Théorie Magazine 01 Spring/Summer 2014 by Théorie Magazine

SPRING/SUMMER 2014

ISSUE NO. 1

30720 14030

THEORIE

MAGAZINE

THE FLIP SIDE OF FASHION ISSUE no.1 SPRING/SUMMER 201 4 “S Y N C H R O N I C I T Y ” 02

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S 04

EDITOR’S LETTER

05 MASTHEAD

WHERE ARE THE WEIRDOS?

A DREAM WITHIN A DREAM

URBAN LEGEND

ALL HAIL MCQUEEN

THE ART OF WEAR

THE SOUND OF SOMO

FASHION ON FILM

COGNITIVE COHESION

CREDITS / inspired

EDITOR’S letter The truth is, I never really believed in synchronicity. I’m not what you would call a cynic, but I have a slight over-attachment to rationalism. Strangely enough, I met our brilliant photographer, Cameron, through a friend I used to work with. Nearly every story in this issue was inspired by what seems like cosmic happenstance. And after years of knowing our Creative Director, Krystal, and her unwavering conviction in synchronicity, I finally succumbed.

Synchronicity, contrary to popular belief, is not the invention of mystical charlatans. It is actually a concept developed by psychologist Carl Jung to depict meaningful coincidence. I chose to dedicate this issue to synchronicity—not because we were literally inspired by the concept, but because it is the thread that holds Théorie together.

Théorie Magazine is a maverick in the predictable world of print. Team Théorie has set out to rediscover fashion theory, as well as a metaphysical and philosophical approach to fashion—I hope you agree. I would call us a game changer, but I might be slightly biased. As a child, I always heard about an area called “Three Rivers Meet,” in London. Before visiting the area, I thought it was simply a few rivers congregating in one area—nothing extraordinary. It sounded reasonably interesting, until I actually stood on the bank where all of the rivers met. I began to understand the profound impact of such a unique experience. Fashion, writing and philosophy are all fascinating disciplines by themselves, but together they represent an extraordinary opportunity. Something that was imparted to me a few years ago was that fantastic things could happen at the juncture where opportunity and passion met. We are absolutely clear in our understanding of the great opportunity that lies ahead of us. We have worked passionately, through many setbacks, just to be allowed the opportunity to arrive at this juncture. I sincerely hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we loved making it. Peace and love,

Nicola Wali Editor-in-Chief, Théorie Magazine

MASTHEAD

Nicola Wali Editor-in-Chief nicola@theoriemag.com

Born and raised in Dallas, Nicola is the least Texan Texan you’ll ever meet. A 20 year old who lives and breathes fashion, Nicola is a Fashion Media and Finance student who writes for the unsung and the up-andcoming. Compelled by curiosity and creativity, Nicola sees the world through the eyes of a nuanced writer.

CONTRIBUTERS Taylor McNamara Graphic Design

taylormcnamara1@gmail.com

Tyler Stearnes Illustrator

tyler.stears@yahoo.com

Tim Nguyen Illustrator

ttnguyen307@gmail.com

Krystal Sarna Creative Director krystal@theoriemag.com

Toronto-born, Texas-raised, Krystal lets her passions craft her life. A love for fashion, travel and food combine to drive this 21-year old student, blogger and stylist. Krystal is on a continual pursuit to refine her personal aesthetic through travel and experience. Smitten with style, she loves curating every part of her life. “Style is in everything, it just has to be discovered.”

Cameron Lee Phan Photographer cameronleephan@gmail.com

Cameron is a Vietnamese-American photographer and Texan native who ignited his sartorial fascination when he began modeling in the Fall of 2010. In the same year, he discovered his passion for taking photographs, developing a sharp eye for fashion and portraiture. Cameron now focuses on photography and the convergent boundary between the world and his perception of it.

