Vulture Magazine Issue 06: Uprising

Vulture Magazine / Nov 2013

Issue 06: Uprising

REVOLUTIONS W. Hiam Abbass Maiyet Stella McCartney Isaac Cordal Paul Cocksedge Michael Hansmeyer

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THE YOHJI YAMAMOTO COLLECTIVE. AVAILABLE AT LNCC.COM

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Editor-in-Chief Nabil Aliffi Managing Editor Clifford Loh Contributing Editor Lune Kuipers Designer Christopher Emil Madsen Press Assistant Sean Tay Fashion Assistant Lesley Chee Editorial Assistant Tan Qian Rou VULTURE Digital Byan Teo Contributors Omar Machiavelli, Federica Salto, Takashi Osato, Masaki Kataoka, Marlon Rueberg, Marek Chorzepa, Alex Peterson, Fernando Torres, Greg Alva Ng, Justin Seng, Bella Koh, Ros Chan, Emmanuel Giraud, Matthieu Pabiot, Zara Salahuddin, Melanie Chua FRONT COVER Photography by Omar Macchiavelli featuring Martina V (Women) in Prada F/W 2013 Styling by Federica Salto, Hair & Makeup by Rory Rice (HM Battagalia) using Dior Editorial Enquiries For advertising and sales, please email us at contact@vulture-magazine.com VULTURE Magazine Pte Ltd 113 Somerset Road, NYC Academy Building Singapore 238165 Distributed by Allscript Pte Ltd MCI (P) 159/12/2012 With Special Thanks to Ryan Wong from Vue Photography Studios Georgian Wine Distributors Pte Ltd/ TELIANI VALLEY Wines Panda Global Pte Ltd/ Tucher Beer Erratum p.119: Image of 'Butt Plug' - please correct the spelling of Philippe de Gobert (just 1 'l' and 2 'p's) p.121: Image of 'Rubber Jacket H, Horizontal' - please correct the spelling of Fredrik Nilsen (missing the 'N')

Š 2013 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without permission from the publishers.

The views expressed in VULTURE Magazine are those of the respective contributors, and are not necessarily shared by the magazine or staff.

VULTURE welcomes unsolicited contributors, but cannot accept responsibility for any possible loss of damage of the submitted material.

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Remembrances from Nature Nantes, France 2013

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EDITOR’S NOTE When faceless protestors in Guy Fawkes masks marched through downtown Los Angeles in the thousands on November 17, 2011, the world saw a tipping point in the way we would oppose and uprise. The iconography of the mask with a message that reads "We are Anonymous. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us." resonate ominously to say the least, a stern warning to the "powers that be" that the balance has tipped and now favours the 99%.

It is no coincidence that revolution cycles are becoming increasingly small.

What used to take decades from one revolution to the next has caught on like wildfire as in the Arab Spring. Brian Knappenberger's documentary "We Are Legion" seems to attribute modern day preponderance of revolutions to the "Hacktivist" culture that is fueled by the internet. "Hacktivism", as the name suggests, is a marriage of online hacking and social activism. What started as a band of anonymous trollers has grown to a fully-fledged army with a lofty social conscience and an anarchic streak to boot; a double edged sword that has claimed responsibility for ushering in some of the most important uprisings in recent years.

A rebellion of a similar sort can be felt in the creative sphere. Glitch Art that seems to be a direct spawn of Hacker culture is growing in popularity while works by artists like Chad Wys depict an occupation of contemporary codes in famous classical works. In this issue, we also saw a whole legion of creatives proving to be revolutionary in their own right.

Architect Michael Hansmeyer experiments with procedural design in 3D printing, a technology that is fast growing; Paul Cocksedge speaks of a design utopia where function can exist without form; and women's director Hiam Abbass shares about her latest work for Miu Miu Women's Tales that deals with transmission. If history has taught us anything, revolutions are inevitable, lines will be drawn and sides will soon form.

So it begs the question, drink the kool-aid, don't drink the kool-aid?

Nabil Aliffi

CONTENTS

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Cat Treats

Attitude at High Altitude

Uncommon Ground

A Futurist Assembly

PROFILE

PROFILE

FEATURE

PROFILE

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26

28

34

COS

Saint Laurent Dance

Makeup Your Mind

Creme de la Creme

FEATURE

PROFILE

FEATURE

FEATURE

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Editor's Shortlist

Propaganda

MMJ Resort 13

Principle of the Matter

FEATURE

FEATURE

INTERVIEW

INTERVIEW

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ON OUR MOODBOARD

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New Order

The Observers

The Ultimatum

Outsiders

INTERVIEW

EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL

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93

104

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Sextrisism

Commodity

The Face of Change

Cosmic Harmony

EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL

FEATURE

INTERVIEW

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Man on the Ground

If the World Changed

Stockist

Le Donne Della Vuccira INTERVIEW

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FEATURE

FEATURE

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MISC

MACHINES SHOULD WORK. PEOPLE SHOULD THINK. IBM ADVERTISING SLOGAN, 1960

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Catslavery A CONCOCTion of TASTY ORGANIC COOLERS by FOOD STYLIST Bella Koh OF @Catslavery Special Thanks – Proof & Company Spirits, SuperNature, Crate & Barrel Photography & Styling – Bella K.

day t i m e d r i n k i n g

30ml Lakewood Organic Acai Juice 15ml Cold Pressed Organic Lime Juice 1 bunch Organic Mint Leaves 1 box Organic Blackberries 45ml Aylesbury Duck Vodka 15ml Mathilde Cassis 45ml East Imperial Tonic Water

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t h e wo r k a h o l i c d e t o x

2 Organic Capsicum Tequila 15ml Cold Pressed Organic Lime Juice 1 barspoon Navitas Coconut Sugar 1 sprig Organic Cilantro 1 pinch Organic Smoked Salt 1 pinch Organic Cayenne Pepper 45ml Tequila Cabeza

