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United We Stand
CloCkwise from Top lefT: Bag ProeNZA ScHouler sandal dior sunglasses louiS VuiTToN CluTCh STellA MccArTNeY shoe louiS VuiTToN Bag reed KrAKoFF BraCeleT (on handle) louiS VuiTToN
contents
BeauTy from lefT: cHANel le BlanC BrighTening moisTure loTion M.A.c coSMeTicS lighTful sofTening loTion
MAdoNNA TruTH or dAre eau du parfum (in Bag)
Made In aMerIca 32 world clique
Spring kicks off with a Gucci get-together, dinner with Stella, music with Mulberry, Louis Vuitton’s late night, a trip to Thailand with Tilda, Chanel’s jacket party in Japan!
34 HeroeS A lesson in legends of American fashion: Charles James, Mainbocher, and Claire McCardell From the advent of the sewing machine to the celebrity fragrance boom, take a trip through the past and into the present
42 worK iN ProGreSS Tom Sachs gets ready for blast-off; Josephine Meckseper breaks new ground
46 GeorGiA oN MY MiNd In an exclusive preview from his forthcoming book, photographer Martin Parr shows us new snapshots from colorful Atlanta
47 loST iN SPAce Digital artist Marco Brambilla visits NASA and fulfills a childhood fantasy
48 GoSSiP Girl Beth Ditto is back with a dancefloor-ready Gossip album and a loud makeup line to match
50 liGHT To dArK New York band Light Asylum arrives with an album of apocalyptic anthems, bound to give the radio a run for its money 26
In a startling new documentary, YouTube sensation Chris Crocker bares his true feelings and his true colors
52 SiSTer AcT With two big collaborations on the horizon, Kate and Laura Mulleavy continue to put the “art” in Rodarte
54 NewS From Olympic duds to the must-see exhibition of the moment, we give you the scoop on what to buy and where to go
56 Go For THe Gold Get your game face on with these essential beauty enhancers
57 KeeP SHiNiNG American Idol Jordin Sparks opens up about acting with the late Whitney Houston in their new movie, Sparkle
58 lAdieS wHo luNcH The uptown elite don’t dress for the street. See the season’s essentials in a very social setting
62 rioT GirlS Anna Faris, Rashida Jones, Lizzy Caplan, Ana Gasteyer, Ari Graynor, Judy Greer, and Wendi McLendon-Covey show why women are ruling comedy
70 jeAN GeNieS A pair of new models with Native blood are turning heads on the streets of New York
74 BorN iN THe u.$.A. BY iNeZ & ViNoodH Rap, raunch, and radio hits have defined the career of Ke$ha so far, but this year she channels the warrior within in hopes of creating rock-and-roll history
82 lArrY clArK’S TexAS AdVeNTureS The legendary director shoots the new Pre-Fall collections exclusively for V from the set of his upcoming film, Marfa Girl
92 AMericANArAMA BY SeBASTiAN FAeNA Bodacious next-door beauty Carolyn Murphy turns up in a parallel world of trashy suburban treasure
100 AMericAN idolS BY SHAriF HAMZA The seasons of American beauty may change, but the classic faces remain the same
110 SNooK wHo’S TAlKiNG BY NATHANiel GoldBerG The tiny, trash-talking TV queen Snooki takes a break from the booze and gets ready for baby
116 couTure diArieS BY SoNNY VANdeVelde Sonny Vandevelde goes backstage and Derek Blasberg gets up close at the Spring 2012 Couture shows in Paris
124 TiMe TrAVel BY SHu AKASHi V resurrects a few national treasures to pay tribute to Burrows, Beene, Halston, and Sprouse
128 eAT Your HeArT ouT Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane waxes poetic on the paltry state of the press and politics
Photography Daniel Lindh Fashion Christopher Barnard Beauty Caitlin Gaffey
40 THrouGH THe AGeS
51 Piece oF Me
©2011 CHANEL®, Inc. COCO®, The Classic Bottle®,
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foreword
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State of the Union When we sat down to discuss the contents of this issue, the ideas submitted were as varied
as a mile-long Vegas buffet. Peppy cheerleaders, prolific fashion designers, Art Deco archi-
28
Photography Daniel Lindh Fashion Christopher Barnard Beauty Caitlin Gaffey
tecture, Nascar drag racing, Route 66 road trips, F. Scott Fitzgerald, legendary models, Texas socialites, and art-world superstars were all on the docket. We soon realized that for everyone in our editorial melting pot—the staff here hails from hometowns in places as far-flung as Massachusetts, Missouri, California, Canada, New Zealand, and Belgium—America means something a little bit different. Now, after soldiering through plenty of impassioned discourses, we feel it is time to revel in the results. In this edition of V you’ll find historic fashion figures, musical geniuses, and a fair amount of kitsch. Our cover star, the indomitable Ke$ha (shot by Inez & Vinoodh and styled by Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele), ticks all three of the aforementioned boxes. Not only is she fearless with her style, but as the self-made songstress from Tennessee reveals to senior editor Patrik Sandberg, she is equally passionate about her loyal fan base and her furry four-legged friends. As for the rest of the issue, fasten your seat belt. True to the fabric of America, we honor all kinds of innovators: design greats like Charles James and Claire McCardell; punk rock darling Beth Ditto; current queens of comedy; Native-American beauties; and a treasure trove of iconic
models, including Elaine Irwin, Christie Brinkley, and Carol Alt, as well as relative newcomers Arizona Muse and Karlie Kloss (all wearing pieces by American designers). We even have a darling American Idol in Jordin Sparks, who shares loving anecdotes about her Sparkle costar Whitney Houston. Our meander through the States makes a noteworthy pit stop in the suburbs with Sebastian Faena, Nicola Formichetti, and supermodel Carolyn Murphy, and another in Texas, where legendary director Larry Clark takes time out from filming his new movie, Marfa Girl, to shoot a Pre-Fall fashion story with stylist Melanie Ward. There are exclusive peeks at new works by multimedia artist Marco Brambilla (at the Kennedy Space Center), innately curious photographer Martin Parr (in Atlanta), and design duo Rodarte, whose costumes for Don Giovanni will debut at the Walt Disney Concert Hall later this month. New talents (Light Asylum) and interviews with reality-TV stars, including Chris Crocker and a pregnant, leopard-print-loving Snooki, round out the more outré elements, while Seth MacFarlane, the Family Guy creator and director of the upcoming comedy Ted, questions the media’s sanity during an election year. Of course fashion is never forgotten: along with shoots dedicated to the new collections, we take a backstage look at the glamorous haute couture shows in Paris—a crème brûlée finish to one delicious American smorgasbord. mS. v
W W W. R E P O S S I . C O M
GUCCI’S GILDED GIRL
Frida Giannini and Gucci celebrate their new Face, charlotte casiraGhi, at a party in paris. pictured, From leFt: alicia Keys, rosario dawson, casiraGhi, members oF the citiZens! with Giannini, lily donaldson, sKy Ferreira, euGenie niarchos, andrea casiraGhi, and noor Fares
STELLa’S DaNCE mOb
stella mccartney debuts a special eveninGwear collection with a perFormance piece in london. pictured, From leFt: anJa rubiK, alexa chunG, amber valletta, mario testino, shalom harlow, Jamie hince, Kate moss, rihanna, and mccartney
LOUIS aT THE LOUVRE
an exhibit celebratinG marc Jacobs’s 15-year career at louis vuitton debuts at the louvre’s les arts dÉcoratiFs. pictured, From leFt: sarah Jessica parKer, Gwyneth paltrow, catherine deneuve, Jacobs, charlotte GainsbourG, lee radZiwill, Kristen stewart, and robert pattinson
mayfaIR mUSIC mULbERRy
mulberry hosts a london Fashion weeK dinner and special perFormance From lana del rey. pictured, From leFt: emma hill, aZealia banKs, eliZabeth olsen, nicolas hoult, del rey, pixie GeldoF, michelle williams, Gillian anderson, michelle docKery, and Josephine de la baum
fILm ON THE ROCKS
tilda swinton presents thailand’s Film on the rocKs Festival at six senses resort in yao noi. pictured, From leFt: tom sachs, sara hoover, ryan mcGinley, waris ahluwalia, Joanna hoGG, haider acKermann, swinton, and chloË seviGny
32
THE JaCKET IN JaPaN
Karl laGerFeld brinGs an army oF chic women to toKyo to celebrate his new booK oF photoGraphs entitled the little blacK JacKet. pictured, From leFt: clÉmence poÉsy, lily donaldson, sarah Jessica parKer, carine roitFeld, vanessa paradis, laGerFeld, stella tennant, and alice dellal
Photography Courtesy Gucci, Stella McCartney, Louis Vuitton, Mulberry, Film on the Rocks, Chanel
world clique
Antonio photo Courtesy Bill Cunningham Taupe “La Sirene” dress Courtesy Photocopyright MFIT
AMERICAN FASHION
These Three champions of design are gone, buT never forgoTTen. in a TribuTe To Their irreplaceable TalenT and enduring influence, bill cunningham, karl lagerfeld, and isabel Toledo pay Their respecTs 34
charles james BY BIll cUNNINGham Charlie James was not the first American couturier, but he comes to mind because he was so creative. He is often put in the same category as Norman Norell and Pauline Trigère but he was the exception. Everything he did was custom-made, not ready-to-wear. He was a sculptor who used fabric instead of marble. He would build his garments as a three-dimensional form. He was also a perfectionist in the extreme. His clients never got their pieces for the occasion that they wanted to wear them. It was like commissioning Rembrandt; you just couldn’t rush him. They would have to wait, on average two or three years, for Charlie to finish the garments! If he didn’t like something, the piece was torn apart so that it was unwearable, and he would start from scratch. He thought nothing of taking 10 years to devise the perfect sleeve. I remember one sleeve he did, for a cloth coat, was based on medieval armor. The cloth coats always stood out. They were wonderful! He was known for very extravagant and innovative evening dresses, but if you knew him, you had to have a backup option. He only dressed women who had pedigree, enough money, and everything else. Mrs. Augustine William Hearst Jr. was a standout client, but she also had a woman in Washington, D.C. who would copy a dress when she needed it quickly. A lot of
people made cheap copies. Arnold Scaasi worked for Charlie, then took his ideas and made them commercial. The pieces had so many attributes that could apply to retail collections, but not with the same taste level or combination of colors. Charlie had an impeccable sense of color. Other designers are in the business of commerce, but not Charlie. He imposed the shape on the body—the one he wanted you to have, even if you had to go through 100,000 fittings. Mainly, though, he was misunderstood. He was a genius, not in the fashion market, but in the world of fashion as real art. You don’t put yourself in an ivory tower when you work in commerce! He was in the wrong industry. He was an architect of design and it would be a great disservice of justice to lump him in with other designers. He was a true artist.
photography and text Bill Cunningham Above: A 1974 nocturnal drawing session in the Chelsea Hotel studio with Antonio, documenting a late 1959 coat modeled by Mrs. Fritz Bultman, Jr. Opposite page: Taupe “La Sirene” dress, Charles James; 1956-1957
mainbocher bY KarL LaGerFeLD He designed dresses for a modern woman who could see herself as a new version of an Edith Wharton heroine or a Sargent painting—like Portrait of Madame X, his most famous work, of Madame Gautreau in the black dress. Inspired by that painting, Mainbocher invented the strapless evening dress. In a way, it was a forerunner of the New Look after the war, some eight years later. His 1939 collection was entirely corseted. One of Horst’s most famous photos for Vogue shows a sculptural foundation garment designed by Mainbocher, manufactured by Warner Corset Company that year. It was also that company that helped him move to America just before the Second World War broke out. Once there, he opened his maison de couture in New York. It was perhaps smaller than his establishment in Paris, but just as chic and elegant. His muse was Princess Natalia Paley. After her divorce from Lucien Lelong (the designer for whom Christian Dior and Pierre Balmain worked during the war, before they opened their own houses), she had also moved to New York. But soon he found the most perfect, 200-percent-American muse, the beautiful C.Z. Guest. Nobody evoked chic like she did. She wore nothing but Mainbocher’s designs for the next 20 years. Mainbocher was totally apart from the other New York or L.A. designers (like Valentina, Carnegie, or Adrian). He became a symbol of American elegance, class, and style. When he closed his couture operation, he went back to Europe—not to Paris, the place where he had been so happy and so successful, but to Munich—and a few years later he died there, peaceful, but never forgotten. Karl lagerfeld Black dress with hip wrap, Mainbocher; 1947
Mainbocher Courtesy Photocopyright MFIT
Remember Mainbocher? Not many people of the younger generation do. Some may know the pale blue dress he designed for Wallis Simpson when she became the Duchess of Windsor in the late ’30s. Cecil Beaton’s photos of that event, at the Castle of Dande, are classics in the history of fashion imagery. There is also much more to know about him. He was from Chicago, and his real name was Main Rousseau Bocher. After serving in the army in Europe during WWI, he stayed in Paris and made a living as a fashion illustrator. He started working for French Vogue just after the magazine was first published. A few years later, he became the first American editor-in-chief of the magazine. After a while, he did something that no American before him had achieved in Paris. He opened a maison de couture. It was a risky business to start a couture operation after the Wall Street crash of 1929, but it worked and was an instant success. The business was not like Jean Patou and Chanel had been in the ’20s, with thousands of workers. In Paris, after 1930, the world of fashion had changed. American ladies loved his clothes, and one must remember that in the ’20s and ’30s the most elegant and most stylish women were Americans like Mona Harrison Williams (who much later became the Countess Bismarck) and Kitty Miller. Both had money during the Depression. The famous Windsor wedding happened later, when the house of Mainbocher had been known for several years for great style and real elegance. Lady Mendel and Elsa Maxwell pushed the former Mrs. Simpson to go to Mainbocher to ensure that she would get the perfect dress for her role as the new Duchess of Windsor. His style was extremely refined, and when the end of the decade came nearer, there was a little touch (but in a very clean and modern way) of the American Belle Époque.