Where are the

WEIRDOS? written

“In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different” – Coco Chanel They wear effervescent hats, sublime maquillage, gravity-defying heels and phantasmagoric ensembles. They are the fashion eccentrics. They are the gods of style—occult, irrational and ineffable. They are the spirited tastemakers who are willing to transcend trends and color outside of the lines. They are true fashion savants, integral to the advancement of style, who valiantly stand out in the sea of sameness. They break rules that we didn’t even know existed. Simon Doonan has written a book about them, T Magazine has devoted an entire article to them and nearly every fashion publication has lauded their individuality, so who exactly are these mesmerizing creatures? True eccentrics are visionaries like Marchesa Luisa Casati and Elsa Schiaparelli, who gave way to style setters by the likes of Isabella Blow and Anna Piaggi. Eccentricity is an elusive concept that means so much more than airbrushed perfection. Eccentricity is not just a way of dressing or a type of person—it is the combination of the two. The Marchesa Luisa Casati, easily the most scandalous woman of the Belle Époque, was an alluring aesthete who treated life like an artist treats an oeuvre. Tall and thin with a predilection for eccentric garb, the Marchesa was known for her fiery tresses, kohl-rimmed green eyes and androgynous

Nicola

Wali

silhouette. She was an enchanting heiress, a magnetic muse and a fashion titan—a living work of art. John Galliano, an eccentric in his own right, paid homage to her in the 1998 Christian Dior Haute Couture spring collection, as did Tom Ford for his 2004 Spring/Summer Yves Saint Laurent collection. The list goes on with Zac Posen, Karl Lagerfeld and Marchesa (she inspired the name for the brand). The Marchesa, notorious for her flamboyant spirit, had a particular taste for evening strolls—that is, naked under a fur coat, parading a cheetah on a diamond-studded leash. Elsa Schiaparelli, an iconoclastic Italian designer, was a brilliant nonconformist who used fashion as a medium to express her outré ideas, creating madcap designs that only women of style and substance could wear. Her wild and whimsical designs included pieces like a black suit jacket with red lips as pockets, handbags in the form of music boxes and a sprightly shoe-shaped hat that she designed with surrealist painter Salvador Dalí. Schiaparelli, who was as much an artist as a designer, persistently flouted convention in a radical aesthetic revolt. Why do we need eccentrics in fashion, you ask? Eccentrics force us to ponder our willingness to push the envelope and act out the sartorial desires well hidden within the confines of our minds. Eccentrics shape the landscape of fashion and show us that art and life depend on spontaneity. Each

Elsa Schiaparelli unconventional provocateur is radically different from the other, but still unified by the red thread of revolt that they each embody. Take, for instance, veteran British fashion editor Isabella Blow, who single handedly launched the careers of sartorial wunderkinds like Alexander McQueen and Philip Treacy. Blow was held together by a thread of eccentricity—with an unmatched penchant for outlandish ensembles (see: pink burka) and a blatant disregard for societal conventions. Italian fashion editor Anna Piaggi was another striking portrait of eccentricity— continually sporting heavy rouge, candy-colored hair and intensely cultivated style. Piaggi is a genuine muse in a world of sartorial charlatans, a mind numbingly extraordinary figure that lived for fashion that existed at its own margins. While eccentrics embrace the odd, the ugly and the over-the-top, they are on the wane. Today, instead of these stylistic geniuses, we have the

ephemeral street style stars. They are the assassins of eccentricity—the cookie-cutter, celebrity-obsessed herd that trapeze on the streets of any given fashion capital in their prosaic couture confections. They’re the kind of people who primp and preen outside of fashion shows—teetering on their vertiginous heels, adjusting their side-cocked hats. The showoffs that dress purely for the camera are nothing more than prepackaged subversion. Eccentricity isn’t about cultivating a look with a surgical precision—you need intelligence beyond the aesthetic. Eccentrics don’t care about what people think, and these faux eccentrics care about nothing else. While fashion is known for saluting eccentrics, they have gone by the wayside in recent years. Big name brands could very well be contributing to this decline of oddball apparel. Designers are now taking their creative cues from mainstream consumers whose tastes are becoming increasingly homogenized, devoting their energy to mass-mar ket mechanisms rather than creating art.