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t h e m i l k y way

60ml Bio Organic Almond Milk 1 barspoon Plantation Organic Blackstrap Molasses 1 Zea Gold Organic Feed Egg White 1 handful Infinity Foods Organic Almonds 1 Spicely Organic Vanilla Bean 45ml Plantation Dark Rum 20ml Luxardo Amaretto Liqueur

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m o r n i n g r i t ua l s

45ml Cold Pressed Organic Watermelon 15ml Cold Pressed Organic Lime Juice 10ml Madhava Pure Blue Agave Nectar 10ml Cold Pressed Organic Ginger Juice 1 bunch Organic Mint Leaves 45ml Diplomatico Rum Blanco 15ml Hum Botanical Spirit

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t h e fa r m e r ' s d r i n k

60ml Organic Red Bartlet Pear Puree Sprig Organic Sage Leaf 2 dashes Dried Organic Lavender Tincture 15ml Cold Press Organic Lemon Juice 1 barspoon Lundberg Organic Brown Rice Syrup 45ml Brooklyn Gin 15ml PF Curacao

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t h e w e e k e n d R e n e wa l

5 Organic Figs 2 Organic Peaches 15ml Cold Pressed Organic Lemon Juice 15ml Seggiano Raw Honey 2 dashes Steenbergs Organic Rosewater 1 sprig Organic Thyme 45ml St. George Bourbon Whiskey

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uncommon ground:

margiela x atelier swarovski Text – Lesley C.

Maison Martin Margiela has always strived to challenge our preconceived notions of what should and should not be, creating clothes and accessories that make us question the nature of common, everyday objects. A faceless watch, for example, or an oversized carabiner worn as a bracelet. Or even a silver cuff shaped like a hospital wrist tag, or Spring/Summer 2013’s crystal nose clips, detached from spectacles, that seemed to float on the bridges of the models’ noses as they came down the runway. The Maison’s rigorous exploration and experimentation with ideas, concepts, and techniques led them to collaborate with Swarovski for their haute couture show in July, from which a more affordably-priced jewelry collection will be made available come December. Inspired by the shape and structure of stalactites, the Atelier Swarovski by Maison Martin Margiela collection uses the new Crystalactite fusion technology, merging crystal with white resin before it is cut, resulting in an almost seamless construction that reflects Margiela’s bare, industrial aesthetic—of a crystal that seems to have grown organically from rough, unpolished rock. Raw, unembellished, and characteristically unexpected, the collection will consist of a pendant, cuff, ring, and brooch, and will be available at selected independent retailers in Singapore.

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a futurist assembly Text – Lesley C.

looking forward: ALACRITA' EXPRESSIVA The Futurists were a group of artists that sought to undermine the status quo of the era; its proponents rejected the stagnant, archaic thinking of the bourgeois and aristocratic classes, and instead championed new technologies across numerous fields, including design, film, and food. Originating in Italy in the early 20th century, Futurism was primarily founded by Italian poet and editor Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, who wrote the Futurist Manifesto and was later joined by Umberto Boccioni, Gino Severini, Antonio Sant'Elia, and Bruno Munari, among others. Aesop’s continuous interest in the arts has led them to identify with the revolutionary Futurists, inspiring a series of seasonal gift kits that celebrates the innovative and often eccentric movement. The six kits in the collection are packaged in sleek tin boxes, with the contents of the kits varying from a trio of Aesop’s anti-oxidant Parsley Seed Skin Care range to a travel set made up of a mix of complementary products. The titles and designs of the kits pay tribute to Futurism, playing with different colours, typography, and space to create a look that is synonymous with the movement. All kits come with a brochure that provides more detail about the Futurist movement, and will be available at all Aesop signature stores and counters in department stores internationally.

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HERMES SPORT D'HIVER 2013:

attitude at high altitude Text – Alex P.

Winter is fast approaching and that annual ski getaway beckons.

While perusing for the ideal log cabin whether in St. Mortiz or Mont Blanc, it is worth sparing a thought for what to pack. A ski holiday is not a trip that one can afford to be ill prepared for. They say a lack of good insulation may just dampen the mood even for the most seasoned of travellers. Longtime arbiter of style and substance, Hermès, ensures that you are well equipped for the sub-zero elements while looking like a pro.

piece of luxury. True to Hermès’ commitment to function, leather ski trousers are especially waterproof so you won’t have to take breaks in between to dry yourself. Pockets conceal integrated key holders leaving your mind worry-free from valuables slipping out when negotiating those slopes at high speeds. Perhaps the must-have accessory is the ski helmet with leather fastenings reminiscent of the emblematic Hermès saddle stitch, which is a guarantee to get you noticed – never mind if you haven’t quite mastered the art of parallel skiing.

This Fall/Winter 2013, Hermes celebrates winter sports through its ski gear and accessories that marry technical expertise with the brand’s hallmark elegance. Ditch those bulky Michelin-man down jackets for the more languid shapes in rich autumnal tones of deep saddle browns and snowy white by Hermès. Technical outerwear like hooded parkas are accented with silk and opulent calf skin for a portable

The timelessness of the designs and the generous use of premium leather in the collection means that these ski gears are made to last.

Echoing Hermès’ brand philosophy, invest in a piece and watch it weather beautifully with each winter.

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FORM & FUNCTION:

COS Text – Lesley C.