claire mccardell BY iSaBel TOledO vacations with gusto—and Claire designed their wardrobes. Good design is problem solving,
and Claire made clothes that solved, for the modern American woman, the problem of what to
wear. Her straight talk and unpretentious gestures are built into her designs, which manage to retain something of the mystery and unpredictability of womanhood as well. I was introduced to Claire McCardell around 1985. Dr. Valerie Steele from the Fashion Institute of Technology interviewed me for an upcoming book she was working on, which became Women in Fashion. Steele mentioned that my clothes reminded her of McCardell’s. So I did some homework—and instantly felt a kinship. Her lack of ornamentation, no-nonsense intelligence, smart design, and strong practical streak spoke to me. Her sense of timelessness is an essential element that has always appealed to me as well. It’s a must if you want your clothes to intrigue forever, if you want them to have longevity. I soon remembered that my first encounter with a Claire McCardell garment had been at the FIT museum. I was in my late teens and taking some night courses when I discovered an exhibition of swimsuits that included a black piece with brass hooks and eyes running dangerously up the front, as if tempting the wearer to hook or unhook, depending on the weather and personal temperature. Being of a rebellious age then, I recognized in that swimsuit a secret language of discrete sensuality, yet it was as innocent as a dancer’s leotard, like the one from Capezio that I wore every day because it made me feel both beatnik and severe, both radical and classical—not unlike what Claire’s clothes project. Isabel Toledo Claire McCardell tailoring a jacket, July 1940, New York City
Claire McCardell courtesy © Bettmann/CORBIS
Claire McCardell is an all-American original, a founding mother of American fashion, and a personal design hero of mine. She understood different body types, and she used form in the service of function without ever sacrificing the emotional content of clothes. In her work, McCardell captured the aesthetic of the modern American way of living, namely with appreciation for the great outdoors. Her clothes were for people who enjoy nature and the natural aspects of life. Why settle for artifice when you can have the original design? Why should a raincoat aspire to mimic a wartime trench and live a life of controlled beige? Why not make it red top-stitched denim or subversively shiny and black, or outrageously striped, like a beach chair? Why does a formal dress have to be corseted and adorned like a Victorian lamp shade? It can be as loose and easy as a T-shirt—basic and casual enough to wear out almost every night—like a super chic uniform, one equipped with the practical addition of pockets. These and other fashion questions were answered by Claire McCardell during a career that spanned from the late ’20s to her untimely death in 1958. All her innovations were proposed as products for the mass-market, in the gritty and fast-paced life of New York City’s garment district, not in the rarefied world of haute couture. Claire had the vision to evolve play clothes into daywear, which eventually became known as American sportswear. Her work is subversively simple: she had a sly way of sneaking brilliant ideas and radical changes into your closet—and into your life! —almost undetected, because she designed clothes you needed to wear immediately. During this time, clothing for American women was in flux, transitioning from post-Depression frugality to wartime practicality to midcentury modernist femininity. The American woman went to work, raised a family, and took
m a xm a ra .co m
timeline
through the ages
The first issue of Harper’s Bazaar, 1867 Far left: Alice Roosevelt Longworth
1800s
From bloomers to designer jeans to outrÉ pop star style, american Fashion has always been about making strides TExT ELIzABETH McMULLEN
1940s EMERGENCE OF AMERICAN DESIGN
Dress by Claire McCardell
1920s
TOWARD PROGRESS
1940: With Paris under occupation, America looks to its own for fashion direction. Publicist Eleanor Lambert launches the Best-Dressed List to promote American designers. Domestic goddesses demand clean, modern sportswear; Claire McCardell rises to the call with her belted Monastic dress and Popover wrap dress. McCardell’s color-coordinated ballet flats by Capezio liberate women from heels. Designers Hattie Carnegie, Norman Norell, and Pauline Trigère also become go-to designers.
1851: Activist Amelia Bloomer promotes poufy pants under short skirts, but society isn’t ready yet. 1856: W.S. Thomson banishes heavy layers with his steel cage petticoat; Scarlett O’Hara types opt for super-wides up to 18 feet! By the end of the era, women pore over Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue and order clothing from department-store catalogs while Charles Dana Gibson’s Girl becomes the modern ideal. Teddy Roosevelt’s daughter Alice epitomizes the New Woman—the daring teen smokes, dances the hula, and carries a pet snake in her purse.
1950s
1961: First Lady Jackie Kennedy sets the bar for American elegance at home and abroad. Hollywood designer Oleg Cassini creates her wardrobe, milliner Halston her trendmaking pillbox hat, and costume jeweler Kenneth Jay Lane her signature three-strand pearl necklace. 1962: Eleanor Lambert and others establish the CFDA to advance American fashion.
ANTIESTABLISHMENT FASHION
1964: Rudi Gernreich sets a new precedent with his topless bathing suit, the “monokini,” and his “No-bra” bra. King of Pop Art Andy Warhol offers up his bulky Brillo-Box dress. The Scott Paper Company follows suit with $1 paper minidresses, printed with advertising images like Campbell’s Soup cans, à la Warhol. A year later, San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district is a’swirl with psychedelic tie-dye, bell-bottoms, prairie skirts, and peace symbols.
PREP SCHOOL
MINIMALISM AND GRUNGE
The Official Preppy Handbook advises the upwardly mobile on upper-crust living. Ralph Lauren’s popped-collar Polos and sweater vests and Tommy Hilfiger’s all-American classics are de rigueur for loafer-shod Buffys and Muffys.
1992: Kate Moss bares all to promote “Calvin Clean’s” stripped-down style. Marc Jacobs puts Seattle grunge on Perry Ellis’s runway. American supermodels Christy, Cindy, and Kristen dominate the fashion pages while Isaac Mizrahi famously chronicles it all in Unzipped.
Working Girls like Melanie Griffith power up in suits from Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren and then slip into evening looks from Oscar de la Renta, James Galanos, and Bill Blass. Donna Karan’s “seven easy pieces” make mixing business separates a pleasure.
1932: Adrian’s ruffled dress for Joan Crawford in Letty Lynton sells 50,000 copies at Macy’s; the retailer will soon set up a Cinema Shop. 1933: Jean Harlow’s platinum cool in Dinner at Eight sparks a run on drugstore peroxide; women swoon for slinky, bias-cut halter gowns. 1939: Glamour of Hollywood magazine (today’s Glamour) showcases star style. Screen couturier Valentina dresses Katharine Hepburn for Broadway’s The Philadelphia Story; the wedding dress is copied up and down 7th Avenue.
1970s WORKING WOMEN Dress for Success is the working woman’s bible. Halston’s Ultrasuede shirtwaist and Diane von Furstenberg’s wrap dress offer fluid, easy chic; Geoffrey Beene has effortless elegance in the Bag. Pantsuits are the power silhouette. By the end of the decade, women stand shoulderto-shoulder with their male counterparts, wearing Ralph Lauren’s relaxed menswear looks inspired by Diane Keaton in Annie Hall.
DISCO AND DESIGNER JEANS Riding a white horse into Studio 54, Bianca Jagger is the picture of glossy Halston glamour. Disco kings and queens dance the night away in designer jeans from Calvin Klein and Gloria Vanderbilt.
Above: Diane von Furstenberg’s first ad, 1972 Right: Bianca Jagger at Studio 54, 1977
2000s HIP-HOP STYLE Rap heavyweights supersize tracksuits, jeans, and sports jerseys; Tommy Hilfiger, FUBU, Sean John, and Baby Phat are choice logos. Ladies spark a fad for gold doorknocker earrings and nameplate necklaces.
LABEL LUST Stylist Patricia Field dresses Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker in designer togs, sparking desires for luxury shopping as well as credit-card abuse.
DESIGN FOR ALL
2003: Isaac Mizrahi rakes in profits for megaretailer Target, paving the way for fast fashion and collaborations with hot new talents like Proenza Schouler and Rodarte. 2004: Europe takes notices as Karl Lagerfeld designs for Swedish retailer H&M. 2007: Kate Moss does Topshop. Celebrities brand their signature style—Gwen Stefani, J.Lo, Jessica Simpson, Fergie, and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen all launch clothing lines. Generation Excess blogs and tweets every fashion find.
OUTRAGEOUS STYLE Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and Nicky Minaj push the style envelope and encourage fashion risks and new fabrics, like meat.
THE MTV GENERATION Stephen Sprouse gives graffiti and neon a designer spin; Debbie Harry takes notice and says “Call Me.” Madonna wanna-bes flaunt underwearas-outerwear, layer crucifixes with pearls, cut fingers off gloves, and rip strategic holes in fishnets. Tweens imitating Cyndi Lauper’s exuberant style create Rainbow Brite–bag lady chic. In high-school halls and shopping malls, Guess and Esprit compete for denim dominance.
FIRST LADY FASHION
Isaac Mizrahi in Unzipped, 1995 Kate Moss for Calvin Klein Jeans, 1992
Perry Ellis Spring/Summer 1993
40
HOLLYWOOD DICTATES THE LOOKS
Funny Face, 1957
1990s
POWER DRESSING
1930s
First Lady Michelle Obama spotlights both unsung and established American designers such as Isabel Toledo and Narciso Rodriguez, as well as fresh young talents like Thakoon and Jason Wu.
The First Lady in Isabel Toledo, 2009
Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex & The City
Clockwise, from top left: © Bettmann/CORBIS Courtesy Harper’s Bazaar Frank Driggs Collection/Archive Photos/Getty Images George Hurrell/Moviepix/Getty Images Courtesy Diane von Furstenberg Rose Hartman/Archive/Getty Images Tom Kingston/WireImage/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Tyler Mallory/Getty Images Entertainment Courtesy Calvin Klein © Patrick Demarchelier Courtesy Donna Karan © Catwalking Courtesy The Museum at FIT GAP Archive/Redferns/Getty Images
1980s
Jazz babies Louise Brooks and Josephine Baker shake a leg and show London and Paris how to dance the Charleston. 1927: Fast-driving flapper Clara Bow is the original It girl, starring in the silver-screen hit It. Fans go for cloches, bobbed hair, penciled brows, red lips, and hiked hemlines.
AMERICA THE ELEGANT
Society ladies like C.Z. Guest go for glamour from veteran couturiers Mainbocher and Charles James; their debutante daughters clamor for copies of Edith Head’s lilac-and-tulle frock for Elizabeth Taylor in the 1951 drama A Place in the Sun. Sock-hoppers sport saddle shoes and flaring poodle skirts, attributed to actress-singer Juli Lynne Charlot. By 1957 they’ve swapped for beatnik ensembles, thanks to Audrey Hepburn’s film Funny Face. American models Dovima and Suzy Parker are the stars of the era.
Donna Karan’s “Seven Easy Pieces” collection, 1986
CUTTING LOOSE
1960s
RETURN TO FEMININITY
Joan Crawford in Letty Lynton, 1932
Louise Brooks, 1928
IDEAS IN PHOTOGRAPHY
LOS ANGELES ST BARTH BERLIN STUDIOS GALLERIES EVENTS W
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Blast Off
In preparatIon for hIs lunar landIng at the park avenue armory thIs sprIng, tom sachs undergoes astronaut traInIng We forge our bodies in the furnace of our souls. Space Camp is a fitness protocol developed by Pat Manocchia of La Palestra. The five ingredients are push-up, chin-up, ab-wheel, deadlift, and lunge. Thus we condition our bodies and minds for the rigors of space travel. Tom SachS
42
work in progress
drill, baby, drill
with her first public art piece, Josephine Meckseper lowers the booM on an oil-dependent society I was doing a last round of inspections on the pump jacks before they were turned on to simulate oil extraction. I had been on the dirt lot at Eighth avenue and 46th street for a week with a construction crew lead by Steve Zachar. Their shifts usually started at four a.m. and it was surprisingly cold that week. They were tough guys though, one of them had a wolf for a pet. Seeing the sculptures go up in the middle of midtown and getting instant responses from pedestrians was an exciting moment. The fivemonth development process involved architects, engineers, and trips to Texas. Kenny, owner of the Irish pub next door, the Playwright, generously lent us electricity to power the pump jacks—the lot itself wasn’t on the grid. The sculptures are replicas of real pump jacks, made out of steel, 25 feet tall, each one weighing three tons. They were fabricated by a local metal shop, Pabst Enterprises, which normally specializes in creating equipment to test pipelines. They have also invented equipment for the US Navy. The sculptures are only half a block from Times Square. Surrounded by all the diversion and commercialism there, they become the hard-edged reality of a culture that is defined by its control of supplies of natural resources. The sculptures are ultimately of our time. Josephine Meckseper
45
travel
GEORGIA ON MY MIND
IntrepId photographer martIn parr gIves v an exclusIve look at hIs latest book of Images, up and down peachtree, based on a socIal exploratIon of the cIty of atlanta “I liked the rather crazy mix that the city had to offer,” responds Martin Parr when asked about his first trip to Georgia’s state capital. And what a mix it is. Where else can you find Baptist churches, white wine-swilling society folk, and Coca-Cola flip-flops? But diverse sights such as these are nothing the welltraveled documentarian and cultural anthropologist hasn’t seen before. Parr has been honing his craft since the ’70s, conducting camera-driven field studies everywhere—from middle-class England and lavish Dubai art festivals to Japanese communter trains and the slovenly grounds of Las Vegas’s runway strip. The impetus for his latest sojourn came when Atlanta’s High Museum of Art commissioned Parr to fix his trained lens on the city’s inhabitants and local emphemera. The resulting images will be shown at the museum in June as part of a group exhibition entitled Picturing the South and will also be published in the artist’s 54th tome, Up and Down Peachtree. The Atlanta series is ripe with Parr’s recurring themes of consumerism, social mores, and an overall appreciation of the banal, conveying a relatable and revelatory tongue-in-cheek glimpse into the lifestyle choices of his subjects. “America is a very good place for a nosey photographer to work in,” he says. “There are so many layers of activities, and pretty friendly people that generally speak English.” SARAH CRISTOBAL
pHOTOgRApHy mARTIn pARR
Photography courtesy Martin Parr Magnum Photos/Janet Borden
46
lost in space
MultiMedia artist Marco BraMBilla reveals how his childhood dreaM BecaMe a reality in an upcoMing exhiBition that will take flight this fall When Italian-born artist Marco Brambilla was about three years old, his father took him to Cape Canaveral to witness the glory of NASA. “It was the first trip that I really remember,” he says, his voice still filled with boyish excitement. Fast-forward through an impressive career as a director (you may recall the awesomeness that was Demolition Man?), gallery openings that have dotted the globe, and last year’s “Power” video—in which Kayne West is a well-accessorized demigod on the brink of the apocalypse—and Brambilla is still awestruck by the final frontier. Fortunately NASA is equally giddy about art (they have a program through which selected artists can access the archives and contribute to the organization’s gallery). Friends at the nonprofit art organization Creative Time put Brambilla in contact with the space program—and his query could not have been better-timed. NASA’s fourth shuttle, and the last to go into space, Atlantis—which took six years to build and made its first tour of duty in 1985—had completed its last mission on July 21, 2011. It was on its way to being broken down and excavated before going on display in Orlando when Brambilla swooped into the Kennedy Space Center with his camera. “It’s kind of a different object that actually goes on display,” he says. “It’s more of a prop. So the interesting part of it for me was to capture it before it goes through that process.” During its tenure, Atlantis served as the in-orbit launch pad for many rockets and even linked up with the Russian Mir to create one of the largest spacecrafts ever. Brambilla photographed the shuttle in the 50-story-high Space Center; images from the shoot, along with actual footage from NASA’s International Space station, will be spliced together to lend a zero-gravity dreaminess to a four-minute video collage scheduled to debut this fall in L.A. Brambilla likens the finished work to a video time capsule. “Atlantis was the last American spaceship to carry astronauts into space, and now there’s really no plan to build any more,” he says. “To actually be able to stand on this kind of threshold of history—it’s exciting and exhilarating. There’s definitely that feeling, which is both awe-inspiring and like you’re looking at something that’s trapped in time.” Sarah CriStobal
artwork and photography MarCo braMbilla From top: A still from Atlantis (OV-104); Deconstructing Atlantis Atlantis (OV-104) will be on display at the Christopher Grimes Gallery in Los Angeles this fall 47
music Dress vintage PiERRE CARDin necklace vintage
awakening—I never listened to Operation Ivy or Minor Threat.