Anna Piaggi

Isabella Blow These designers, who were once lauded for their artistic virtuosity, are now isolated in creative quarantine and compelled to sell essentially the same clothes to the mainstream flock. Trends like Spartan urban minimalism have led to the casualties of fashion’s purveyors. In order to succeed both commercially and creatively, fashion must find the delicate balance between commerce and art. Take a walk through your local mall, study the cyclic displays, browse the analogous metal racks—you’ll find that the scale is tipping towards the former. The future of fashion lies in the hands of the designers who will remain steadfast in their eccentric premonitions and the women brave enough to wear these creations. The biggest mistake people make is taking fashion too seriously. If there is anything we can learn from eccentrics, it’s that clothes don’t have to be conceptual, outrageous or shocking to be memorable, it just has to be a reflection of you. Nevertheless, as any unconventional seducer worth her weight in Hussein Chalayan knows, one should never mourn the end, but instead celebrate the beginning. So where exactly is the second age of eccentrics?

Marchesa Luisa Casati

A Dream within a Dream An illustration by Tyler Stearnes

Urban Legend Stylist Krystal Sarna Photographer Cameron Lee Phan

Edge meets ethereality on the urban streets

Lavender lace dress, $98, Free People Zippered peplum sweater, $429, Marchesa Voyage Leather biker shorts, $330, LA MARQUE Black + white top, $383, McQ by Alexander Cobalt blazer, $570, SmytheWhite leather-front ponte leggings, $728

14 12

Embellished vest, Rohit Gandhi + Rahul Khanna Black textured faux leather pants, $249 Jimmy Choo Abel pump, $595 Cobalt leather dress, $803, mason Anine Bing leather jacket, $1,099 Anine Bing studded boots, $699

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Bone white blazer, $396, Alice + Olivia Black textured faux leather pants, $249 Embellished vest, Rohit Gandhi + Rahul Khanna

ALL HAIL MCQUEEN Nicola Wali

he walls of a mirrored cube shatter to expose a portly nude woman covered in moths, her face obscured by a gas mask. Raccoon-eyed humanoids slither through a derelict warehouse filled with the echoes of screeching birds and crashing cars. A model spins on a wooden turntable, arms aloft, as two luminous machines shoot black and yellow paint against her ethereal white dress. These are the eyebrow-raising runway works of Alexander McQueen. Lee Alexander McQueen possessed a savage and enigmatic imagination that was unlike any other designer. From his theatrical staging of transgression to a fascination with spectacle and artifice, McQueen continually danced on the fine line between beauty and horror. He effectively raised a middle finger to high fashion, relentlessly defying doctrines with dark stagecraft and visceral designs. With one boundary-breaking show after another, McQueen was aptly dubbed the “enfant terrible” of fashion. The iconoclastic provocateur existed where glamour shades into abjection and sketched the darker side of commodity culture. He designed with unbridled passion, tailored with a surgical precision and evoked a phantasmal wonder with every single stitch of fiber he touched. One of the most striking creative works to ever grace the runway is the hologram that ended McQueen’s Fall 2006 runway show, titled “The Widows of Culloden.” The wistful collection had patent influences from McQueen’s Scottish roots, with austere tartan crinolines, romantic feathered gowns and exaggerated silhouettes. Based on the final battle of the Jacobite risings, the show exposed the crux of McQueen’s aura—his heritage. The elegiac, yet refined, collection was a sophisticated departure from McQueen’s legendary “Highland Rape” collection, which referenced the slaughter of his Scottish ancestors. As the show concluded, a languid wisp of smoke appeared inside the hollow glass pyramid. The spinning shadow finally settled into the shifting silhouette of Kate Moss, her slight frame shrouded in the folds of her eerie white gown. The melancholic theme song of Schindler’s List resonated, magnifying the existing feeling of emptiness. The notes reverberated as a rosy cascade of