The higher-end sister of Swedish brand H&M is finally coming to Singapore, six years after its launch. COS, an acronym for “Collection Of Style”, is quick to establish that it is not just another fast-fashion label. “It is fashionable essentials, reinvented classics and the latest trends,” said Rebekka Bay, COS’s womenswear designer, when the brand was first launched in 2007. COS promises to provide “readyto-wear level design at high street prices”, adds COS’s menswear designer, Michael Kristensen, and it is set to bridge the gap between the two tiers. With a flagship store in London’s famed Regent Street, and stores in France, China, Germany, Hongkong, Norway, Italy, and Sweden, among others, COS will open in Ion Orchard by the end of the year, with plans to open another store in the west.

fit, and finish, the COS aesthetic is easily adaptable. Reinvented best sellers such as the plain white shirt can easily be incorporated into any wardrobe. Make no mistake, though; this minimalism and functionality is hardly characterless. Each piece pays attention to the trends of the times without being over-the-top, and clever design additions—for example, a hardware-inspired closure on a nondescript leather wallet—will inspire the design-conscious and speak to anyone who dislikes the cookie-cutter produce of mass-appeal labels.

The Autumn/Winter 2013 collection, in the typical COS hues of greys, black, navy, and white, with occasional inserts of deep greens, burgundy, and chocolate brown, pays particular attention to cut and construction. Slits on the hem of a pair of pants, for example, are tiny details that add interest to an otherwise standard garment.

The COS design aesthetic is decidedly influenced by Scandinavian principles: understated, restrained, elegant, and sophisticated, but never compromising on practicality and functionality. The Scandinavians were also one of the first to advocate that good design should not be reserved only for the wealthy, but should be made available to all, fuelling the search and development of new low-cost materials and methods of mass production.

With a full range of women’s and men’s clothing and accessories, which include bags, shoes, and jewelry, heading for our shores, there is relief from the surfeit of homogenous, straight-off-the-catwalk styles. At a time where fast fashion is proving to be an increasingly thorny topic, pieces that at once feel both classic and modern will be welcomed by those looking for items that can last beyond a few seasons. Singaporeans will hopefully embrace COS’ underlying philosophy: that fashion is ephemeral, but style is timeless.

With a focus on meticulously constructed classics and wardrobe essentials with subtle twists, and detailed attention paid to fabrics,

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HEDI SLIMANE's DEBUT FILM:

SAINT LAURENT DANCE Text – Alex P.

If there should be a turning point for any anti-Slimane purists wielding the now ubiquitous “Ain’t Saint Laurent without Yves” slogan, the moment is now. Hedi Slimane reminds us of his undeniable prowess in creating iconic fashion imagery with his debut film for the Parisian fashion house. The designer who is also an established photographer channeled his image of electric youth rendered in signature monochromatic tones to the haunting sounds of ‘Trick or Treat Dancefloor” by LA-based band, Cherry Glazeer. If memory serves us well, the short film embodies the same spirit that once exulted Dior Homme to iconoclasm.

The two-part film simply titled “Saint Laurent Dance” is part of a campaign to promote Saint Laurent’s new line of ballerina flats that are steeped in the tradition of the house of Yves Saint Laurent. The first half which lasts no longer than 90 seconds features model Lida Fox who also graced Slimane’s FW13 catwalk show. The model cum ballerina is seen gliding gracefully across an abandoned warehouse space in between languid ballet routines that crystallized into a single sublime fashion moment: Lida peers far into the distance in an overstretched arabesque stance with one hand clinging on the window pane. The second act features a similar fluidity albeit with a more Courtney Love attitude. This time model Gracie van Gastel maneuvers a hula hoop with child-like agility, clad in Saint Laurent's staple baby doll silhouette. Both models effuse an unmistakably Cali grunge vibe, with the flannel shirt and plaid, that is otherwise known as the designer’s thumbprint.

Naysayers may run amok with their displeasure on Slimane’s new direction but when it comes to creating powerful fashion images, it is hard to deny that he is well ahead of the pack. A decade from now, it is the memories of the fashion imagery that will outlive those of the clothes anyway. Meanwhile, why not slip on a pair of flats and kindly accept this dance?

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MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Liner in Diamond Lagoon NARS Cheek Blush in Seduction LANCOME Hypnose Palette in ST2 CHANEL Rouge Allure Satin Lip Colour in Passion

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makeup your mind Illustrations – Ros C.

the edit

SHU UEMURA Press Eyed Shadow in Vivid Yellow & Orange SHU UEMURA x Takashu Murakami Xmas 2013 Collection NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Misfit MAKE UP FOR EVER Body Paint Series

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the edit

LANCOME Hypnose Palette in D02 NARS Eye Paint in Mozambique TOM FORD Cheek Colour in Wicked SISLEY Hydrating Lasting Lipstick in L15

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CHANEL Cream Blush in Revelation CHANEL Les 4 Ombres in Fascination MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Waterproof Liner in Black SHISEIDO Lacquer Rouge in Caramel

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the edit LAURA MERCIER Lip Crayon in Burnt Clay NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Mysterious Red NARS Blush in Exhibit A M.A.C. Eyeshadow in Three Ring Shadow

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the edit BURBERRY Complete Eye Palette in Mocha YSL BEAUTE Rouge Volupte Shina in Violette Incognito YSL BEAUTE Rouge Pur Couture Vernis Glossy Stain in Pourpre DIOR 5 Coleurs Eyeshadow Palette in Stylish Move M.A.C Pigment in Rich Purple

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skincare KIEHL'S Ultra Facial Cream

face BOBBI BROWN Pot Rouge for Lips & Cheeks 34

THE BEST BEAUTY PRODUCTS oF 2013:

Crème de la Crème Photography – Clifford L.

nails CHANEL Le Vernis

skincare YSL BEAUTE FOREVER Youth Liberator

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lips NARS Satin Lip Pencil

skincare CLARINS Beauty Flash Balm

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Art Direction – Christopher Emil Madsen

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Editor’s Shortlist A selection of staples that make great investment pieces from the Fall/ Winter 2013 collections.