with their upbeat new album, beth ditto & Co. will have everyone danCing in the streets, whiCh is just how the famed frontwoman likes it As the leader of the punk/pop/funk dance machine known as Gossip, Beth Ditto is a combustible ball of energy—a singing, sweating, shaking firebrand with one of the most soulful voices this side of Tina Turner. Since the band emerged in 2000, Ditto has effortlessly taken on many roles—post-punk queen of the underground, feminist rebel-rouser, queer icon, and
has walked the runway for Gaultier, infamously posed nude for magazine covers, and will soon launch her own line of makeup with M.A.C cosmetics. This spring Ditto and her band will release their fifth studio album, the aptly named and dancefloor-friendly A Joyful Noise. It should make Ditto the international pop star she was always meant to be, even if she’d rather be thought of as a punk. T. COLE RACHEL
People might not realize how long Gossip has been around. I remember first seeing you guys play in really crappy punk clubs 13 years ago. You are, first and foremost, a punk-rock band. BETH DITTO Oh yeah! We lived that life for years and it was very, very important for us. We lived and breathed it. It really informs everything we do. The world of indie rock and hardcore music in the ’90s was a great place to be if you were a social misfit, but even then it wasn’t always such a friendly place for queer-identified folks. Did you come up against that a lot when Gossip was first starting out? BD We were such an island unto ourselves most of the time. Personally I never really had the traditional punk-rock
Beth Ditto in lonDon, March 2012
PHOTOgRAPHy PiERRE DEbussCHERE FAsHiOn ELgAR JOHnsOn
A Joyful Noise is available May 22nd from Columbia Records
Makeup Andrew Gallimore using M.A.C Cosmetics (CLM) Hair Lyndell Mansfield using Bumble and bumble (CLM) Manicure Rebecca Jade Wilson (Jed Root) Photo assistant Ismael Moumin (254FOREST) Digital technician Luke Bennett (Spring Capture) Stylist assistant Ger Tierney Makeup assistant Rhea le Riche Hair assistant Angelina Bianchi Location Spring Studios Retouching Ismael Moumin (254FOREST)
GOSSIP GIRl
million-record-selling rock star. As an unlikely fashion maven, she
It wasn’t until I heard things like the Need and Bikini Kill…those were the bands that did it for me. The punk scene could be so overly masculine, but I was into bands like the Make-Up. It pains me that I never got to see Bikini Kill play live. You know, I was inspired by bands like Team Dresch. We came of age at a time before the Internet, so we were just creating in our own minds what we thought punk rock should look like…. which, as you can imagine, looked just totally crazy. It was about having a big bouffant and wearing some raver pants. That was our version. Still, I know how hard it was for a lot of the bands that we really worshiped…not just to be queer, but even to be outspokenly feminist. A Joyful Noise is the danciest album that Gossip has ever put out. I was listening to “Get Lost”—which sounds inspired by classic house music—while looking at Chantal Regnault’s book Voguing on the subway. I kept imagining all of these beautiful queens getting down to that track. BD Oh my god, that’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me! And such a compliment! I’m not kidding! It’s a pretty ballsy move to go from making guitar-based rock music to straight-up dance music. How did that happen? BD I think people forget how long we’ve been a band. I’m 31 now, and I’ve been doing this since I was 18. This is the only band I’ve ever been in. The progression of our sound over the years is parallel to us learning how to play music. It wasn’t intentional that we started out with this garage-rock vibe—it was because we didn’t know how to do anything else. Fastforward 13 years and we are applying all the things that we’ve learned. For example, we were a band for four years before I knew what an on-stage monitor was for. I was like, I’m supposed to actually be able to hear myself sing? I had no idea! You’ve had all kinds of wild dalliances with the fashion world over the years. Now you have your own line of makeup coming out with M.A.C. BD It was a dream to be asked to do it. I learned so much about the weird business side of makeup, things you would never think of. I wanted to name one of the colors “Yoko O-Yes” but I couldn’t do it. I wanted to create the maddest, wildest shade of pink that was humanly possible to put on your lips, only to find that there is a certain amount of pigment that you can use. I wanted to make things that people of any ethnicity could wear, and make it really versatile. I wanted to make eyeliner pencils that would have two different colors on each end, so instead of two pencils it would be like having four pencils, and the color would work both as a shadow and as a liner. It took me back to my punk days, when having any kind of M.A.C cosmetic was really special. It was a luxury brand and you didn’t get to have that most of the time. If I had a M.A.C eyeliner, that shit was going in my purse and I wasn’t going to lose it. I still have my first M.A.C lip-gloss that I ever bought. I got it in Canada. It’s eight years old! Even now I have scarcity issues. There’s a track on your new record called “Love in a Foreign Place” that has the great line “All I ever wanted was so much more than life in a small town.” You came from a small town in Arkansas and obviously you have managed to achieve so much. Do you still find yourself shocked by your own success? BD I am not kidding you—honestly, I’m not blowing smoke up your ass when I say this—I am shocked by it every single day. There is always some point in the day when I look around and just can’t believe it. I wake up in the house that I bought for myself. I never thought that would happen. I’m so grateful to have my own home, and so grateful to do what I do for a living. You must have those moments, right? When you are like, WOW! I’m having one right now, Beth. BD Ha! Well, wake up! This isn’t a dream!
Kaftan and jewelry vintage On eyes, M.A.C CosMetiCs shade Of smOKe eyeshadOw in little miss mOffet On lashes, M.A.C CosMetiCs ZOOm lash mascara in Plum reserve
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introducing
THE YEAR OF THE MAYAN APOCALYPSE COULD NOT HAVE ARRIVED WITH A BETTER SOUNDTRACK. NEW YORK DUO LIGHT ASYLUM UNLEASH THEIR DEBUT ALBUM, SHOWING US THAT THIS IS THE WAY THE WORLD ENDS, NOT WITH A BANG BUT A BANGER 50
Asylum. “I think, considering everything going on, mass culture is
ready for an explosion of something new.” Earlier this year, Bruno and his bandmate, the indomitable vocalist Shannon Funchess,
had to cancel our first face-to-face interview due to a turn in the tide at Occupy Wall Street. Police had arrested over a hundred protestors in Zuccotti Park, prompting many of the rest to clog the subways—which prevented the band from leaving Brooklyn. “Something drastic has to happen in order for people to take responsibility for the fact that things are fucked up and that we accept a lot of bullshit as life and as living when we’re not living,” Funchess explains in her charmingly gruff voice— the same one that sails over the clanging drum machines, dark bass lines, and coruscating arpeggio flourishes of Light Asylum’s songs. The band’s music perfectly synthesizes dark wave and new romantic pop into hyper-aggressive, industrial power anthems. She’s speaking about current economic affairs, but the sentiment applies to the music industry as well. “I grew up loving pretty much anything off of 4AD,” Funchess says. “I was insane about Throwing Muses and Clan of Xymox.
Patrik Sandberg Light AsyLum in new york, november 2011
PhotograPhy Matthew Stone FaShion Catherine newell-hanSon bruno weArs shirt dior hoMMe shAnnon weArs dress riCk owenS
Light Asylum’s self-titled LP is out now from Mexican Summer
Makeup Cheyenne Timperio for M.A.C Cosmetics (Top 5 Management) Hair Fernando Torrent using Redken (L’Atelier NYC) Stylist assistant Julian Antetomaso Hair assistant Shinya Nakagawa Retouching Studio Private, London Location 205 Studio, Brooklyn
light to dark
“The world’s changing,” says Bruno Coviello of the band Light
Particularly there was this one compilation called Lonely is an Eyesore, and it had Colourbox, Wolfgang Press—you couldn’t really go wrong.” “That’s how we bonded,” Bruno says. “We realized we had a lot of the same favorite bands: New Order, Depeche Mode, Joy Division, obviously Ministry.” Bruno and Shannon initially met when they toured together in 2007, under two different projects opening for the now-defunct art-rock act Bunny Rabbit. “We’d never met each other before, but we spent 30 days traveling in a van across the country and we got to know one another and talked about working together.” One fateful night in 2009, they had a run-in at an underground party called Poo and made plans to play a show together under the moniker that Shannon had established for her solo material, Light Asylum. The collaboration paid off, and has resulted in two years of relentlessly playing shows as one of the most mythic new acts in New York City. Rumors of big-label interest abounded until the duo opted to sign with Brooklyn-based upstart Mexican Summer, releasing their debut In Tension EP in the summer of 2011. A mix of goth industrial squall and bright, danceable pop music, it heralded the debut of a big new sound, one that Shannon says “is only a preview.” “From the beginning of Bruno and me playing music together, I’ve always just had to push this out there,” she continues. “We’ve given a speedy birth to every new song, and it was really important to do that in order for the songs and for our audience to develop as quickly as it did. To play so many shows was part of a conscious decision to let people know we existed and to write with our audience in mind.” Finally, after years spent cutting their teeth, they’re ready to bare them. Their self-titled album, out this month, kicks off with a barrage of thundering drum machine at the opening of leadin song “Hour Fortress,” one of eleven tracks that represent a sonically flawless apex in the band’s primal brand of technorage. It’s a record that might just give mainstream music a run for its money in 2012—competition Bruno describes as “stuff regurgitated over and over again in the pop factory.” “I think music in the underground is starting to see some new kinds of sounds that could really infiltrate mass culture,” he explains. “People are done with the status quo in general, I think.” For her part, Shannon doesn’t mince words—she makes mincemeat. “People are sheep. They’ll eat up anything they’re spoon-fed, but they won’t necessarily eat up Light Asylum or our new album, not as long as we’re a freethinking band. The problem is that crap sells. People are getting crap first, they’re not getting artistic work on the radio first. We have to struggle in order to get our music out to people. There is something working against people who make music without commercialism and conformity in mind, so we’re fighting. This is war.” But like their music, Light Asylum’s outlook has its bright side. “We’re excited to be at this bend in the arc of music history,” Shannon says. “It’s a turning point. We’re excited to be pushing the envelope and giving people options to choose. Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago are more liberated, but that’s a very small part of America. All in between they probably don’t know that Light Asylum even exists.” She pauses and laughs. “We’re gonna have to get in a van and show ’em!”