organza ruffles twisted around her ghostly frame. Moss seemingly floated in air, her wispy blonde hair and lucid arms swaying in a surreal beauty that was both fragile and haunting. Her apparition danced angelically until it shrank away into obscurity. On February 11, 2010, the fashion establishment was orphaned by the loss of McQueen. McQueen was the undisputed genius of this generation, a mastermind who could so effortlessly incite an uneasy pleasure that merged both wonderment and disbelief. It was his emotional intensity, his remarkable appreciation of beauty and his unfettered passion that progressed fashion in an inconceivable direction—that is, out of its commercial confines and into his very own sinister and fantastical world. This surreal world saw McQueen’s cerebral aesthetic plunge into the darkest corners of his soul and allowed him to create from the outermost peripheries of his prescient imagination. McQueen’s design lexicon is almost eclipsed by the kinetic dichotomy of his work—an endless dialectical opposition between light and dark, life and death, decadence and contagion, sanity and insanity. An artist with an unmatched ability to inspire, McQueen’s passionate pursuit of the marriage of theatrically and fashion manifested in the glacial beauty of his sartorial oeuvres. He was a poetic artificer with an affinity for the dark and dystopian, a visionary and an artist in every sense of the word, whose appetite remained unhindered by commercial spirits. McQueen’s legacy is in a word, sublime. Only Alexander McQueen had the creative capacity to envision such an astounding and magical feat. The audience, left in a trancelike state, echoed in awe after observing such an inconceivable event. McQueen revisited his “Highland” concept of the torment of the Scottish, with Kate Moss embodying the soul of Scotland as a widow. Similar to the numerous pyramids of the past, the glass pyramid of McQueen’s show paid great homage to the pain of the Scottish. The ecstatic applause thundered in honor of this experience, a prominent memory in the history of fashion. The most memorable moment was the eerie silence between when the hologram ended and the rapturous applause began. That silence spoke volumes.

The Art of Wear

Our Spring/Summer 2014 runway reviews . . .

BALMAIN

MCQUEEN

Everyone knows a Balmain girl likes If there’s one thing the house of McQueen is to party. For the Spring/Summer 2014 known for (aside from theatrical tableaus), it is their immaculate craftsmanship. Sarah Burcollection, designer Olivier Rousteing ton introduced us to her primal warriors, clad outfitted his emblematic glamazon in crocodile breastplates and vivid checked with an equally riotous day wardrobe. beading fit for a tribal priestess. Best in show Rousteing’s girls were silhouetted was a graphic red and black number, adorned with a flurry of ostrich feathers and audacious in turbulent eighties constructs like cutouts. The heady collection was a cocktail quilted bombers, slouchy knits and of convoluted shapes, effervescent colors and experimental textures served up for a bold pinstriped overalls. sensory shake up.

ACKE

The catwalks ar menswear inspi blazer here, a pa Enter Haider Ac of a dandy, wh metallic fabrics and long tulle d the Ackermann and simple bla retained a wanto tion’s

Text Nicola Wali

ERMANN

re continually overrun with ired collections—a pinstripe air of slouchy trousers there. ckermann’s very own version hich played out in iridescent s, blinged-out men’s jackets dresses. Another winner in n design aesthetic was a sleek ack jumpsuit that somehow on quality amidst the collecs menswear slant.