MEN’s

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woMEN’s

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MEN’s

woMEN’s

01. MARNI Teeshirt 02. PAUL SMITH Clutch 03. AESOP Marrakech eau de toilette 04. ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA Wool cardigan 05. BALENCIAGA Army green backpack 06. A.P.C. Bomber jacket (mrporter.com) 07. GIVENCHY Men's tote 08. PRADA Tortoise shell glasses 09. PRADA Leather slip ons

01. MARNI White shoulder bag 02. PAUL SMITH Mustard beanie 03. ACNE Gathered twill skirt (net-a-porter.com) 04. CELINE Ankle boot rider in calfskin olive 05. CHANEL Black & white patent leather bag 06. STELLA MCCARTNEY Wool turtleneck sweater (net-a-porter.com) 07. LOUIS VUITTON Speedy 25 in ivory 08. CHLOE Roses perfume 09. ALEXANDER WANG Riley porcelain slip ons

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Art Direction – Christopher Emil Madsen

MARC BY MARC JACOBS RESORT 2014

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PRINCIPLE OF THE MATTER A conversation with Paul Cocksedge on objects, reason and Above all, fuction.

Text – Qian Rou T.

Photo Courtesy – Paul Cocksedge

Consumerism thrives in the digital age. When virtual accessibility is so pervasive in our culture, the world is literally at our fingertips.

The physical distance of space is increasingly irrelevant in our consumption of thoughts, products and design. As our visual intake teeters on the brink of oversaturation, our tendency in product consumption veers towards trends, aesthetics and statement.

Function becomes secondary; or perhaps it is more accurate to say that function has mutated to encompass the articulation of fashion and lifestyle.

Materials are just one part of it. I’m more interested in ideas and really doing things. And materials are important, and of course, play a part in it, but it’s the words, it’s the complications, it’s the reasons why you’re doing something (that are important). Materials are almost a secondary point.

From looking at your lighting features… In particular, Capture was quite poignant. Would you agree that you see light as a material in itself? Yes, completely, 100 percent. I mean, if I could have got rid of the object, and just had light itself, it would have been ideal. Capture is an example of that, to kind of deconstruct the infrastructure around light, and the lamp, and just got rid of everything apart from light, really; we have a hemisphere, a very simple form which is quite pleasing to the eye, not too complicated.

In a world of so much complexity and visual overdose, sometimes it’s good to take things away, and not show things, and kind of strip it back to the essence. That’s always quite exciting.

In an era where the object is almost overburdened by so many demands, London-based designer Paul Cocksedge’s subtle elegance and witty approach to design provides much-needed respite.

The natural tendency is to describe Cocksedge as innovative, experimental and technologically focused. While not entirely inaccurate, this branding and even Cocksedge’s portfolio suggest a focus on the physical, a design methodology that centers itself around material properties and the resultant innovation of form. To fully grasp the significance of Cocksedge’s design, we must cast away the most instinctual of notions: that in design, the object is imperative.

I think that Capture is interesting for me in a sense that… I think that light doesn’t belong to anyone. It’s everyone’s. And the beauty of Capture is that it doesn’t belong to me at all. It’s light. You can’t say, ‘Paul did a great job with this piece, he makes really beautiful lights’, because it’s not the case. I assemble these elements together, but I think the most beautiful thing is light itself. It’s everyone’s, which is really beautiful as well, in a world where everyone is obsessed with owning things.

If a deconstructed approach is perceived in Cocksedge’s design, it is because his emphasis is on showcasing concept; the physicality of the object is a condition of creation. If his span of work seems wide and varied, it is because he does not limit his interest. Cocksedge reiterates the importance of the human response in design, a belief he articulates with great nuance. His pieces contain a layered, quiet intelligence, provoking thought based on instinctual curiosity and human experience. And after all, what is the purpose of design, if not for the people?

So, would you say it’s actually more a way of showcasing light, which is so pervasive in our everyday lives that you don’t really internalize it in thought? Yes, completely. I think a lot of people encounter light, artificial light in very confused way. Objects, lampsif you’ve ever been to a lighting fair, I’m not sure how you feel, but I want to run away. There’s so much confusion there; it’s not about light at all, it’s about adding more stuff around light. Light is almost

A major feature I see in your work is a sense of curiosity; you’re very curious about materials. So, in that, what is the philosophy you have, towards the treatment of materials? Its more ideas.

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the secondary part of it. There are some designers out there who do such beautiful work with light, and really understand it, and connect with it. ‘Collaboration’, that’s the important word here, people collaborate with light, they don’t steal the show. When they steal the show on light, it’s a shame, because you can’t really beat it.

is very important. And the works that I showed, in the gallery, the idea of light and deconstructing light into different colors and reassembling them… I very much enjoyed thinking about a space without a particular function, but actually at the end of the journey the function became clear, which is quite interesting.

Ok, on a tangent, I saw that in your solo exhibition you also have the application of your ideas (about light) to architecture. Do you see a collaboration happening anytime soon? We’re trying our very best. The models were glimpses of new possibilities; quite ambitious work, but very possible. I’m getting to a point where it would be fantastic to have permanency, to have spaces where people can enjoy. I find that objects are sometimes quite limiting, they end up for just one family, or one person, or even never, for anyone. They just appear on blogs, and magazines, and no one ever buys them because they’re not even produced, and I find that quite limiting.

In a lot of designed spaces, the purpose of the space is set. The way I worked was to think about how light can behave within a space: that was the beginning. The function of the building wasn’t even a consideration, but actually, on completion of the work… then you can imagine, because it is a celebration of light, color, science and physics, you start thinking, could it be a university? Could it be a chapel, could it be an airport… the function of the space came only after that.

The feeling of changing scale and moving into architectural work… bigger, more public, things that have to last, things that are beautiful, things that have to connect with people’s souls and lives…

The idea of connecting with more people

So really, for you it’s about exploring the idea and the concept. Yeah, it’s the idea. My idea was to collaborate with sunlight. How I do that is a secondary point. The starting point is the words, the motifs, the reasons.