Lighting design Adam Amengual Production Stephanie Porto Special thanks Clare at Entertainment Travel
Piece of Me
As A teenAger Chris CroCker turned his Angst into Youtube gold— most notAblY with A defense of britneY speArs At her lowest point. now his own rise And fAll is the subjeCt of A doCumentArY sure to AttrACt its shAre of views The large white sign by the railroad tracks welcomes visitors
to Bristol, Tennessee, with a simple and quaint description: “A Good Place To Live.” It’s classic Americana hailing a peaceful, wholesome town, one that boasts a 1998 Congressional designation as “the birthplace of country music.” Someone who will probably never make it into Bristol’s tourism brochures is Internet superstar, pop singer, and webcam performance artist Chris Crocker, best known for his “Leave Britney Alone” video, which exploded on the scene in 2007. Since then, Crocker, 24, has released hundreds of web videos which have garnered over 270 million views. His online success
is the subject of Me @The Zoo, a thrilling, kinetic documentary by filmmakers Chris Moukarbel and Valerie Veatch that charts Crocker’s rise to fame, subsequent collapse, and current underthe-radar period. The film, scheduled to air on HBO in June, offers a complex look at someone “raised on the Internet.” The portrait that emerges is of a queer outsider, but one who paved the way for a new wave of like-minded content creators. “Back in 2006, when I started posting videos, there really weren’t many visible gay teenagers making videos about their own lives,” says Crocker. Home-schooled after being relentlessly bullied over his ultra-femme/trans appearance, he found strength, paradoxically, in being as visible as possible in the online world. “I was used to the hatred, so I didn’t care,” he says. “I was paying attention to the fact that there were actually people out there who related to me. Having people write and tell me that I gave them confidence and made them feel better about going to school, that’s what I was drawing from. I never took the death threats seriously.” Crocker also never saw himself as different from other kids— at least not until they started teasing him—in part because of the way his mother had raised him. “She’s very free-spirited and didn’t care if I had long hair in braids or played with Barbies and was feminine,” he says. “The years with her really had an impact on me.” Me @The Zoo makes the connection between Crocker’s relationship with his troubled mom—who still struggles with addiction and homelessness—and his compassion for Britney Spears, which is what led to the video that made him famous. After becoming a YouTube celebrity, Crocker found himself on the receiving end of the same kind of hatred and baseless attacks being directed at the idol who had elicited his sympathy. Still, he soldiered on, his sights set on a bigger goal: a reality
show that he hoped would present his true self to the public. He ramped up the outrageous behavior, but made an unfortunate misstep when he delivered flip comments about 9/11 in an attempt to mock out-of-touch celebrity behavior. America didn’t get the joke, and he found himself under attack again—and without a reality show. “I hope it comes across in the film that I wasn’t serious,” he says. “I wish I hadn’t done it.” Today Crocker spends his days hanging out with his family, recording music—which nets him a steady income—and working out. His blond-bombshell-celebutante look is all but gone; now he looks more like a buff, boyish gay-porn star—a job he tried out last year. “I wish that my decisions didn’t have to come with so many explanations,” he says. “If I were doing porn, I’d be content with it. But I know that day-to-day I’m going to have to explain myself, just like with the Britney video.” He hopes the documentary will do a lot of explaining for him, and help to kick off a new chapter in his life—something he got a taste of at the Sundance Film Festival, where the film premiered in January. “I still miss it,” he says of his online persona. “When you’re posting, you know people are watching, you see the comments, but you can choose not to read them. In a theater you involuntarily hear their reactions, if they laugh or don’t. It’s very awkward. But I’m used to awkward places, so I liked it a lot.” AdAm BArAn
Chris CroCker in Bristol, tennessee, MarCh 2012
PhotogrAPhy dAnielle levitt
t-shirt CAlvin Klein Vest and neCklaCe CroCker’s own to see exClusiVe Behind-the-sCenes footage of this shoot go to VMagazine.CoM Me @The Zoo premieres June 25th on HBO
51
sister act
As they continue to mAster the Art of reAdy-to-weAr, rodArte’s kAte And lAurA mulleAvy expAnd their culturAl horizons to costume designs thAt commAnd the stAge The sisters Mulleavy have been wowing fashion critics with their couturelike creations for
several seasons now, but after many a successful runway show and the ballet costumes from Black Swan to their credit, the Rodarte designers are making their way to the stage. Come this May, their fanciful flourishes will adorn performers at both the L.A. Philharmonic debut of Mozart’s Don Giovanni as well as a new work by choreographer (and the husband of close friend Natalie Portman) Benjamin Millepied for the New York City Ballet. For the opera, which is taking place at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Pasadena natives are working with an artistic A-Team that includes conductor Gustavo Dudamel, Frank Gehry for set design, and their trusted fashion week collaborators—hairstylist Odile and V’s own makeup guru James Kaliardos. “The core challenge when doing something like Don Giovanni is to find our visual language,” says Kate. “It is a very classic and powerful opera. It’s 52
also exciting to go into this different medium of working together for the stage because we’ve never done stuff like that together.” Becoming fluent in this type of design dialect has taken over a year. “We first worked with Frank on the set because we all thought that we needed to understand the world that they’re going to be living in,” says Laura. “Then we could use the fabrics and colorations to develop the characters within that world. Every layer is very important.” For the piece, the Mulleavys will be creating over 20 costumes in all—long, silky, romantic gowns for the sought-after divas Zerlina and Donna Anna as well as multiple changes for the five male leads, marking a welcome return to menswear. “We’ve done a few knit pieces for men, but the first time we ever did costumes was for Black Swan,” says Laura. “The trick with Don Giovanni is you have a story that is so outlandish—a male character that cheats on his girlfriends like crazy—it is exaggerated, funny, emotional, chaotic, and then you have this crazy supernatural element to it.” The spring season will reunite the designers with N.Y.C.B. alum Millepied for a yet unnamed premiere, which will be scored by in-demand composer Nico Muhly, who has previously worked with Antony and the Johnsons and Björk. For the ever-expanding Rodarte brand, these projects are extensions of their creative personalities. “I don’t think our minds just stop at fashion design,” says Kate. “These opportunities definitely represent a side of us and a side of our clothing that we translate in different ways. And that is actually very important to us.” sarah cristobal
Laura and Kate MuLLeavy in new yorK, May 2011
photography inez & vinoodh artwork “donna anna” concept design by kate and laura Mulleavy of rodarte Don Giovanni will be performed in May at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles
news fitter, chicer, stronger
olympic gear
While the Olympics don’t take place until July, there is already some friendly fashion competition afoot. Both the U.S. and the U.K. have tapped top designers from their respective nations to outfit the athletes representing them. Leading the charge for the States is Ralph Lauren, who has created a full range of sweatshirts, polos, and track suits in patriotic shades that will be worn by such stars as swimmers Ryan Lochte and Rebecca Soni as well as 15 other standouts. Across the pond, the Stella McCartney for Adidas British Team Kit—replete with cutting-edge compression fabric for the performance attire and ClimaCool technology for the footwear— was designed with a modernized version of the Union Jack in mind. Red, white, and blue has never looked so good. christopher Barnard
Brazilian-born designer Francisco Costa has been at the
heart of Calvin Klein Collection since he was named creative director in 2001, steadily continuing the label’s reputation for strict, luxurious minimalism. In a perfect synergy of commerce and country, Costa is now bringing his sleek design to the mothership of mainstream retailers with a special project that is inspired by his native land. The Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein Macy’s “A Magical Journey to Brasil” is a 13-piece collection of delicate crepe and jersey dresses that are comprised of the same simple yet elegant silhouettes as the house’s readyto-wear offerings. “I was inspired by the clean lines and shapes of Brazilian modern architecture,” says Costa,
who also credits his quiet hometown of Minas Gerais as influencing the organic color palette in shades of guava, marble, cocoa, and clay. One thing is for sure: while the line imbues a quiet sophistication, with a $200-and-under-price-tag, you can expect a Carnival-like reception when the product hits stores this month. cB
sunglasses
Trendsetters will appreciate the new range of summer sunnies. Take the Miu Miu Culte ($358, ILORI.com), the hexagonal frame is made for a fashionista worth her salt. Meanwhile, the Mande ($340, 212.585.3433) by Oliver Peoples gives off an Audrey Hepburn vibe with the chic tortoiseshell finish that winks at retro without trying too hard. Leave it to Stella McCartney ($225, Sunglass Hut) to make her sunglasses ecofriendly by utilizing raw materials such as castor oil and cellulose—the most organic compound on earth. (And all this time you thought it was carbon!) Finally, the mysterious minx will love Yves Saint Laurent’s Cat-Eye ($325, ysl.com) frames for their sexy allure. Belle de Jour be damned! cB
From top: miu miu; oliver peoples; stella mccartney; yves saint laurent 54
collaBoration
turning the screw
cartier
New York in the ’70s was all disco, glamour, grit...and Cartier? The luxury jewelry’s then-designer Aldo Cipullo was at the center of it all, a social fixture whose creations adorned the necks, wrists, and ears of the era’s chicest women. For Cipullo it was a world of two studios: Cartier by day and 54 by night. Following the success of his Love bracelet in 1969, Cipullo set out to create a more simple but lasting statement that was based on the idea of “capturing beauty in its most raw form.” The result was an elegant nail-shaped bracelet that was made of rose gold. Now, nearly 40 years later, the jewelry house is revisiting this special piece and expanding upon the idea with a full collection. Just un Clou (translation: just a nail) debuts in May and now includes a range of white and rose gold bracelets as well as rings. (True disco divas will opt for the pieces with a dusting of pavé diamonds.) Cartier has hit this one right on the head. cB
This page, clockwise from top left: Courtesy Stella McCartney Courtesy Ralph Lauren Courtesy Calvin Klein (2) Courtesy Cartier/Darleen Rubin Photography Alberto Maria Colombo Opposite page, clockwise from top: Courtesy of GUESS Courtesy Beach House/Liz Flyntz Courtesy Xim Izquierdo for Miguel Adrover Courtesy A. Guirkinger, Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent, Paris
feeling shady
hometown hero
GUeSS Who’S tURNiNG 30
anniversary
Founded in 1982 by Armand, George, Maurice, and Paul Marciano, Guess made a name for itself in the ’80s and ’90s with campaigns of busty blondes shot in a pin-up style with all-American élan. “Guess was built upon the idea of the free-spirited, adventurous lifestyle,” says Marciano. “Our goal has always been to create head-turning designs that will keep a woman feeling sexy and distinctive.” Now the country’s favorite denim brand is ushering in its third decade with a capsule collection of reissued pieces based on those groundbreaking ads. In addition to cute denim jumpers and flirty corsets, Guess is also creating T-shirts featuring the iconic images of Claudia Schiffer, Eva Herzigova, Drew Barrymore, and Anna Nicole Smith. Smith’s campaign era is a highlight for the company, which thrived on her straightforward sex appeal. Plucked from obscurity for a Playboy cover, she caught the eye of Paul Marciano and the rest is billboard history. “She brings back visions of Hollywood glamour,” Guess photographer Daniela Federici said of Smith. “We haven’t seen that kind of charisma since Marilyn Monroe.” We can’t wait to see what else this distinctively American brand comes up with for the next three decades. CB
Rocky moUNtaiN haUte
ysl exhiBition
The Mile-High City has been drawing a couture crowd to the Denver Art Museum since March for an exhibition honoring the late great Yves Saint Laurent. Presented by the Fondation Pierre Bergé—Yves Saint Laurent, the comprehensive display for “Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective” is a stunning visual history of the designer’s four decades in fashion, from his days at Dior through his final runway collection in 2002. It goes without saying that Saint Laurent’s influence is immeasurable; he was the forefather of designer ready-to-wear and established the tuxedos and trousers trend for women, as well as the iconic safari and gypsy-inspired looks that are still copied today. In total, there are over 200 garments that span the Saint Laurent’s 44-year career (talk about a Rocky Mountain High). Fashion-lovers should make the pilgrimage from now through July 8, as this is the exhibition’s only stop in the U.S. When else could you ogle the classic Mondrian dress or the original Le Smoking? CB
the comeback kid
miguel adrover
After nearly a decade-long of absence, designer Miguel Adrover
showed a Fall/Winter 2012 collection during New York Fashion Week that garnered a warm welcome from critics and fans alike. The eccentric Spaniard spent the ’90s pushing the limits of conceptual design and is out to reclaim that outré territory. Here, he stops to ruminate on what’s missing in fashion now. CB Did you always know that you would show again? I had been storing information and traveling for years, collecting energy. As a designer you’re always thinking about your next collection even when you’re working on other projects. What is the story behind your Fall collection? I was so disconnected from what was going on in the world of fashion. I had been storing and collecting hundreds—maybe thousands—of pieces, and I wanted to work with full garments, remaking them in a way that they had never been imagined. I had this idea of luggage dropping over the jungle and how people who’d never seen these kinds of clothes before might wear them. I wanted to make a real show. The shoes (with stuffed gloves on the toes) were inspired by orangutans.
Why do you choose to show in New York? New York has a perennial energy on the streets. There is struggle and rhythm. The people I see inspire me. You’ve been away for awhile. What has changed? Shows are marketing now. Brands give money to people that already have money to sit in the front row, wear the clothes, and be photographed. I get it. But the way the corporations work is just not visionary. It makes people feel less. Since Lee McQueen and John (Galliano) are gone, there is an emptiness on the creative side. Sure, there are great designers working now, but it seems suddenly that there is a great hole where there used to be an abundance. I want to excite people. That’s what makes me happy.
back iN bloom
BeaCh house
“We had to fight really hard for this record,” says Alex Scally of the beloved Baltimore band Beach House. “As you get older, you get more refined. We had very specific visions for these songs and wouldn’t settle until they were exactly what we wanted.” It’s hard to believe that Bloom marks the fourth full-length LP from the beguiling duo of Scally and organplaying vocalist Victoria Legrand. Since 2004 they’ve woven a sonic tapestry of simple and seductive songs, spurred from a set-up of few instruments and Legrand’s haunting croon—often with lyrics that inflict teenaged feelings of romance and possibility with liberal doses of wistful maturity. “Our expectations were very high for ourselves,” he explains. “But in the end we’re more excited than we have ever been about a record we’ve made.” The album opens with the track “Myth,” on which Legrand sings “If you build yourself a myth, you know just what to give.” The statement could certainly apply to their warm and familiar sound, which has garnered a great deal of acclaim over the course of three albums: 2006’s Beach House, 2008’s Devotion, and 2010’s breakthrough Teen Dream. After building up a dedicated following, Scally and Legrand—with nowpermanent third member Daniel Franz—are mythic in their own right. The momentum continues on the very-assured Bloom, building on breathtaking refrains, somnambulant guitars, and hypnotic, coiling melodies that turn repetition into an art form. If any breakthroughs occur, perhaps they are in the echoey production and angelic vocal restraint on tracks like “Lazuli” and closing track “Irene,” which pauses for a six-minute siesta before awaking to the chiming, plucking sounds of a hidden track. “We were never taught by the world that we needed to make music to please people,” Scally says. “We were making music for no one and we were lucky some people in Baltimore were interested in it, and then people around the country liked it, but it’s been a long road. Even now we feel as if we are in the process of being hyped more than we should be, while bands who deserve to be hyped aren’t.” If the unfolding journey of Beach House is a modest one, perhaps it feels new because the songs continue to feel so refreshing—the perfect soundtrack for the summer months. Patrik sandBerg Bloom is available now from SubPop
GO FOR THE GOLD
EmbracE thE rising tEmps with a trEasurE trovE of warm-wEathEr EssEntials. from an island scEnt to an assortmEnt of slEEk, shimmEry makEup, thEsE nEw products lEnd an EdgE to summEr’s brEEzy palEttE PhotograPhy daniEL Lindh bEauty CaitLin gaFFEy 56
Photo assistants Ward Price and Abigail Burt Production Francesco Savi Production coordinator Daniel Weiner Location ROOT [Drive-In]
beauty
clockwise from left:
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eau fraÎche skinscent ($57, esteelauder.com)
tom Ford nail lacquers in silver smoke, Gold haze,
and Burnt topaz ($30 each, neimanmarcus.com) CLarins Gloss prodiGe lip Gloss in rose and papaya ($20 each, clarinsusa.com) sErgE normant avah eau de parfum hair perfume ($70, serGenormant.com) maybELLinE eyestudio color tattoo 24hr cream Gel shadow in audacious asphalt, Bold Gold, and too cool ($7 each, druGstore.com) m.a.C CosmEtiCs extra dimension skinfinish in whisper of Gilt and superB ($28, maccosmetics.com) LanCômE flash Bronzer tinted self-tanninG leG Gel ($37, lancome-usa.com)
profile
Makeup Benjamin Puckey for Chanel Beauté (D+V Management) Hair Cash Lawless (The Magnet Agency) Manicure Elle for Essie (The Wall Group) Photo assistants Jason Geering and Eric Simmons Stylist assistants Solange Franklin and Stefani O’Sullivan Digital capture Tim Bell and Tara Chumpelik Location Jack Studios Printing BOX Special thanks Ron Fillman and Roy Schwalbach
keep shining
After rising to fAme As the winner of AmericAn idol, Jordin spArks is in the spotlight once AgAin, plAying whitney houston’s dAughter in the remAke of spArkle Arriving at a crowded L.A. restaurant for lunch with Jordin Sparks, we find the 23-year-old singer/actress tucked away in a corner booth, the contents of her cosmetics bag spilled haphazardly across the table. “I have meetings with my agents and a potential manager today, so I want to put my best face forward,” she explains, dabbing foundation onto her already luminous visage. Most celebs treat their makeup regimes as classified information. But Sparks isn’t that kind of girl. All wide-eyed enthusiasm and toothy grin, the Glendale, Arizona, native charmed her way into the nation’s living rooms (and Simon Cowell’s icy heart) in
2007 when at 16 she became the youngest person ever to win American Idol. Now she’s set to tackle the big screen in the title role of the new Whitney Houston–backed reboot of the 1976 film, Sparkle. Part musical, part cautionary tale, the movie tells the story of three sisters, Sparkle, Delores (Tika Sumpter), and Sister (Carmen Ejogo), whose successful Motown singing act disintegrates in the face of drug addiction and familial strife. Originally Houston had signed on solely as executive producer, but eventually agreed to also play the girls’ mother, Emma. “I think she was hesitant at first, and then she said, ‘Yeah, I really want to do that,’” says Sparks. On set in Detroit at the first table read, Sparks, who had worshiped the pop star since childhood, was appropriately tonguetied. “She walked in and I was like, ‘This. Is. Awesome.’” But over time the two women grew close, bonding over a slavish devotion to the craft-services table and a near constant habit of singing under their breath. “One day, actually, she was walking behind me and singing ‘I Have Nothing,’” recalls Sparks. “And then she reached out and said, ‘I forgot I sang that. I was annoyed that day and just didn’t want to do it. We ended up doing it in three takes!’” When Houston died unexpectedly in February, Sparks (who attended her memorial service) was grief-stricken. “She was always so full of light,” she says, choking back tears. “Every day…she would open the door and ask, ‘How are my babies this morning? Are my babies good? God is good. Praise the Lord.’”