Illustrations Tim Nguyen

TOM FORD

SAINT LAURENT

Tom Ford knows what a woman wants. But Hedi Slimane harked back to an unapologetic, just before as we were adjusting to the grand obstinate time—the late 80s and 90s in particmaximalism Ford doled out with his previ- ular, serving up some guilt-free glam and L.A. ous collection, the designer threw us anoth- grunge with this defiant collection. Occasionally, a model would step out in a trademark er curveball in the form of this sexed-out tailored number—the trousers nearly painted leather sequel set. There was a liberal mix of on, the tie as skinny as licorice. The drama sculpted leather pieces, oversized coats and cranked up with eighties disco dresses printed shards of mirrored embellishments on offer with the Rive Gauche red lip motif. The plucky this season, all of which made for a toxically prints, vivacious embellishments and suggessumptuous collection. tive hemlines combined to make some of the most mind-bogglingly beautiful pieces we’ve seen in quite some time.

The Sound of

SoMo Text Nicola Wali Photography Cameron Lee Phan

Joseph

Somers-Morales He just wants to show off! Get to know the Texas crooner behind "Ride"

amassed four and a half million YouTube views), has managed to remain an enigma. SoMo, a guy overflowing with boyish energy and pulsating exuberance, is a Texan kid—the kind that actually grew up here. Born and raised in Austin, SoMo is a product of his environment. “My songwriting is influenced a lot by country music in the way I tell stories through my songs.” Discussing whether he ever plans to leave Texas, he explains: “I’m always going to have a house in Texas. I’m actually just about to buy my first house and it’s in Dallas.”

“How bad is it?” he asks with a gentle laugh, peering over my shoulder at the camera screen in a bleak studio space fit for Terry Richardson. I turn around, incredulous. Did he really just ask how bad Music has always been a part of the Texan croonhis picture is? er’s life. “My dad is a musician, so I’ve sung on stages my whole life,” he recounts, adding a thouThe guy in question is none other than Joseph sand-watt smile. “One of my earliest memories Somers-Morales, better known by his recording with music was when my dad took me to a bar on moniker SoMo. As in, the ubiquitous musical Sixth Street when I was six. I barely remember it, maven responsible for R&B hits like “Ride” and but I sang there and, obviously, I was little kid so “Hush”. A Texan crooner known for his urbane it was bad,” he laughs. SoMo later moved to North charm and cultish allure. A guy that has a flight to Texas and went to University of North Texas for a L.A. the next morning for the Grammy’s. year and a half. “I had to stop because my grades weren’t the best. I mean, I think we’ve all been Clearly in his element, he perches on a minimal there,” he explains. stool, dancing along to Miguel. He explains that he’s a real man—he broke his jaw when a guy hit Now 26, SoMo began his career in 2009 by recordhim in the face with a bottle. He can’t help but flirt ing cover songs in a small Texas town named Denand smile; he’s an absolute people pleaser. This is ison that borders Oklahoma. Over a few million classic SoMo– cheeky, audacious and outrageous. YouTube views later, SoMo is in for what might be the ride of his life. “This is just like icing on the “I like being bad,” he decides with a laugh. He says cake, to be able to do what I love,” he says, aping a this, of course, after deliberating whether to moon blasé gesture. “A lot of people try really hard to get a group of unknowing passersby gazing into the into this line of work and I feel like I didn’t. I didn’t tiny studio window. The “Ride” singer might pass really push for it to happen, I just kind of did what for a high school jock, casually dressed in jeans, I’m good at.” camo vans, an army green beanie and a maroon Stussy sweatshirt. Almost five years later, the discour se seems to be shifting strongly in his favor. SoMo’s The age-old formula appears to be holding true— online esteem initially flourished from his promthe less you know, the more you want to know. ise to release a new video once a week on “SoMo SoMo has somehow managed to maintain a rare Sunday”, and has yielded a legion of undying fans. air of rock star mystery. “I don’t do any of this to SoMo has perfected the art of cover songs, updatbe famous,” the singer notes. But, it’s a mystery ing current hits by artists like The Weeknd, Drake itself how SoMo, after barreling into stardom with and Miguel with layered harmonies and an assortan incredible Drake “Take Care” medley (which ment of notes. The infamous Drake NWTS Med-