Material is out there. If you use them, don’t use them, that’s fine.

And that also applies to the table that you just came up with, Poised? Yes, the table’s an interesting project, because I was

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exploring failure. I was just exploring the idea that a table could fall over. Which is quite ridiculous, really, because I would go out of business, if my idea was to make things that fail, but I was very excited about working in this territory of failure; how to make something look like it’s not going to work, and then explore the limits of that as an idea.

And failure was a massive part of it. There was a lot of failure. This project took maybe a year… over a year to calculate. What was fascinating for me was that at the end of it, we ended up with a table that is completely stable. I think this is quite interesting, in that sense, in starting this way.

But it’s a gallery piece. If you go into a gallery and you see something which you think could be mass produced, that doesn’t really sit comfortably with me. I was exploring this idea of failure, so I had to collaborate with physics, and center of gravity, and how heavy this object was… the object ended up 500 kilograms, which is extremely heavy.

So it became this object that deserves to be in a gallery environment; it’s not a mass produced object, it wouldn’t make sense to.

The thought process behind that was about pushing limits and not being scared about the practicalities of mass production or anything like that. It was a pure sort of thinking, in a sense, focusing on that one single idea and

Poised Table, (on left) Vinyl Speaker

trying to make it work.

The idea of working from failure is quite intriguing because the end product tends to be something that invokes curiosity in a viewer; we have all these preconceived notions of a table, and when they look at it, with the steel and the shape of it, it starts a thought process. And this occurs with a lot of your pieces… like Veil. How important is this relationship between the designer and the audience, this instillation of curiosity, in design? For me, it’s vital. The people, they complete the work; without the people, it’s nothing. And I think there’s a lot of design I see, where people get in the way of the piece. People can get in the way of creation, and I think that’s a real shame. I think design has to be for people, and what I’d really like to do in the work is make sure people complete the work.

This is why this idea of buildings, spaces, permanency is important because people are

more involved in that process, and this is shared by many.

With regards to one of your pieces, the invisible bookshelf, one question that comes up is that of what exactly the consumer is buying. Because of the (unseen) nature of the bookshelf, I think there is some confusion as to the point of the piece, when bookshelves that are aesthetically pleasing as objects and inherently functional exist on the market, at a lower price point Hm, I find that so funny, that people worry about something like that, paying too much money for something they can’t see. It’s so absurd. (The bookshelf) was about removing the object, taking it away and leaving the function. And it’s a very functional object.

It’s also a twist on perception; you see these books… but where is the object? People are obsessed with objects.

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It’s about removing the object and celebrating function, and I think that’s wonderful. Why can’t you just buy function?

Why do you need an object? To be honest, I think a flat piece of wood with two hinges on the wall is more complicated than my proposal. I think its ok. I’m very happy with that. And the people who complain, they only complain because they didn’t buy one, I think.

I think what I wanted to do was celebrate the books. Celebrate the sculptural quality of the books, and play with it. Make them look as though they’re on the edge of falling. I have one in my house. People come in, they smile, it’s a talking point and it’s engaging and it moves beyond the object. It becomes a discussion, and… why not? Why not have a discussion and make people think? It’s interesting. It’s not an object; it’s a piece, in that sense.

Auditorium

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Paper Tray

Yes, definitely, and we find all of your work interesting that way, that they create a dialogue about different aspects of the ‘object’, that you don’t consider.

So let’s move on from that; I notice that for pieces like Change the Record and Volume, and also A Gust of Wind, Bourrasque and the paper tray, there’s a similar form running through all of them, in an iterative design sort of way.

Is that an intention you had? To improve upon or look at different aspects of a previous item, a previous concept? Not necessarily; A Gust of Wind, Bourrasque, the paper tray, they’re celebrating the form, of paper, so they just appeared in different directions. And my table started from paper as well. I think that the way paper behaves, the way it generates curves is very natural; it’s very unconscious, in its way of creating shape. You can sometimes go to curvy and kind of controlled, and then it’s much more about the designer having complete control.

about to be destroyed, so we take them and we cook them, we stretch them (to make the object.) With Volume we flip that around and create one that is completely transparent and suspended, just to have a completely different feeling. You just have to play, and enjoy the process, and I like doing that.

And I think the beauty in paper is that you take a piece, and you curl it from any angle, and it creates beauty for you. Just a single force in any direction creates shapes. It’s simple, I understand it, it’s pleasing, to me and I connect with it, so I celebrate that, with all of the pieces that look paper-like.

That was straightforward. You know, my mind is very full at the moment, there’s a lot of different projects happening, and it’s exciting, there’s different scales, and electronics, and buildings, and furniture, and we’re doing staircases… it’s a really exciting time.

With Volume and Change the Record, this is different, it’s about acoustics, it’s about reusing materials, celebration of reuse, and it’s a little edgy… These records, they’re

For me, this is what design is all about.

It’s about being led by ideas, not feeling restricted to one discipline, and trying to please people along the way. And there’s

And I do like materials; Change the Record is a celebration of material. I could have used any plastic, but I chose a record. A record has got so much history, so much embodied into that object, and I think using it in that way is making it technological, making it functional in a different context.

Ok, just one last question before you go. You use the word ‘celebration’ a lot, when you say celebration, is it also looking at products that have been designed, and looking at new products that may interact, or reinterpret them?

Yes.

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always going to be people who criticize and judge things; that’s fine. That’s part of it, and it’s important. Like I said, it’s about people, and people’s responses have an effect on us, as a studio, because ultimately the ending of the thing is about people. I think people should just… realize it’s about doing good work and making useful things and useful spaces, and they complete it, that’s the most important part.

It’s about people.

New Order A dialogue with architect Michael Hansmeyer on architecture in the age of technology.

Text – Qian Rou T.