Still Sparks has no illusions about the demons that plagued her late costar (and, ironically, some of the film’s characters). “I can see how people can fall and people can flip or they can just get in with the wrong crowd,” she says. For her part, Sparks says she relies on her close-knit family (dad is former NFL cornerback Philippi Sparks) to keep her grounded as she navigates the pitfalls of stardom. And, thus far, that tactic seems to be working. In the years since Idol, she’s hit a succession of high notes, including two charttopping R&B-inflected albums, a platinum-selling single, “No Air,” featuring Chris Brown (who she says is “so sweet and a gentleman”), a star turn in the Tony Award–winning Broadway play In the Heights, and a successful fragrance line. And to hear her tell it, this is just beginning. “I definitely want to build an empire,” she says. And even if Sparks were to be left to her own devices in the face of fame, one senses, as does the singer herself (her adolescent accessory of choice was a purity ring, after all), that she wouldn’t veer too far off course. “I don’t know what’s going to happen a year from now,” she says, “But I’m pretty sure I’ll be the same person who shows up in a turtleneck and does her makeup at the table.” EvElyn CrowlEy
Jordin SparkS in nEw york City, MarCh 2012
photography Mark abrahaMS FaShion avEna gallaghEr
Dress dianE von FurStEnbErg Belt Sonia rykiEl Necklace Suzannah wainhouSE Bracelet aND riNg JorDiN’s owN
ladies who lunch PhotograPhy Benjamin Lennox fashion tom Van DorPe
Take your cues from The chic seT wiTh The season’s mosT glamorous accessories. leisurely upTown ouTings are only a chauffeured drive away
opposite page, FRoM LeFt: Jacket Diane von Furstenberg DRess anD waLLet (on tabLe) Louis vuitton tights (thRoughout) FaLke eaRRings PraDa aLL gLoves (thRoughout) CaroLina amato sungLasses tom ForD shoes marC JaCobs bag theyskens’ theory stoLe aDrienne LanDau bag anD Jacket Dior top yves saint Laurent eaRRings anD bRaceLet PraDa sungLasses CaLvin kLein skiRt anD bag Dior shoes Louis vuitton FRoM LeFt: suit anD bag (on tabLe) ChaneL Ring tiFFany & Co. shoes tom ForD top vaLentino bRaceLet tiFFany & Co. bag Dior coat JiL sanDer neckLace ChaneL bag Louis vuitton
Photo assistants Gary Golembiewski and Yuki Tani Digital technician Joy Jacobs Stylist assistant Erin Sullivan Prop stylist Zac Mitchell (See Management) Producer Francesco Savi Production coordinator Daniel Weiner Catering Green Catering, New York Retouching Upper Studio Special thanks Indochine, New York
FROM LEFT: DREss Bottega Veneta shOEs Jil Sander Bag louiS Vuitton JackET BurBerry ProrSum Ring Bulgari Bag nina ricci TOp diane Von FurStenBerg skiRT anD Bag miu miu Ring Bulgari shOEs nina ricci
Makeup Romy Soleimani for Chanel Beauté (Management Artists) Hair Akki Manicure Gina Edwards for Chanel (Kate Ryan Inc) Models Annemara Post (DNA), Zuzana Gregorova (DNA), Nell Rebowe (Trump)
FROM LEFT: COaT Calvin Klein ColleCtion NECkLaCE new YorK vintage RiNg Bulgari Bag tom Ford TOp aNd skiRT Yves saint laurent NECkLaCE new YorK vintage shOEs guCCi Bag ralph lauren TOp aNd skiRT Chanel shOEs Cesare paCiotti Bag nina riCCi
Women are the kings of comedy noW, and these seven female talents—each With a plethora of projects on the horizon—reign supreme. here they embody a variety of american archetypes, proving hoW fierce farce can be photography benjamin alexander huseby fashion jodie barnes text mark jacobs
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AnnA fAris
“Keenan Ivory Wayans gave me the most valuable advice,” says Anna Faris, who first broke through in the director’s Scary Movie in 2000. “He said, ‘There’s no vanity in comedy.’ And that was such a liberating thought. I cling to that idea.” An endearing talent, Faris is recognized for being distinctly uninhibited in her performances. She has appeared in both prestigious films like Lost in Translation, Brokeback Mountain, and Gregg Araki’s Smiley Face (“I was honored to be chosen,” she says) and comedic leading-lady vehicles such as What’s Your Number? and The House Bunny. “I’m not crazy about snarky or catty humor. I’d much prefer to make myself the butt of the joke,” says the dramatically-trained actress. Next she costars with Sacha Baron Cohen in The Dictator as a granola hippie who runs a food co-op. “I’ve been a part of some crazy movies, but never something quite like this,” says the rising star, who had to sign on without seeing a script. “Sacha is an insane genius. It’s exciting to be around him, but also terrifying. You really don’t know what he’s going to do.”
Dress Isabel Marant earrings anD necklace FragMents cuffs toM bInns desIgn ring faris’s own
Rashida Jones
“I’m the next ‘It’ Animal Woman of comedy,” jokes Rashida Jones,
calmly cradling a chicken on the set of her V shoot. It is unsurprising that her reassuring demeanor equates to being a natural animal whisperer. She currently stars as the adorable Ann Perkins on the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation, and consistently wins over audiences in quality projects such as The Office, Funny or Die, and The Muppets. She says that feelings of being a “professional dabbler” (“I’ve been really lucky to dabble with the best”) inspired her to co-write and star in the Sundance hit Celeste & Jesse Forever, which was scooped up by Sony Pictures Classics. “There was something inside me that I had to see if I could fulfill—and take the risk of failing,” she says. “I needed to write something [with collaborator Will McCormack] that I was at the center of, to see if I could tackle something that big.” The comedy follows a couple (Jones and Andy Samberg) who married young and then grew apart as they negotiate their continued affection for one another even after it’s time to divorce and disentangle. “We felt like we were seeing this kind of story over and over with our friends,” Jones says. “And I did have a part of myself as an actress that I hadn’t had an opportunity to share, since I do get typecast as the dependable, affable friend…or maybe slightly bitchier.” With a slew of hits under her belt, she can afford to take a chance on something new—and count a few chickens as well.
Dress Bottega Veneta Top Hussein CHalayan haT vinTage
Lizzy CapLan
Think of Lizzy Caplan as the new standard-bearer for sarcastic, three-dimensional cool girls with excellent style. “I guess my predecessor is Janeane Garofalo,” Caplan says, channeling the famously bespectacled comedian’s proto-hipster persona in 1994’s Reality Bites. “Winona Ryder was still the leading lady in that movie. Now you can be both of those characters—a leading lady who has a bit of a bite to her.” Familiar to audiences for her work on Mean Girls, Cloverfield, True Blood, Party Down, and a recent guest-star appearance on The New Girl, Caplan has now taken the lead in two well-received Sundance features: she’s a bookstore manager avoiding an engagement in the romantic drama Save the Date, and she teams up with Kirsten Dunst and Isla Fisher (the three of them play characters she describes as “the opposite of loveable”) for a bride-to-be fête gone awry in the Will Ferrell-produced dark comedy Bachelorette. Caplan plays Jenna, who has a raging cocaine problem. “Our film is much more of a Neil LaBute play,” she says, addressing inevitable comparisons to Bridesmaids. “Jenna is probably the angriest character I’ve ever played, but you see a bit of her heart by the end of it.” Caplan also stars opposite Michael Sheen in the Showtime pilot Masters of Sex, directed by John Madden (Shakespeare in Love), a steamy drama in which she plays Virginia Johnson, the revolutionary 1960s sex therapist. “It’s very cool to be weirdly vindicated in this way,” Caplan says. “For a lot of women like me, [acting] has been about trying to change elements of our personality to fit more generic female roles. And now we’re not having to contort so much.”
Dress Christopher Kane earrings DaviD Yurman gloves stylist’s own on lips, Chanel lipstick in l’exquise
AnA GAsteyer
“People who wear wigs and transform themselves are the funniest,” says Ana Gasteyer, still in full hair, makeup, and head bandages after her photo shoot. “I have pretty old-fashioned taste when it comes down to it. I like irony, but I love character-driven comedy. Well-demonstrated human behavior is as good as it gets.” A Groundlings player who joined Saturday Night Live for six years before leaving in 2002, Gasteyer is revered for playing full-tilt characters, including a manically conceited Celine Dion, the hilariously benign NPR host Margaret Jo of “Delicious Dish,” and the singing Alta Dena Middle School
teacher Bobby Moughan-Culp (alongside Will Ferrell). She currently portrays Sheila Shay, the pastel nightmare on the ABC comedy Suburgatory. “I think competitive people are really funny,” she says. “We have an insane Mother’s Day episode coming up in which the whole town is trying to honor their mother the most.” Gasteyer also has a bevy of upcoming character-driven parts in feature films: a lesbian mother who speaks Greek and plays the lute in the dark teen comedy Fun Size, directed by Gossip Girl creator Josh Schwartz; a nudist mayor in We The People, billed as an African-American Meet
the Parents; and a hysterical mother whose daughter (Anna
Kendrick) is courted by Satan in the post-apocalytpic comedy Rapturepalooza. “I like being behind the fourth wall. I like the artifice to be really perfect. I like to see a real character,” she says as her headdress begins to unfurl. “I’m losing my bandage clips!”
Jacket and dress Chanel Brooch anton heunis on face, Chanel le Blanc de chanel illuminating Base on lashes, Chanel inimitaBle waterproof mascara
Ari GrAynor
If you don’t know Ari Graynor, search “turkey sandwich scene” on YouTube for her completely improvised, inebriated-in-the-busstation monologue (from 2008’s Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist)
and get acquainted. Graynor is known for stealing movies as the
raspy best friend that’s “a little more outrageous, a little brassy, a little drunk,” as she puts it, even though she hasn’t actually
played the role so many times—she’s just the one you remember and want the film to be written around. So you can’t blame Rashida Jones, an in-demand best friend herself, for casting Graynor as hers in the Sundance hit comedy Celeste & Jesse Forever. “I think those roles are stepping-stones, a way of paying your dues—unless you walk out of the womb a supermodel,” Graynor says. “A lot of female comedians have been stuck in moments of being the best friend in good ways and bad. Now we’re pushing open the doors to say, ‘Listen, I don’t have to just be supporting. I can carry the movie in a different kind of way.’” Graynor does exactly that in For A Good Time Call… “We run a phone-sex line–so that’s pretty great,” she says of the comedy she stars in and executive produced. “I would be lying on a bed with a phone and we would be doing these camera swipes, and someone would yell, ‘Pretend he’s a redhead and has freckles on his dick!’ It was incredibly collaborative.”
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Makeup Maki Ryoke (TiM HowaRd ManageMenT) HaiR Holli SMiTH (coMMuniTy.nyc) Manicure nettie Davis for chanel Beauté (aiM artists) ProP stylist Juliet Jernigan (clM) Photo assistant JiMMy fikes Digital technician Jonathan ellis (Dv8 Digital) stylist assistant ashley christoPher MakeuP assistant kirstin siMitzi on-set ProDuction azzurro Mallin anD Bret leMke equiPMent rental sMashBox stuDios, los angeles retouching Provision location Boxeight stuDios, los angeles catering austin Bogart viDeograPhers chaD Wilson anD MaDeline eBerharD
Judy Greer
In the ego emporium that is Hollywood, Judy Greer is a beacon of genuine goodness. She will unselfconsciously share the
story about her first Oscars when she wore a Monique Lhuillier gown so fitted that using the restroom required her to strip the garment off and hang it on the stall door. “Thank god I do yoga and can actually zip myself up,” she says. Since debuting in the ultra-millennial teen comedy Jawbreakers, the actress has been both ubiquitous and just under-the-radar, a phenomenon that shifted recently with her charming role in the Oscarnominated film The Descendants. She had already worked with top directors like Cameron Crowe (Elizabethtown), Spike Jonze (Adaptation), David O. Russell (Three Kings), and Mike Nichols (What Planet Are You From?); been the go-to best friend for a triumvirate of top Jennifers— Lopez, Aniston, and Garner (in The Wedding Planner, Love Happens, and 13 Going on 30, respectively); and been featured on various television shows: Arrested Development, Two and a Half Men, and the FX Network animated series Archer. Now Greer is shooting the pilot for a new sitcom based on her life, called American Judy. (“How bananas is that? I thought that was going to be just a working title. But it’s on the parking spots outside the production office, so I guess it’s real!”) She also has Jeff Who Lives at Home, with Ed Helms and Jason Segal, and Playing the Field, with Jessica Biel and Gerard Butler, on the books—signifying that the Tinseltown brass love her as much as audiences do. “I feel that positivity,” she says, “but I don’t understand why!”