ley? He put it together in one night. Known as the YouTube cover king, SoMo’s original collection of frisky ballads is no less majestic. The resplendently suave Texan’s freshman mixtape is a hypnotic amalgam of R&B spirit and pop soul, exhibiting his powerhouse vocals and lyrical dexterity. SoMo released his debut mixtape My Life in 2012, which includes hits like “Ride” and “Letters”. The mixtape is a clever collection of raunchy tunes, steeped by SoMo’s silky smooth delivery. Filled with industrial beats, it attests to the raw power of his passionate lyrics and dynamic voice. It is a set of brilliant, independently produced tracks that emerged from a series of fragmented real-life moments. “They’re all about real things. If you listen to it, it’s supposed to be like a story,” he explains. SoMo has found the elusive R&B-pop sweet spot, winning over indie darlings and teenyboppers alike by breathing life into the realm of music. SoMo has hurdled into the music industry fast lane, inking a deal with Republic Records in October 2013. Republic, who is known for signing both upcoming talent as well as industry giants, has a roster brimming with musical juggernauts like Lorde, Drake, Kid Cudi, Florence + The Machine and even Korean sensation PSY. SoMo’s delivery is smooth and idyllic, putting as much emphasis on his lyrics as he does his music arrangements. “It’s all real,” he explains. Even some of his covers, like his rendition of J. Cole’s “Power Trip”, are inspired by real-life events. “There really was a girl in red chucks back in college,” he says. SoMo, who is a freestyle writer, does not have a formulaic approach to songwriting. “I feel music and then I let words come out and I leave them as they are.” That mesmerizing bridge in “Ride”? He has a story for that too. “Where I say the sun is coming up, that’s a literal freestyle, what you hear is what I sang into the mic. It was about five in the morning, and the sun was coming up in the studio.” SoMo is as much a songwriter as a musician. “Sometimes I feel like I need to live a little before I can write a certain type of song. So I’ll go out and

try to experience different things.” The sound of SoMo is a passionate, soulful revue that points its snapback to R&B, soul and pop. While it draws its influence from these genres, it expels a purely haunted trace of their tone without being directly referential. But, SoMo, who is categorized as an R&B and pop singer, stresses that he identifies more with the former. “I really consider myself R&B driven because that’s what I grew up on,” he explains. “I just say I’m an R&B singer because that’s where my vocal roots really are, my voice is always going to sound R&B.” There really is no beating around the bush with SoMo. “I mean, I like sex,” he quips. His lyrics are direct and honest, but what makes SoMo stand out in a sea of musical monotony is his ability to maintain a risqué quality in his music without ever coming across as vulgar. You could jam out to one of his lascivious tunes with your mother (if you dare), and still leave with your dignity. It’s been two years since SoMo announced himself with “Ride,” which became his first hit single. Ever since, his immense admiration has stemmed

largely from his knack for straddling the divide between love and lust, even though he exudes far more sensuality than his contemporaries. Part of that is due to SoMo’s sheer intensity, but his sly lyrics and fiery delivery deserve credit, too. “I think it doesn’t come off as explicit because it comes from real experiences,” he explains. In his music, all of which he writes, he masterfully blends romance with lust. He wants your heart because he’s “full of your love”. But he also yearns to “keep going till you’re screaming and you’re sore.” No other artist so seamlessly balances sex and love, singing about racy escapades, yes, but also unadulterated love. “I just think our generation lost the ability to be sexy without it being sexual,” he muses. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to feel sexy or wanting to be in love. I want to bring the love back into being sexy.”