Photo Courtesy – Michael Hansmeyer

In an age where the technological progress seems infinite, the human understanding of architecture stands at the brink of revolution. The potential for new forms struggles against the established aesthetic discourse we have carefully built up through centuries of cultural development. The presence of contemporary architecture has yet to establish an institution, and forms are ever-changing due to new trends in architectural methods, parametrics key amongst them.

For years, Michael Hansmeyer has been at the forefront of academic investigation into computational generation and parametric architecture. Algorithms and equations form the grammar of Hansmeyer’s work, giving rise to incredibly complex, near-organic forms through a complicated series of mathematical operations. His latest project, Digital Grotesque (2013) looks at the ever-evolving relationship between architectural aesthetics and technology through 3D - printing.

of our time. It’s natural to want to explore their potential.

References and similarities to acknowledged styles of ornamentation forces us to ponder and attempt to reconcile a suggested juxtaposition of aesthetics and technology across an ever-shrinking timeline.

Hansmeyer discusses with VULTURE the rise of 3D printing, and its consequences for the built form.

When 3D-printed architecture is heavily criticized for being impractical in terms of structure, manufacturing costs and even material, are we at the brink of a revolution? Or is the practical application of 3D-printing far in the future? There are a number of different 3D-printing techniques out there. Sand-printing currently looks particularly promising for working at an architectural scale.

It can print massive load-bearing structural elements, while its high resolution allows for highly articulated, ornamental surfaces.

Interestingly, printing the most elaborate form imaginable costs no more than printing a simple solid cube of the same dimensions. For the first time in a hundred years, ornament is no longer a luxury.

The progression of your projects seems to suggest that you think that 3D printing is the first step in reconciling these conceptual forms with architectural realization. Is this potentially the next paradigm shift in architecture? Yes, definitely! New materials and fabrication methods have historically led to radical changes in architectural design. We now have not one but two important and related technological innovations in architecture. First, computers have advanced from mere drawing aids to generative design tools. Second, CNC tools have now include powerful additive manufacturing / 3D printing systems. Acting together, these developments indeed herald a paradigm shift in architecture: complexity is no longer an obstacle. Instead it’s an opportunity that is just waiting to be explored.

Your work deals with parametrics and computationally generated, complex forms. What sparked your interest in procedural generation?Architects have always explored the latest tools and materials available to them, whether it was innovations such as the domes and vaults, or materials such as steel, concrete, and plastics. Procedures – or algorithms – are simply the defining tool

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Also, printing 100 individually customized forms costs no more than printing 100 of the same forms. Individuality is no longer a luxury either.

Digital Grotesque is quite interesting in the sense that it seems to suggest a reversal of Modernism: a return to the age of ornamentation through advancement of technology. Was it an explicit intention, or more of a resultant implication? One could use the same 3D printing process to print a modernist box.

It would cost just as much and take just as long as printing the Digital Grotesque room.

But historically the modernist boxes were in part a result of fabrication constraints: tools could more easily cut straight lines, standardized components were produced on assembly lines. Design was very much constrained by these tools. 3D printing now shatters these constraints. Creating a box is no longer economically imperative – it turns into a purely aesthetic choice. Any form is now possible.

The algorithms that generated Digital Grotesque and your previous explorations of columns always result in symmetry, through the process of folding. The achievement of symmetry is a very classical ideal; does that potential exist in your understanding

of parametrics? Particularly with the more complex and elaborate forms, symmetry is something that is reassuring and conciliating, as it projects a facile sense of order and control. Yet upon closer inspection, many of the forms are not 100% symmetrical, they actually have ever-sosmall deviations to break this balance and add tension.

When architectural space is governed by human experience and emotion, how do you reconcile purely rational generated forms, and space as we know it? Should that even be a consideration?

Computational design is ultimately nothing but a tool. It is the architect who must define the processes and the goals they work towards. And once in place, these processes need to be curated and orchestrated.

Whether it process is rational or not, it is the architect who designs the form and space as much as ever.

The complexity of form and ornamentation in Digital Grotesque is almost overwhelming, and definitely quite removed from the aesthetics of contemporary architecture. So where does that complexity fit in; what is the potential? Yes, Digital Grotesque is highly articulated and may border on overwhelming. It’s worth remembering

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though that it is at the same time very minimalist. Its generative process begins with one of the simplest forms possible –a cube - and repeatedly performs a single, simple operation – dividing the cube’s surfaces into smaller ones – to end up at the elaborate form. The process is minimalist – the output is complex. Contemporary architecture sometimes involves exactly the opposite: complex processes to arrive at seemingly simple forms.

We have a new technology at our fingertips now. Architects used to specify form at the scale of bricks. We can now synthesize architecture at the scale of sand-corn. It’s up to us all to explore what these sand-corns could turn into.

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suit & shoes GIVENCHY gilet DOMINGO RODRIGUEZ floating staircase by ZAHA HADID DESIGN

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the observers Photography – Marek Chorzepa Art Direction – Marlon Rueberg Styling – Fernando Torres Hair – Jay Zhang (ERA Management) using Bumble & Bumble Model – Moody (NEXT LONDON) Shot on Location at the Zaha Hadid Gallery London

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full look COMME DES GARCONS kapsarc by ZAHA HADID DESIGN (on left) trousers & shoes COMME DES GARCONS coat STONE ISLAND shirt HUGO BOSS circus by ZAHA HADID DESIGN

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coat KATIE EARY trousers ALAN TAYLOR shoes COMME DES GARCONS liquid glacier table by ZAHA HADID DESGIN

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shirt ALAN TAYLOR orchis stool by ZAHA HADID DESIGN

top & trousers MATTHEW MILLER shirt & shoes COMME DES GARCONS belu chair by ZAHA HADID DESIGN