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To see A video of This shooT Go To vmAGAzine.com
Wendi McLendon-Covey
A natural scene-stealer (look no further than Bridesmaids for
crass cousin Rita with the semen-starched children’s blankets), Wendi McLendon-Covey is rightfully enjoying her time in the
spotlight. The Groundlings alumna has been beloved for years for
the exaggerated blondes she plays without vanity—like Deputy Clementine Johnson on Reno 911!, for whom “muffin-topping” is a vital character aspect. “Jess Oppenheimer was a producer on
I Love Lucy, and his theory was that if you set the table very logically in the beginning, your audience will follow you anywhere,” says the master improviser (her Bridesmaids outtakes in the DVD extras are wild). McLendon-Covey’s slate of upcoming features includes What To Expect When You’re Expecting, in which she fires Jennifer Lopez (who plays an aquarium photographer adopting an Ethiopian infant) and then throws a baby shower for her; A White Trash Christmas, costarring Beverly D’Angelo and Meat Loaf; and the sex comedy Sleeping Around, in which she appears as a prudish J. K. Rowling type. She also appears as a Miami cougar in Steven Soderbergh’s male-stripper opus Magic Mike. “All I really got to see were those big green Channing Tatum eyes and his whole vibe,” she says of the film’s star, who charms her character. “And I saw another stripper get fitted for his mullet.” Translation: more hair-raising antics coming soon to a theater near you.
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from left: JennY wears shirt CK Jeans tara wears shirt Diesel JewelrY on both (throughout)
ViCKi turbeVille
PhotograPhy terry tsiolis Fashion tom Van DorPe
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Makeup Niki Mnray Hair Rolando Beauchamp for Bumble & bumble (community.nyc) Manicure Alicia Torello (The Wall Group) Models Jenny Albright (New York Models) and Tara Gill (IMG) Photo assistants Sam Rock, Sam Nixon, Paola Ambrosi de Magistris Digital capture Brian DePinto (Milk Digital) Stylist assistant Erin Sullivan Location Splashlight, New York
Sporting the new denim lookS of the SeaSon, native-american modelS and natural beautieS jenny and tara repreSent their iconic heritage in Style
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“My Mother is Algonquin And My grAndMother lived on A reserve. i used to go to nAtive protests. it wAs eMpowering.” –tArA gill “i’M pArt Cherokee. Being A nAtive-AMeriCAn Model is An interesting CurveBAll. A lot of people see BrAziliAn or lAtin And Are surprised when they leArn the truth.” –Jenny AlBright
Photographs by Laurent Elie Badessi • Hair by David Cotteblanche for Makeup by Renee Garnes • Styling by Kithe Brewster • Erica Rosen at Dominqiue Models
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V THE PEOPLE SUMMER 2012
THE UNITED STATES OF KE$HA, LARRY CLARK MESSES WITH TEXAS, CAROLYN MURPHY AS THE GIRL NEXT DOOR, THE SUBLIME FACES OF AMERICAN BEAUTY, TELEVISION’S LITTLE MISS MOM-TO-BE, HISTORICAL FASHION TREASURES, AND THE BEST OF 2012 COUTURE!
BORN IN THE u.$.A. as pop mounts its most opulent offensive yet, a bold figure emerges, wielding blue-collar ambition and bar-ready refrains. now preparing her second record—with a new, raw sound—Ke$ha might be rocK and roll’s new hope photography inez & vinoodh fashion carlyne cerf de dudzeele text patriK sandberg The fabric of America is woven with many stripes. For every hallmark
of civility a subversive counterpart is at play. The mainstream must answer to the underground. Aboveboard businesses engender lawless underbellies and the one percent inevitably answers to the ninety-nine. There are the torchbearers for traditional American values, and then there are the weirdos. Somewhere close to the anarchic end of the spectrum stands Kesha Rose Sebert, better known as Ke$ha—the rambunctious songwriter, rapper, and singer whose brassy aesthetic recalls at once the irreverence of electroclash, the bravado of ’80s hair metal, and the backwater, gold-toothed charm of the blues. Her lyrics are laced with genital humor and profanity, a popular anecdote about using Jack Daniel’s as toothpaste, and even a reference to “pull[ing] a Jeffrey Dahmer” if a boy acts too sweet. Rolling Stone declared her debut album, Animal, “repulsive” and “obnoxious.” During her inaugural Get Sleazy tour, one song sequence famously climaxed with a supersized penis dancing on stage. Sure, raunch can be construed as the antithesis of chic, but at what point does the barrier separating lowbrow entertainment from art begin to break down? Andy Warhol and Paul Morrissey mined sex, drugs, and transsexuality in films like Flesh, Trash, and Heat. John Waters left an indelible mark on art and cinema with his own brand of transgressive offerings. “I do feel like there are the pop stars of the world and then I’m like their dirty little sister, running around with shit on my face in combat boots because I can’t walk in heels,” Ke$ha explains on the set of her V shoot. Yet somehow she has sold over 15 million albums worldwide. So how did a girl with so little decorum become America’s least-likely cultural leader? The answer lies in her journey. We need to talk about Ke$ha. In person, the superstar is earnest, affable, and disarmingly regular. “My very first memory is when we lived in Van Nuys, running around barefoot,” she says of her upbringing. “Shortly thereafter we moved to Tennessee, which was a lot of hiking and rope-swinging. I always coveted a Trans-Am, which is now my ride of choice.” Getting that car, like the hit records, took a lot of work and resilience. “Everything I sing, I write,” she says. “Love it or hate it, it all comes from me.” Raised by 74
her mother, also a songwriter, Ke$ha left home as a teenager, went back to L.A., and used her mother’s connections to set up meetings. But the experience proved to be frustrating, since many wouldn’t work with her until she had a record deal in place. “I met with this one big writer and he thought he was hot shit,” she says dismissively. “He had me driving all over town—and I didn’t have gas money. The last time I met up with him, he said, ‘I have a great song title, but you can’t have it because you’re not signed.’ Then he asked me to leave his house. It was such a weird, twisted thing for a grown man to do to a young, desperate artist! It made me want to get successful to show that whether or not people recognize the power that is in you yet, it doesn’t mean it isn’t there. It’s not even about signing with a big label. With the Internet, the entire music business is changing. If anyone tries to tell you that you can’t do what you want to, I think you should give them the finger and do it anyway.” Young, brash female empowerment has ruled the airwaves over the past few years, but Ke$ha has been able to separate herself from the pack by keeping her approachability in tact. Self-styled in rippedup T-shirts and smeared makeup, she has emerged as the inevitable backlash to pop’s rhinestone-studded, over-the-top glamour. The dollar sign in her name is a knowing wink at the absurdity of fame— and it works. Her auto-tuned refrains have become rallying cries for the masses, thanks in part to mastermind producer Dr. Luke, who signed her to the deal that would make her career. “It’s tough for kids to emulate someone with twenty fashion people on staff,” Luke says of Ke$ha’s appeal. “Ke$ha comes out in an AC/DC T-shirt that she found in a dumpster, literally, and she rocks it. It’s sort of a metaphor for who she is. Anyone can be Ke$ha in their own way.” “I try to include my fans in my message,” Ke$ha explains. When asked if she is today’s working-class pop star, she laughs. “I do feel like there is an element of what I’m doing that is about where I come from, which is working-class. I was never the cool kid, I was never hot in high school. I was never popular. You don’t have to be perfect and you don’t have to be rich and you can still be successful.” Continued on page 78
Earring (worn throughout)
Alexis BittAr
nosE ring (worn throughout) kE$ha’s own on hair, Kiehl’s silk groom sErum
“I was never the cool kId, I was never hot In hIgh school. I was never popular. You don’t have to be perfect and You don’t have to be rIch and You can stIll be successful.” –ke$ha
Dress DsquareD Belt anD Boots Western spirit ring Guess on skin, nars CosmetiCs sheer glow FounDation in siBeria
Jacket CK Jeans Bandanna Jeremy sCott On eyes, nars CosmetiCs Matte eyeshadOw in thunderBall
Her salt-of-the-earth appeal is perhaps what led Matt Groening and the producers of The Simpsons to animate an extended opening sequence in which all of the show’s characters act
out the lyrics to “Tik-Tok,” an unprecedented moment in Simpsons history—and one Ke$ha still counts as a surreal breakthrough. “It’s such an epic show,” she says, eyes bulging. “It really represents American television. I had no idea it was coming. I don’t watch television at all. I’m not really on the Internet because it scares me.” Ke$ha admits that she likes to live off the grid, but is shutting off the TV really all it takes to stay sane? “When paparazzi showed up at my house, it was really mind-boggling. I’ve found ways to do exactly what I want, but in the privacy of my own sanctuaries.” She still divides her time between houses in L.A. and Tennessee, living in the woods, she says, “away from inquiring eyes.” “I have wild, wild nights there,” she confesses, “but my friends and I are all really private. We get fucking crazy, but you’re not going to see me stumbling out of nightclubs.” Given her feral attitude, it is fitting that our next talk takes place at the Wildlife Waystation, an exotic-animal rescue-and-rehabilitation facility nestled in the mountains of the L.A. National Forest. The refuge also serves as the private home of its founder, animal-rights advocate Martine Colette, an endlessly fascinating woman with an affinity for chimpanzees and white wine. It is not yet open to the public, so we spend the day meeting in private with tigers, lions, ligers, chimpanzees, wolves, bobcats, grizzly bears, and other fauna, most of whom have found their way to the States as a result of lax wildlife importation laws or by illegal means, later to be discovered by authorities and then rescued by Colette and her crew. Today the sanctuary houses more than 450 exotic animals, cared for by more than 400 volunteers. 78
“We could have gone to a bar,” Ke $ha says, as a family of native peacocks leap into an adjacent tree and the surrounding animals chime in at tremendous volume. “But I wanted you to come here and see that it’s so important to me that everything I do is animal-friendly.” The first global ambassador for the Humane Society, Ke$ha has spent the past year getting involved in animal conservation, spending her recent hiatus on an “animal journey,” diving with humpback whales and hammerhead sharks and then rehabilitating baby lions in South Africa. She will soon chronicle her work with animals for a television series produced by National Geographic. “The show looks at animals being abused and how to stop that, or animals that are going extinct and how to help those animals. I am so passionate. I like animals more than people.” She also notes that she only wears shed feathers and intends to produce her own animal-friendly cosmetics line. Her love for the wild things will surely find space on her new album, which she’s been writing and recording for the first half of 2012. “The first record was all me living in L.A., trying to pay my rent, have a really good time, and look good on nothing. But ever since then I’ve seen how many people my music can reach, and I’ve realized that I have somewhat of a social responsibility to make sure everything I say is positive. The underlying theme of this next record is warrior, with the positive message being that everyone has a warrior inside.” Of the sound, she says, “Some people will be shocked. Some will also be excited to know that I don’t just do silly white-girl rap. I’m from the South, I have a lot of soul.” She pauses as a bobcat walks by. “But trust me—it’s not going to be some avant-garde jazz record. I innately write pop songs. That’s just what I do.”
Citing as inspirations the Rolling Stones, Iggy and the Stooges, and T-Rex, Ke$ha has broken the no-guitar rule she famously imposed on her producers the first time around. “I want to bring the edge and the rawness and the visceral energy of ’70s and ’80s punk rock,” she says. One song she describes features guitar and no auto-tune, with backup vocals performed by her mother. “It’s a throwback song. It’s all about how I don’t want your money, I don’t want a ring, I don’t wanna be your girlfriend, and I’m never going to be your wife. I just want your dirty love—so it’s called ‘Dirty Love.’” While she is coy about rumors that Justin Bieber might make his way onto the album (“we’re only talking”), she recently recorded with Wayne Coyne on a Flaming Lips track. “I love hanging out with people that are like batteries,” she says of Coyne. “They re-energize my lust for being alive. We met and wrote five songs in 36 hours—they might not even be good, but when your blood is rushing and your heart is pumping, it’s really intense emotionally. When you find somebody who brings that out of you, it’s fucking amazing.” Coyne has equally kind words for Ke$ha, one of many collaborators featured on his band’s latest record, including Nick Cave, Bon Iver, and Yoko Ono. “In the beginning people would think we were worlds apart,” he says. “Because I’m [perceived as] this self-made, indie, psychedelic, acid-casualty weirdo, and Ke$ha must be this fake, manufactured sort of person—but she really isn’t at all. She’s more like me than people would ever know. She loves her audience, and she’s one of them. It’s not some act. She’s fearless, fun, and not afraid to be embarrassed or the first one to stand up and have an opinion. A lot of people aren’t like that.” Coyne says others would consult with twenty managers before agreeing to a recording session,
but that when he called Ke$ha on a Monday, she invited him to record at her house that week. Within 25 minutes of meeting the band, she was giving them all permanent ink, with a tattoo
gun that she keeps around the house. “I can say from my experience that I love her and I would fight for her,” Coyne says earnestly. “I’m on her side, and she’s on mine. When freaks meet each other, you’re like, ‘I’m one of you, I can tell.’” “The range of artists I want to work with is so vast it’s bizarre,” Ke$ha says. “I would love to have Keith Richards on the record. I would sure as hell like to do a collaboration with Bieber and at the same time do a song with the Flaming Lips. If someone is a real artist, you can’t confine them to a particular genre. It’s my mission to make it all make sense somehow.” Part of her mission was achieved when she found herself parlaying a fever into a musical high as she was co-writing the global smash hit “Til the World Ends” for Britney Spears. “To write a song for an icon, someone who stands for pop, it really doesn’t get better than that,” she says. The admiration is apparently mutual. “Ke$ha brings an incredibly carefree, fun-loving spirit to American pop music,” Britney says via e-mail. “I love listening to her songs when I’m on the treadmill. They help me power through my workout.” As we prepare to head back down the mountain, Ke$ha contemplates the narrative she’s building. “It’s all spur-of-the-moment, crazy ideas. If people get me or people don’t get me, I really can’t worry. Somebody said to me, ‘I didn’t know if you were some wild party girl or if you were in on the joke, but I get it now.’” “In other words, you’re in charge,” I say. “I’m way in charge,” she replies.