This highly anticipated, self-titled album, penciled in for release on April 8th, is yet another independent creation from SoMo. “I wrote it and recorded it before I actually signed with Republic,” he explains. “That was one of my terms, I wanted this album to come out the way I wrote it. So, it’s still very much an independent-driven album.” The album, much like My Life, is cohesive and conceptual, telling a story through its lyrics in customary SoMo fashion. What fans have to enjoy in the interim are his weekly “SoMo Sunday” videos, which he promises to keep putting out for as long as he can. SoMo’s sound is entirely his own, with a voice and visual sensibilities that are remarkably distinctive. SoMo’s newest single “Show Off,” which is new on the album, is an electrifying acrylic, long on high-energy blasts of layered pulses and a snaky flow. SoMo’s deep, crystalline baritone, a vocal range that is both striking and divine, provides the ultimate foil for the lusty and methodic R&B production. The only person that created SoMo is him—there is no manipulative corporate machine behind him. Discussing his fears about fame, he explains: “I’m not afraid to be myself, I’m loud and obnoxious. But, I have noticed that when I’m out in public, I kind of reserve myself a little more because people only see certain parts of your life.” He elaborates, “Fuck the media, really, at the end of the day, I am who I am.”

For someone that experiences a fair amount of animosity, SoMo is refreshingly relaxed. “There’s Sliding into our booth always going to be someone who doesn’t like what at Truck Yard, I ask you’re doing, no matter what,” says SoMo about his SoMo what he consid- detractors. “When you give attention to negativity, ers his artistic strength it just breeds more negativity. So I just ignore it to be. We agree that it completely.” is, in fact, his ability produce risqué music SoMo has had quite the week. “I just played three that is never explicit. “I do have one song coming back to back shows,” he says, smiling, with a hardly that’s a little more risqué,” he warns about his next noticeable shake of the head, as if in slight disbe album. “I would say more explicit, but it’s still very lief. “I was tired yesterday, but I’m fine now”. His SoMo feeling, where you don’t actually feel like it’s very first tour (the Show Off Tour) began in the explicit. summer of last year, his Ride Tour transpired

last fall and he’s already gearing up for life on the road again. While SoMo has perfected the perfect mix of hip-hop and urban sensibility in his style, he notes that he likes to keep his tour wardrobe minimal to keep the emphasis on his music (he usually opts for a black t-shirt, black jeans and black vans). And while his lyrics are admittedly suggestive, SoMo admits that he isn’t keen on parties. “I haven’t really experienced crazy tour life,” he notes. “But I like women, so I have had fun in that respect,” he clarifies.

fused to let me carry anything because I’m a “lady”. The dichotomy of SoMo, a mishmash of blasé nonchalance and striking confidence, is mystifying to say the least. He could be rhyming about his latest hook-up one moment, and then humming about love another. He’s a guy that’s remarkably self-assured and extroverted, but he’s also a guy that asked me “why can’t an ugly guy be famous?” moments after peering around my shoulder to ask how bad his picture was. He’s overtly sexual in his lyrics, but...a nice guy.

SoMo, a musical savant that has so precisely defined his auditory aesthetic, is ripe for the challenge. “I’m ready. I think I have been my whole life. I didn’t really plan to do this…it just kind of happened. I’ve always been happy, I’ve always worked hard no matter what.”

“I live with a sense of urgency that I think our generation lacks,” SoMo says, craning his head back to flash a brisk grin. We’re sitting in practically bumper-to-bumper traffic at a downtown intersection. He finally snaps his head around to look back at the road. I breathe a sigh of relief, that is, just before he smashes his foot into the accelerator, swerving through traffic.

I can’t help but forget that I’m in the presence of a musical sensation, a guy that has over a 150,000 Twitter followers and a cornucopia of fan pages. He’s a genuinely good person—someone that re-

Want more SoMo? Go behind the scenes of his shoot at theoriemag.com.

“

I want to bring the love back into beingSEXY

”

Plaid shirt, $235, Hope All other clothing is SoMoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own

In tribute to the forthcoming Yves Saint Laurent biopic, here is a sampling of our favorite unsung fashion flicks to tide you over. From Bill Cunningham’s creative dexterity to Steve McQueen’s urbane disposition, these are the films that will never go out of style.

