUL D E N I M J A C K E T & D E N I M PA N T S :
CITIZENS OF HUMANITY KRISTA MONKI
DR E SS:
PAUL
K N I T T E D S W E AT E R : LYLE & SCOTT D E N I M PA N T S : CITIZENS OF HUMANIT Y
KRISTA
B L O U S E : TIGER OF SWEDEN J E A N S : LEVI’S
KRISTA
S H I R T : TIGER OF SWEDEN PA N T S : LEVI’S
BA N DA NA :
PAUL TIGER OF SWEDEN
KRISTA
PA N T S : PAIGE T O P : SESSUN
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PAUL
V E S T & PA N T S : : LEVI'S S W E AT E R : SOPOPULAR
PAUL D E N I M J A C K E T & D E N I M PA N T S :
CITIZENS OF HUMANIT Y KRISTA MONKI
DR E SS:
PAUL SOPOPULAR
S W E AT E R :
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