Dress DsquareD Belt anD Boots Western spirit ring Guess
Makeup WenDy roWe using nars CosMetiCs (tiM HoWarD ManageMent) Hair CHristiaan using kieHl’s grooMing aiDs Manicure Deborah LippMann for LippManncoLLection.coM (the Magnet agency) Lighting technician JoDokus Driessen DigitaL capture brian anDerson photo assistant Joe huMe styList assistant kate greLLa Makeup assistant chisa takahashi hair assistant yoko sato stuDio Manager Marc kroop printing box Location pier 59 DigitaL stuDios speciaL thanks tony Jay anD JaMie abzug
“Ke$ha brings an incredibly carefree, fun-loving spirit to american pop music.” –britney spears
AdAm weArs PAnts Balmain Homme necklAce (throughout) vintAge from melet mercantile Boxers And shoes (throughout) his own
mercedes weArs JAcket Just cavalli tAnk current/elliott PAnts louis vuitton shoes converse Jewelry (throughout) her own
lindsAy weArs toP Dolce & GaBBana skirt, shoes, Jewelry her own
richArd weArs sweAtshirt vintAge from melet mercantile PAnts BurBerry Prorsum BrAcelet
maison martin marGiela Boxers And shoes (throughout) his own
Kaylan wears shawl Emilio Pucci sweatshirt GivEnchy by
RiccaRdo Tisci shorts cuRREnT/EllioTT Boots FRyE
jessica wears sKi suit vintage from
mElET mERcanTilE shoes convERsE
angel wears Bracelets (throughout)
maison maRTin maRGiEla Pants, Belt, Boxers, shoes, wristBands (throughout) his own
The legend legendary ry phoTographer and ddirecTor recTor shooTs Jessica ssica Miller and The casT MeMbers of his upcoM upcoMing filM Marfa girl in The laTesT pre-fall collecTions while on seT in The lonesTar sTaTe phoTography larry clarK fashion Melanie ward 83
Mercedes wears dress Chanel adaM wears Jacket vintage froM
What Goes around Comes around
Jeans (throughout) his own
Kaylan wears JacKet Balenciaga By
nicolas ghesquiĂˆre shorts levi’s
Jessica wears cape yves saint laurent
Vest ralph lauren collection Jeans current/elliott
Kaylan wears JacKet Isabel Marant Bracelet DavID YurMan richard wears JacKet vintage Pants MaIson MartIn MargIela lindsay wears JacKet guccI Jewelry and Bra her own
Mercedes wears sweatshirt vintage froM What goes arounD
coMes arounD
shorts FenDI
adaM wears t-shirt vintage froM
What goes arounD coMes arounD
lindsay wears dress Isabel Marant sKirt, Jewelry, Bra her own
richard wears vest MaIson
MartIn MargIela
Pants burberrY ProrsuM Kaylan wears toP balMaIn caPe nIna rIccI shorts levI’s Bangle DavID YurMan Boots FrYe
Kaylan wears suit Céline Boots Frye
Bangle DaviD yurman necKlace her own
Jessica wears shirt calvin klein adam wears cardigan Maison Martin Margiela
Jessica wears Jacket isabel Marant
Mercedes wears Jacket Valentino Bodysuit Kenzo Jeans CK Jeans shoes ConVerse adaM wears shirt Maison Martin Margiela angel wears shirt toMMy Hilfiger
AdAm weArs shirt Balmain homme mercedes weArs Vest levi’s JAcket nike PAnts louis vuitton
marfa Girl premieres exclusively on larryclark.com this fall to see more Behind-the-scenes footaGe includinG outtakes, video, and an interview with larry clark Go to vmaGazine.com
Makeup aaron de Mey (art partner) Hair kevin ryan for r SeSSion toolS Manicure Sonya JÁquez uSing oPi (eva’S Salon, alPine TexaS) TalenT JeSSica Miller (iMg), MercedeS Maxwell, angel Maxwell, adaM Mediano, Kaylan draKe BurneTTe, lindSey JoneS, richard covarruBiaS iii PhoTo aSSiSTanTS ezra riley and June zandona STyliST aSSiSTanTS courTney KrySTon and SuSannah liPSey MaKeuP aSSiSTanT FranKie Boyd hair aSSiSTanT Morgan JenKinS local ProducTion roSS caShiola (caShiola BroS. ProducTion/FaBricaTion) videograPher Joe caShiola (caShiola BroS. ProducTion/FaBricaTion) caTering el PaiSano and Pizza FoundaTion locaTion Mary Farley’S chicKen FarM, MarFa, TexaS SPecial ThanKS eSTher BiggS, vicKi lynn Barge, hoTel el PaiSano, ginger griFFice, Mary Farley, The veranda inn
On a prefabricated set made Of tOys, carOlyn murphy—the ultimate mOdel mOm—wears the summer’s hOttest attire and welcOmes yOu tO a wild ’80s-inspired suburbia phOtOgraphy sebastian faena fashiOn nicOla fOrmichetti 92
Dress Tripp NYC Leggings anD gLoves ATsuko kudo earrings MordEkAi BraceLet AlExis BiTTAr
Pantsuit and belt
Salvatore Ferragamo bracelet alexiS Bittar Gloves atSuko kudo
Bra Tableaux ViVanT ShortS Tripp nYC
ShoeS Giuseppe ZanoTTi desiGn Bracelet alexis biTTar
bikini Tavik pants Hudson bracelets Mordekai sunglasses kerin rose bag Y-3
Vest Diesel Black GolD Bra eres Pants atsuko kuDo Cuff MorDekai BraCelets alexis Bittar
Dress Mugler Glove Shaneen huxhaM Bracelet alexiS Bittar cuff aND rING Mordekai
Makeup sIl BruINsMa usING M.a.c. cosMetIcs (streeters) HaIr DavID voN caNNoN (streeters) MoDel carolyN MurpHy (IMG) Manicure nettie Davis (the Wall Group) set DesiGn Josephine shokrian stuDio BackGrounD art spencer proDuct (WWW.spencerproDuct.coM) liGht DesiGn chris BisaGni DiGital technicians Daryl henDerson anD liz siporin photo assistants DreW schWartz, alex De la hiDalGa anD Mario sanchez stylist assistants BranDon MaxWell, sophia phonsavahn, Julien alleyne, hayley pisaturo set DesiGn assistants keren Weiss, alexanDer Joseph iezzi, taylor shielDs, taMar Meir proDuction helena Martel proDuction assistants alexanDra nataf, Gonzalo roMero, Bianca aMBrosio, BernarD kuh location focus stuDios, la location eQuipMent sMashBox, la caterinG fooD laB, la retouchinG picturehouse special thanks DaviD hazan
Bikini Tavik Shirt Simone Rocha JeanS expReSS Glove aTSuko kudo
arizona muse Jacket and skirt Marc Jacobs on eyes, Dior Powder Mono eyeshadow in Beige 100
karlie kloss Coat AltuzArrA Glove CArolinA AmAto
american i d o l s
fresh-faced beauties from the states have been lighting up the runways since the days of dovima. here, industry icons and the new darlings wear the latest pre-fall collections from american fashion’s brightest stars photography sharif hamza fashion tom van dorpe
“I’ve done It all. Worked at 31 Flavors, Walked runWays, been a rodeo queen, broadWay. only In amerIca!”–chrIstIe brInkley Jacket and pants Ralph lauRen collection top kiki de montpaRnasse
dree hemingway
bodysuit and shoes AlexAnder WAng Gloves CArolinA AmAto
“I love goIng on the road, drIvIng forever and ever, dIscoverIng every corner of the country.” –elaIne IrwIn
Jacket donna karan new york earrings Tiffany & Co. on face, dior Diorskin LiquiD founDation in sanD
“I’m healthy and body-aware, and It’s total freedom.” –Carol alt Jacket Michael Kors Rings on Ring fingeR Tiffany & co. Rings on middle and index fingeRs Bulgari on skin, Dior HydRa life enHancing moistuRizeR
“My AMericAn dreAM is to be in A cAbin in the woods, surrounded by My fAMily And pictures.” –dree heMingwAy Top Diane Von Furstenberg HaT albertus swanepoel For bill blass necklace Her own
“I’m a cowgIrl at heart. I’d love to have a ranch.” –arIzona muse
Dress Isabel Toledo briefs kIkI de monTparnasse earrings her own
“I grew up blIssfully unaware of fashIon, In MIssourI. but I learned very quIckly.” –karlIe kloss
Dress Calvin Klein ColleCtion on eyes, Dior PowDer Mono eyeshaDow in GolDen sPotliGht
MakeuP yaDiM usinG Dior (tiM howarD ManaGeMent) hair akki MoDels elaine irwin (iMG), Christie Brinkley (Cathy Quinn MoDels), arizona Muse, karlie kloss (neXt), Dree heMinGway (Dna), Carol alt (D’ManaGeMent GrouP) Manicure Deborah LippMann for LippManncoLLection.coM (the Magnet agency) DigitaL technician chris ewers bLanK [DigitaL] photo assistants Matthew hawKes anD MyLes bLanKenship styList assistants erin suLLivan anD aLban roger MaKeup assistants KanaKo taKase anD rauL otero hair assistant reona proDuction assistant bianca aMbrosio equipMent rentaL root [proDuce] retouching bLanK [post] Location JacK stuDios speciaL thanKs roy schwaLbach anD ron fiLLMan
elaine irwin Jacket tom ford earrings tiffany & Co.
to see behind-the-sCenes images of this shoot go to vmagazine.Com
Part Minnie Mouse, Part self-described Meatball, the star of MtV’s Jersey shore has Made herself a Mascot for MayheM and MisbehaVior, but also eMerged a Mogul. now the c.e.o. of snooki enterPrises is about to take on her Most deManding role yet: aMerica’s Most iMPlausible Mother PhotograPhy nathaniel goldberg fashion catherine newell-hanson text Patrik sandberg
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top ExprEss on eyes, NArs CosmEtiCs soft touch shadow pencil in aigle noir on lashes, NArs CosmEtiCs larger than life volumizing mascara
“At this point I don’t give a shit.” Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi—who really needs no introduction—delivers this assertion on the set of her V shoot at Milk Studios, while tearing the aluminum lid off a cup of Dannon yogurt and compulsively diving in. As the queen bee of MTV’s cult megahit Jersey Shore, it’s no surprise that she has arrived in a regal fashion: with her own snacks and a suitcase almost as big as she is—stuffed with Snookibranded items. “It’s the fifth season now, so I really don’t care.” She shrugs and tosses her hair. “I think the fact that the fans still watch our show and love it is awesome.” Over the course of five seasons at the Shore, the Chilean-born reality-TV star has morphed from a fun-loving veterinary student on holiday to a ubiquitous multimedia force of nature, fueled by partying, house music, public intoxication, and animal-print extremism. Some of her more iconic moments include crashlanding into a hot tub on her first day of filming and then attempting to seduce each of her male castmates before vomiting and
passing out; face-planting in a sand dune and being arrested
sunglasses, and I’m coming out with nail polish, eyelashes, bags,
for public drunkenness; and of course the time she hosted her own televised ball drop on New Year’s Eve—from inside the ball. She has also appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone, straddling a rocket; she has been immortalized by Bobby Moynihan on Saturday Night Live; Senator John McCain tweeted at her during his Presential campaign; and she was name-checked by President Obama—albeit in a speech about taxing the use of tanning beds. In a backhanded compliment for a story in the New York Times, fashion critic Cathy Horyn compared her aesthetic to that of Elizabeth Taylor. In person Snooki’s trademark pouf hairstyle is noticeably absent, as is the gregarious, look-at-me behavior that helped make her the show’s breakout star. Perhaps her no-nonsense demeanor can be attributed to the pressures of being the star of your own reality series, which has led to very aggressive branding. “I have my slippers, tanning lotion, perfume, three books out,
and a Croc-a-dilly”—a plush crocodile she often spoons and carries around on the show, which she is having mass-replicated. She
is aloof, bored, petulant, and rarely smiles. When a videographer on set lifts his camera in her direction, the quickness with which the features of her face ignite is borderline frightening. When the lens turns away, they extinguish just as rapidly. It’s obvious that at this point in the trajectory of her celebrity Snooki knows what sells. “When we film I really don’t care what I look like,” she says. “I just enjoy it and have fun. That’s why people love us. I’m overweight because we’re drinking and eating bad, but when I’m not filming I never drink and I eat healthy all the time.” She blames her behavior on restrictions imposed by the show—a persuasive defense. “You can’t leave without a film crew with you,” she explains. “If you want to leave, you have to tell them an hour before so they can get ready. There are no cell phones, no TV, and you can’t read. You can’t write
top ExprEss on hair, BumBlE and BumBlE Shine on FiniShing Spray
or pass notes. You can’t listen to music, you can’t do anything. It’s kind of like being in jail for two months—and people wonder why all we do is drink! It’s because there’s nothing else to do! It passes the time and makes it fun. If you’re sober the whole time, you will go insane and kill yourself.” At the time of the interview, she does look remarkably slim, crediting her toned physique to yoga, running, cardio, and crunches. “I’m really sore right now, I can barely move,” she says. “But I love it all! I just like to be in pain in general. It feels good.” When asked if there are any misconceptions about her that need clearing up, she lets out a sigh. “I am probably the number one most-bullied celebrity,” she says. “I really don’t go with trends, I don’t try to fit in like everyone else does in Hollywood. I just like to be different and I don’t care.” In terms of fashion, Snooki says that despite her sudden wealth she still gets all of her clothing at the mall-stores-turned-e-commerce-outlets Mandee’s and Wet Seal. “I’ve been bullied all my life. In high
school me and my girlfriends were freshmen and we were all
pretty girls in cheerleading and stuff, so the older girls would bully us because all of their guys wanted to hang out with us.” Of her current naysayers, she reasons, “I think even haters love us. And I have a lot of haters. If you’re being bullied, you can’t let it faze you. Stick up for yourself and they’ll get bored of you.” Any words for the bullies out there? “I would say grow up, like, seriously. I mean, people used to say I was fat when I was the hottest thing ever. Imagine what they say now.” Evidently what they say is that Snooki is pregnant. A few days after her V interview, an anonymous tip from the set of her new spin-off series—tentatively titled Snooki and JWoww vs. The World, starring herself and castmate Jenni “JWoww” Farley— alleged that Snooki’s new pregnancy was throwing a wrench in the show’s production, since the star will be unable to drink (and humiliate herself, presumably), which is pretty much what drives her ratings. “It’s not going to be us partying and getting
drunk and going crazy,” she had previously stated. “It’s more about our relationship as best friends.” Post-confirmation of pregnancy and engagement to boyfriend Jionni Lavalle on the cover of US Weekly, the burgeoning mogul talks motherhood with V from the set, which has relocated to Mexico. “I can’t wait to meet my kid!” she says. “Everyone will be surprised to see a different side of me. I’m loving, caring, sensitive, protective, and very maternal, no matter what people might think.” When asked if baby products are next on her branding agenda, she’s quick to entertain the possibility. “My ideas are endless,” she says. “Who wouldn’t want a leopard-print rattle or a cheetah-print bib?” Later, in an interview with MTV, she compares morning sickness to being hungover, but whether parenthood might prove a lifelong hangover of sorts remains to be seen. As usual when it comes to Snooki Enterprises, there is only one way to get the answer: “You’ll have to tune in and see.”