AMERICAN GIGolO American Gigolo isn’t about a highclass prostitute on the run—it’s about what he wears. It’s about Armani. Richard Gere’s portrayal of Julian, a pinup with an insatiable appetite for excess, is admittedly flawless, but his role as a mannequin to Armani’s sartorial confections is unparalleled. Julian is the portrait of 80s hedonism, seen affectionately laying out his sleek Italian suits while dabbing cocaine and singing along to Smokey Robinson.

A Single Man A Single Man, the brainchild of fashion mastermind Tom Ford, may have a cast list brimming with Hollywood heavyweights, but its wardrobe is no less impressive. Between Colin Firth’s cool sophistication and Nicholas Hoult’s enchanting baby blues, I could hardly recover from my swooning before I could process the film’s stunning ensembles.

BILL CUNNINGHAM NEW YORK This eponymous documentary chronicles the monastically simple life of Bill Cunningham, the legendary New York Times street-fashion photographer, as he masterfully captures trends from behind his lens. From his anomalous blue coat to his surprisingly sartorial Red Schwinn, everything about this chic flick is lively and humanizing.

FASHION ON FILM by Nicola Wali BLOW-UP Dedicated to the surreal world of chic media, Blow-Up is a provocative and voyeuristic 60s masterpiece. The film spotlights Thomas, a footloose Casanova that works as a freelance fashion photographer in swinging London. Director Michelangelo Antonioni takes the viewer by the hand and brilliantly illustrates the intricacies of the world of fashion photography through this illusive mod thriller.

L’AMOUR FOU This intoxicating documentary takes an intimate look at the life of Yves Saint Laurent, narrated by Pierre Berge as he reminisces about their time together. With its alluring vintage footage and hypnotic dialogue, L’amour Fou is the kind of movie that makes film buffs weak at the knees.

THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR This classic 1968 heist film, starring Steve McQueen, is replete with grandeur and glimmering cinematography. With immaculate lines and delightful contours, Steve McQueen’s suits are bespoke sartorial perfection. Noted as one of the most influential moments in film style by the likes of Tom Ford and Ralph Lauren, The Thomas Crown Affair is beyond stylish.

Cognitive Cohesion

A photo essay by

Cameron Lee Phan

In the creation of a series of photographs, there is a vital force that must be fabricated and retained by those present. There is an unspoken force shared between a model and photographer, salvaging action to reaction. What is finalized is perceived as the inherent reward, but perhaps what is most rewarding is the stage in between the creation and finalization of a photograph. In â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cognitive Cohesion,â&#x20AC;? observe these transitional stages as the final product, underlining the bond between a model, photographer and the idea.

-Cameron Lee Phan

Credits Where are the Weirdos? Photo credit: Flickr Creative CommonsMarchesa Luisa Casati: diamonddollscouture Elsa Schiaparelli: elena-lu Isabella Blow: pollyannabbott Anna Piaggi: outsapop All Hail McQueen Photo credit: Flickr Creative Commonsfashioninstanbul, insonwood, emiya, cigarettesmocke Urban Legend Kim Dawson Agency Nina Shaw & Erika Jones http://www.kimdawsonagency.com http://www.freepeople.com Elements http://www.elementsclothing.com The Sound of SoMo Republic Records http://www.republicrecords.com Piermarini Boutique http://www.piermariniboutique.com Cognitive Cohesion Kim Dawson Agency Emily Deaver http://www.kimdawsonagency.com Inspired. Photo credit: http://thelicentiate.com/tag/helmut-newton/ http://www.tylershields.com/images/art/mouths.jpg Tyler Shields Maloes Horst “Queen of the Desert” for Harper’s Bazaar Australia December 2013 Sadie Ames by Donald J Rihanna for Harper’s Bazaar US August 2012 Alexander McQueen by Tim Walker

by Krystal Sarna