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jacket CP COMPANY shirt COMME DES GARCONS trousers DENT DE MAN shoes GIVENCHY kloris by ZAHA HADID DESIGN

the ultimatum Photography – Takashi Osato Styling – Masaki Kataoka Hair – Akiko Kawasaki Makeup – Yuka Hirata Model – Nicola H (Silent Models)

top & cap PAUL SMITH pants JASON WU

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(on left) top & pants SEA necklace TOO MUCH gloves ATSUKO KUDO

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dress PIERRE BALMAIN gloves ATSUKO KUDO

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coat JIL SANDER NAVY leggings & gloves ATSUKO KUDO

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top A.F. VANDERVOST skirt JEAN PAUL GAULTIER heels VIVIENNE WESTWOOD VINTAGE gloves ATSUKO KUDO 74

cap NO. 21 top HELMUT LANG

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OUTSIDERS Photography – Clifford Loh Styling – Nabil Aliffi & Lesley Chee Hair – Jonathan Dadoun Makeup – Djad using Chanel Models – Wylie H (NEXT) | Matthew J (MgM)

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shirt AGNES B jacket Y-3 boots DR. MARTENS

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shirt & scarf AGNES B jacket A.P.C. pants COS boots MODEL'S OWN

raincoat STYLIST'S OWN

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(on Wylie) shirt ACNE pants Y-3 boots DR.MARTENS (on Matthew) jacket A.P.C. shirt & pants COS boots PAUL SMITH

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SEXTRIMISM

Photography – Omar Macchiavelli Styling – Federica Salto Hair & Makeup – Rory Rice (HM BATTAGLIA) Model – Kristina (NEXT) & Martina (Women)

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full look PRADA (on left) full look COMEFORBREAKFAST

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full look DRIES VAN NOTEN (on left) full look SAINT LAURENT

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full look STELLA MCCARTNEY

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full look AND OTHER STORIES

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dress CELINE skirt LANVIN top GIAMBATTISTA VALLI pants EMANUEL UNGARO shoes christian louboutin

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COMMODITY Photography – Emmanuel Giraud Styling – Matthieu Pabiot Hair – Mike Desir (B Agency) Makeup – Vichika Yorn Model – Barbara F. (IMG) & Otto Pierce (FORD) Photo assistant – Julie Chiang

Special thanks to Studio Zero Paris

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jacket & shirt Dries van noten pants CHRISTOPHER KANE underwear VERSACE

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tuxedo jacket TOM FORD printed shirt PAUL SMITH white shirt DOLCE & GABBANA turtleneck & pants HERMES

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coat CHRISTOPHER KANE tunic & shorts DRIES VAN NOTEN shirt & gilet DOLCE & GABBANA leather pants SAINT LAURENT

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jacket PRADA top STELLA MCCARTNEY shorts MARNI printed shorts GIAMBATTISTA VALLI belt ALAIA

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dress YACINE AOUADI turtleneck EMANUEL UNGARO stole MARNI (on left) jacket LOUIS VUITTON shirt & pants DRIES VAN NOTEN gilet SAINT LAURENT t-shirt TOM FORD

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The Face of Change Ethical fashion has long suffered the drabtitude of being a “pity product”. No longer. STELLA MCCARTNEY points to feel-good fashion being the new black.

Text – Melanie C.

In 2009, British Fair Trade fashion retailer People Tree got Emma Watson as its celebrity designer and spokesperson. It was gearing up on its UK market, and looking to add showbiz fairy dust. The big heads still hemmed. Public reaction to Hermione and the clothes seemed underwhelming. Would it be another casualty of “ethical just looks uglier”? After all, examples of good hearts, bland brands are plenty.

“curation” now extends to values instead of goods.

More importantly, these have re-introduced real world concerns into fashion, which has too long been a doyenne of industry left to its indulgences. Founder Safia Minney said, “[Fairtrade] had been around in terms of kaftan kind of things; fine if you were at a music festival, but not something you could wear to the office or to Davos or on the red carpet.

Edun is one ambitious example. Set up by Ali Hewson and Bono, it began in 2005 as a for-profit fashion brand to promote fair trade in Africa. Now half owned by French Luxury house LVMH , the label continues to bleed tragic losses. It also features rather swish silks and avant-garde cuts.

She even concedes: “When journalists mocked us when we started in the UK [in 2001], they were absolutely right to, in terms of our attempt to move away from that kind of hempy, hippy dippy type of product to something that was really fashion.”

Fast forward. People Tree continues to enjoy a multi-million dollar turnover, rivaling any mid-priced British brand—who are, also, getting in on the green act. This year, the H&M Conscious Collection features Vanessa Paradis in flowery prints and batik pants.

A lot of it is peeling back old attitudes. “Eco” is no longer the lingo of hippies, and most of us consumers living materialist worlds have acquired enough fash know-how to imagine beyond hemp pants.

Rachel Miller, who teaches sustainable design in the Department of Fashion Design at Pratt Institute, said, “It could be about preserving the environment, it could be about ethics and fair wages, it could be a designer that has an interest in designing with organic materials, or it may be recycling what’s already there, using recycled materials to

Online, ever the ticker for the future, shopping sites have sprung up. Quality and ethics determine the selection of goods on sites like Everlane and Of a Kind. These belie more fervent sites such as Juno & Jove, Mission Savvy, and Fashioning Change. They show that

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" T he hi g h s t r eet i s act u ally m u ch mo r e in t u ne beca u s e they a r e t r yin g to g et f ai r t r a d e an d o r g anic p r o d u ct s . A t lea s t they ’ r e t r yin g to cate r to a nee d in the ma r k et. "

create something new.”

Time for a fashion update Indeed, “ethical” is no longer a fringe nicety to tack on, if margins allow. Sweatshops, animal testing and fair trade and labour have risen to be main agendas, not only in the minds of consumers, but across boardrooms and cemented in institutions.

In 2011, the United Nations Human Rights Council has endorsed a new set of Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights.