“i’m loving, caring, sensitive, protective, and very maternal, no matter what people might think.” –snooki
dress ExprEss shoes Polizzi’s own on skin, nars cosmEtics hydrating Moisture creaM
MakeuP devra kinnery using nars cosMetics (art-dePt) hair thoMas hinterMeier (art-dePt) Manicure Kristina KonarsKi (Ford artists) Photo assistants John Guerrero, Jason GeerinG, Michael Prezioso Producer uGo duMont (society MGMt) retouchinG a sMall liGht rooM location MilK studios, new yorK
COUTURE DIARIES the couture collections are reserved for fashion’s most exquisite designers. come backstage for a behind-the-scenes peek at the wonder of the season photography sonny vandevelde text derek blasberg 116
CHANEL
chanel haute couture, 10:26 a.m., the Grand Palais
s ’ t I . g N I y “I LovE fL tImE I CAN t H E o N E N d b E A Lo N E . ” EsCApE A ErfELd g A L L r A K –
Karl Lagerfeld has redefined what it means to be jet-set. Inside the Grand Palais in Paris, the designer built a stage set for Chanel’s couture show, the interior of which was outfitted—complete with drink holders and exit rows—to look like the world’s most glamorous (and expensive) airliner. The brand that thinks of everything even hired Chanel-clad attendants to serve drinks to passengers as they settled in for takeoff. When the show began, azure tones floated down the runway–simple shift dresses, embroidered gowns, and everything in between, all featuring Lagerfeld’s signature interplay of masculine and feminine, extravagance and practicality. One of the designer’s newest concepts is to drop the waist of a dress to well below the hip, as if it were a slouchy pair of jeans rather than a garment worth thousands of dollars that took countless hours to make. When Lagerfeld came out of the cockpit to take his bow, he knew we had been on quite the journey. “I wanted to give you something to watch besides a boring movie,” he smiled. “I also insisted on a very wide aisle, because space is the ultimate runway.” He pulled his sunglasses down. “But the planes I take are not this big,” he added. “I fly privately.”
ARMANI
“My goAl Is sIMple yet c o to cReAte peRfectIoN fo MplIcAted: R the clIeNt.” –gIoRgIo ARMANI giorgio armani privÉ, 2:32 p.m., The grand palais The fashion gods could not have organized a more appropriate preview: moments before the models emerged at the Armani Privé show, the actress Jessica Chastain, who had flown to Paris from L.A. to take in Mr. Armani’s couture festivities, was called by her agent and told she had been nominated for an Academy Award. Cue the shrieks of excitement, congratulations from Roberta Armani, and a couple of camera-phone pictures snapped by fellow front-rower Cameron Diaz. The house of Armani has a long, historic relationship with Hollywood— the reason for which this collection makes clear. There were enough gowns to accommodate every event on Ms. Chastain’s awards-season schedule, while the perfect fitted jackets and beaded cocktail dresses offered appealing options for women on the society circuit. The consistent motif in the looks? The color green. “I was inspired by nature and its endless capacity for metamorphosis,” explained Mr. Armani, who showed the color in a variety of textures and tones. There were serpentine influences too, foremost among them a seductive snake slithering through water. The designer’s favorite piece is, in his words, “the look that closed the show: a strapless fishtail evening gown embroidered with Swarovski crystals and sequins. The iridescent gray and green colors are reminiscent of algae. Each step produces a seductive wavelike movement.”
GIVENCHY
“I am alwaYs Elf pusHING mYs ING wItH EVErYtH IN mY lIfE.” CI s I t o d r a C C I r – givenchy haute couture by riccardo tisci, 7:29 p.m., hÔtel d’evreux Riccardo Tisci can pinpoint his customer: “Givenchy clients today are queens, princesses, and baronesses who have left their horses and coaches and decided to be dynamic, energetic women who fly on private jets,” he smiles. “What does she want from me? Faithfulness, sincerity, and to always study something that is the best. And to celebrate the best angle of the body and personality.” That’s a hefty to-do list, but the Italian designer, who has been at the helm of Givenchy since 2005, seems to have checked every box. One extravagant piece from the edgy couture collection found its way onto Hollywood red carpets within weeks of its debut, worn by Oscar-nominated actress Rooney Mara. “I was inspired by the movie Metropolis for its aesthetic and hardness, which was itself inspired by the music of the 1920s Russian movie Aelita, the origin of techno,” says the designer, who knows his way around a dance club and has forged friendships with several reigning R&B divas. “The second part of my inspiration for the collection is Berlin today at the Panorama club.”
gaultIer
Gaultier PariS, 2:33 P.m., 325 rue SaiNt martiN While Amy Winehouse was a veritable fashion icon during her
lifetime, most would have located her influence on the streets of East London rather than the runways of Paris haute couture—at least until Jean Paul Gaultier dedicated his show to her likeness. Up went the beehives, out came the Cleopatra eye pencil, and onto the catwalk went four singers belting out “Rehab” a cappella. “She was a true artist with a voice that comes only once in a generation,” said the designer, who mentioned that the singer’s career reminded him of his own work back in the 1980s. “What she stands for is uniqueness. There was never anyone like her, and never will be. The voice, the look…” he trailed off, proving himself to be, by his own admission, “just a fan,” awestruck like any other. At first the silhouette was all Amy: 1950s-esque pencil skirts paired with tops reminiscent of her ever-present Fred Perry polo shirts. Then Gaultier riffed on classic Winehouse, pushing her look into teddy boys, punk, corsetry, and the classic tailoring for which he first became known. Curiously there were no cone bras in sight; presumably he left those to music’s other fashion queen, Madonna. While he may vacillate in his choice of icon, Gaultier’s take on women stays the same: “I never believed in that French maxim ‘Sois belle et tais toi,’ which means ‘Be beautiful and shut up.’ I think that women are stronger and more intelligent than men.”
“I wanted to gIve amy wInehouse an homage to show the place that she deserves In the hIstory of fashIon.” –Jean paul gaultIer
DIOr
O r T e r g n I h T O n T“ here Is eauTIful, femInIne abOuT b !”–bIll gayTTen lc OThes dior haute Couture, 2:51 p.m., 30 avenue montainge For his second couture show for the house of Dior, Bill Gaytten referenced something that ignited not only the imaginations of his much ballyhooed predecessors but the entire fashion industry: the 1950s golden age of haute couture. Let’s see the full skirts with tiny waists, the voluminous shoulders that accentuate the collar and the face. But one of the hallmarks of the house of Dior is a knack for revealing the armature of a garment: exposed boning, sheer seamery, and other teasing glimpses of couture’s machinery. (In one look, for example, a dress’s skeleton is traced in ostrich leather.) “I wanted to refocus the attention on the strengths and codes that define Dior,” Gaytten explained after the show, which emphasized the house’s historical silhouette. “Why would you choose shapeless androgyny over Dior’s feminine, refined take on fashion?” Good question. And as model after model turned the corner clad in his divine designs, one wondered why fashion ever strayed. For his part, Gaytten seemed to be as enraptured as the rest of us. “It’s a rarefied world, and not an everyday opportunity,” he said. “So why not enjoy it?”
Versace
a d n I m y m n I “I had warrIor woman.” glamorous ersace V a l l e t a n o d –
ATELIER VERSACE, 10:28 A.m., ÉCoLE dES BEAux-ARTS “Fashion is all about timing,” Donatella Versace cooed backstage at the Plaza Athénée, where she had just shown her couture collection. “And I just felt the time was right for Versace to bring couture center stage again.” The previous showing was back in 2004, but Donatella proved that during the hiatus she didn’t forget how to put on a show. First on the runway was Karlie Kloss in an impossibly long, sculpted silver sheath gown, equal parts glamour-puss and aggressor. “I imagined these gowns to be like sexy body armor,” Donatella explained. The designs were certainly bracing, some of them constructed of strips of gold-plated leather adorned with laser-cut embroidery, sequins, and crystals. It’s an interesting moment in the history of the house of Versace, with Donatella revving up the couture collection just as her affordable (and critically acclaimed) H&M collaboration has become an international sensation. But then again, if there’s one thing Donatella knows how to do, it’s make an impression.
Valentino
VALENTINO HAUTE COUTURE, 6:41 p.m., HOTEL SALOmON dE ROTHSCHILd
“Couture is about wha t rather than what you you feel, –Maria Grazia Chiuri only see.”
Valentino’s Pier Paolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri found a familiar muse for their couture show: the French queen Marie Antoinette, specifically as they imagined her to be during private moments at Le Petit Trianon. For a brand commonly associated with va-va-voom Italian sexiness, mining romance and floral prints was a step in a new direction. “Lightness was key in this collection,” Piccioli explained, to which Chiuri added, “A more controlled romanticism and innocent grace were a subtle perspective. Our goal in our work is to provide dreams.” Indeed the show’s mood was more damsel than dominatrix. The duo had gone through the Valentino archives in search of floral prints and antiquing techniques that would give the taffeta chine a faded, delicate feel. But perhaps the biggest sensation of the show was the introduction of a lace-covered court shoe. “We believe that today’s luxury must also be a sense of comfort,” Piccioli said by way of explanation. When pressed for further sentiments on the current state of couture, the duo said they would have to get back to me. Their reply, which came a few weeks later, was worth the wait: “Couture is culture. Couture is a more personal kind of luxury. Couture is an individual state of mind. Couture is the ultimate dream of fashion.”
Stephen BurrowS A New York fixture since graduating FIT in the ’60s, Burrows’s color sense has always made his designs—and the women who wear them—stand out. Inspired by movement and the body, his pieces are famously fun and optimistic. His enthusiasm for his craft—whether it’s a colorful structured overcoat from yesteryear or the chevron-driven collection that he recently showed during New York Fashion Week—has kept the designer going for nearly five decades, with no signs of slowing down.
Rainbow Coat, 1970
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to honor four design legends, we mined the archives at the museum at fit for iconic pieces that changed the course of fashion history photography shu akashi fashion christopher barnard
Geoffrey Beene Beene dressed everyone from first ladies to femme fatales and was a master of both cut and flourish. Adept at unexpected design—hello sequined football evening gown! —as well as ’90s-era minimalism, Beene is considered to be among the most innovative designers of our time. And his influence lives on: during his tenure he taught young upstarts such as Lanvin’s Alber Elbaz and Doo-ri Chung.
polka dot evening gown, 1998
Stephen SprouSe No one brought the fashion and art of the ’80s together like Sprouse. His garments were practically electric, with their kamikaze prints and graffiti-laden designs. This men’s suit was not a hit at Bloomingdale’s at the time but stands out as a definitive statement of Sprouse’s madcap vision.
jacket and leggings, 1988
Photo assistants Kenichi Mizoguchi and Quang trinh digital effects shu aKashi sPecial thanKs the MuseuM at fit, Valerie steele, ann coPPinger, cheryl fein, fred dennis, eileen costa Burrows: gift of Mr. stePhen Burrows; Beene: gift of Ms. dorothy faux; sProuse: gift of Mr. richard Martin; halston: gift of Mr. roBert wells
HALSTON Halston changed the game with his luxurious but minimalist creations that were the epitome of chic in the ’60s and ’70s. Not one to miss out on the fun, the American designer loved to live as large as his most glamorous clients. His roster read like a Studio 54 guest list: Liza Minnelli, Liz Taylor, Bianca Jagger, and Diana Ross, to name a few. The coterie of celebrities always managed to bring the hypnotic allure of his decade-defining designs to life including this innovative, red sequin gown that was made for Broadway siren, Lisa Kirk, the original star of Kiss Me, Kate.
Red Halston sequin gown, 1979
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epilogue
V77 SUMMER 2012
eat your heart out
the media’s insatiable appetite for election crumbs is cannibalizing the press. family guy creator and outspoken activist seth macfarlane sounds off on reductive journalism, latino pollsters, and santorum’s omnipresent sweater vests Vote fdr in ’12! just kidding. not that i don’t admire franklin delano roosevelt—i happen to think he was the greatest president of the 20 th century. But he could certainly never get elected today. he doesn’t have obama’s imposing height, or romney’s hair, or santorum’s boyishness, or gingrich’s legs. actually, fdr doesn’t have any of their legs. also, the primary criterion for a candidate’s electability today is whether the average american would want to have a beer with him (or her). and i don’t even know if fdr could have a beer, ‘cause of the polio. Can polio people have beer? i’m not really a polio expert. But more importantly, fdr would have been done in by the 24-hour news cycle and the relentlessness (and destructive quantity) of today’s online media. when there isn’t enough to talk about, more news is, quite literally, invented. as a result, no one has that all-important breathing time to quietly process, internally cross-reference, and (god forbid) think critically for themselves. it’s only a slight exaggeration to say that pretty much everything that happens right now is broken down and analyzed for its potential impact on “the polls.” it’s called horse-race journalism, and it’s melting our brains. the truth is, i wish the news and the internet had a magic switch that would let me turn off all election coverage until…i dunno, september or so. even the porn sites have spent the last month breaking down the prospect of a brokered gop convention. Can’t americans just enjoy some lactating Chinese chicks in peace? Believe it or not, things happen every day that matter more than the latest twist in the race for the white house. a recent analysis by Climate Central projected that rising sea levels may inundate about 2.6 million american homes by 2030. that sounds kind of important. so is it finally time to place a non-tradeable cap on Co2 emissions? maybe a universal carbon tax? start handing out snorkels? i don’t know. But thanks to daily news reports, i do know that romney’s current polling among Latinos is lagging behind mcCain’s in ’08. nothing against my Latino
friends, but come the fuck on. all across this shattered nation, flanked by rising oceans, entering our second straight decade of perpetual war, and with 20 percent of our homes underwater (the financial kind, not yet the melted ice cap kind), who can deny that the average american wakes up each morning and asks himself, “oh my god, can romney get the Latino vote?!” (a negative side effect is that we’re becoming conditioned to treat elections as just another sporting event. we pick our team, and then blindly cheer them on, with no more thought than we would give to a football game.) why is modern journalism so reductive and sucky? there are many reasons. while it was once a journalist’s responsibility to tell readers and viewers what the hell was going on, now a newsman’s job appears to be simply to tell us what the two major parties and the pollsters are saying. But i think it really comes down to the fact that horse-race coverage is just way, way cheaper than reporting on relevant and substantive issues. Unless you’re jack mcgee, i suppose. his newspaper poured five seasons’ worth of funding into his unsuccessful pursuit of the Incredible Hulk. Beat that, Cnn. now believe me, i get cheaper. at Family Guy, we’re saving some dough by just reusing old shooting scripts from Small Wonder. But we’re just a cartoon show. america’s founders saw no solemn constitutional role for sunday night cartoons with maybe-gay babies. the press, though, was given a job to do. it’s the fourth branch of government. it’s the eyes and ears of an informed populace, the sine qua non of a functioning democratic republic. so seriously, you ever want another fdr in the white house? then stop with the stories about santorum’s sweater vest. Seth MacFarlane
photography babak radboy prop styling avena gallagher seth macfarlane wrote and directed the upcoming comedy Ted, in theaters july 13
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