Basically, human rights laws now also apply to corporations.

Just the year before, Abercrombie and Fitch, Hanes, Kohl’s, LL Bean and Walmart were featured in the International Labor Rights Forum’s "Sweatshop Hall of Shame" for refusing to address workers' rights violations by their suppliers.

In a world where clothing factories can collapse and (or not collapse, and continue to chain kids and entire families in modernday slavery), where a cloth factory located near your village means cancer for your kids, there is a world of good promised in the word.

“Fashion goes beyond the industry, it impacts culture, it links the very richest with the very poorest through the value chain,” said Ben Ramsden, Founder and CEO of Pants to Poverty, the UK’s leading sustainable underwear brand.

In April this year, after the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh killed 400 workers, more than a million people signed an international online petition urging companies to commit to an enforceable fire and building safety agreement. The headlines caught fire. Large companies— including H&M; Inditex, which owns Zara; and PVH, which owns Calvin Klein

and Tommy Hilfiger—signed the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, an unprecedented agreement between companies and labor unions. These are not voluntary, but “binding and enforceable”.

If profits and niches don’t convince of a turning point, let’s look back at some traditions. Kanye West will feature here.

When he stepped out at Paris Fashion Week in 2010 wearing floor-length fur, with Amber Rose on his arm and in lynx, the only people who stroked that were contrarians.

Most called socio-cultural retardation his only explanation. When his Paris Ready-ToWear Fall/Winter 2012 collection featured astrakhan fur, uneasiness remained: are we in awe of the unearthly soft curls, or up in arms that they came from unborn lamb.

(Eminently unearthly, since you had to slaughter the mother to get at the foetus.)

Stella McCartney said, It seems to me that fashion is the last industry on the planet to address ethics. That’s something I hate about my industry. Sometimes you get the idea that all these designers are up on their high horses looking down on mere mortals, saying, “Fuck it, it’s fur, it’s beautiful darling!” Those people are out of touch. The high street is actually much more in tune because they are trying to get fair trade and organic products. At least they’re trying to cater to a need in the market.”

Stella McCartney is the ready name when it comes to being sustainable and successful in fashion. She shared some details on how and why.

It is well known that you don’t use any fur or leather in your products. Why did you decide to create your collections this way? Many people claim that leather is okay to use because it is a by-product of the meat industry, however, livestock production is

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one of the major causes of the world’s most pressing environmental problems, including global warming, land degradation, air and water pollution, and loss of biodiversity.

Tanneries are listed as top polluters on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) “Superfund” list, a list that identifies the most critical industrial sites in need of environmental cleanup.

Many people still think of eco/ sustainable fashion as baggy clothes made of hemp – what are you doing to change that perception? I don’t think that ‘eco’ should be a word that immediately conjures up images of oatmeal-colored garments or garments that are oversized or lacking in any sort of luxury or beauty or detailing or desirability. I don’t think that things have to look ugly because they’re organic; why can’t they be beautiful as well?

You can’t ask a consumer to compromise. I don’t think you can say “Here is this jacket that looks terrible but its organic, and here is a really beautiful jacket that’s cheaper but don’t buy it because it’s not organic.” My job is to create beautiful luxurious things.

Do you think that ethics and sustainability are just a trend for the fashion industry? Anything—this subject or in general—is in danger of becoming a trend or a one-off. The important thing is that everyone keeps an interest in it, and there is a vested interest because we live on this planet and we need to look after it, as without it, we have nothing.

You are often questioned about how you can claim to be animal friendly company while still using silk and wool in your collection. How do you address these questions? We have asked all of our wool suppliers to make sure that none of the wool that we use comes from sheep that have undergone inhumane mulesing practices.

Stella Mccartnery F/W 2013

Mulesing when done without anesthesia is a brutal practice of cutting off skin and flesh from the hindquarters of sheep. However, when done correctly, with anesthesia and careful wound treatment, it can save the animals lives by preventing a gruesome death caused by infection and toxic shock.

We work closely with our suppliers to assure that all of our wool comes from farms that care for their animals in an honest way.

When it comes to silk there are unfortunately fewer options. We use peace silk when possible, however we have had problems with quality and quantity. We are always looking for new suppliers and would

love to someday be able to use 100% cruelty free silk—but it really just isn’t possible at this time, but we try.

Your fragrances are made by L’Oreal – how are you able to work with a company that is known to test on animals? None of our products are ever tested on animals. We have been very clear on this issue even though it means that we are losing money by not entering the Chinese market with our perfumes. Every large fragrance/cosmetic company states that they only test on animals when it is required by law—however we have stated that that isn’t good enough for us, and we are willing to wait until the law catches up

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science. There are plenty of in vitro tests available now that can replace outdated and cruel animal tests.

Cosmic Harmony ETHICAL LUXURY: WEAVING MYTHOLOGY INTO A REALITY. Text – Justin S.

The motley union of a human rights lawyer, an entrepreneur and a former head of merchandising sprouted the beginnings of what is now known to us as Maiyet. Named after the Egyptian Goddess of truth and harmony, Maiyet is making headway as the pioneer of a new kind of luxury. Grounded by the exotic craftsmanship from the Indian spiritual capital of Varasani, Maiyet springs a promise of highend polish without an ethical compromise.

on dirt floors, with leaky roofs, inconsistent electricity and no ventilation, making it difficult to work efficiently and consistently.

With the help of Nest, a non profit organization that is dedicated to training and developing artisan business, we've sent experts to Varanasi to improve the quality, to work on organizational, communication and operational skills, and have now even started the design of a climate-controlled facility so that the weavers can work year round in better conditions. Last season we sourced close to 1000 meters of silk from this organization, growing their business significantly.

While there have been fervent attempts at pursuing the idea of ethical luxury, it is often laced with impediments emanating from the jarring.Yet with a phenomenal three years under its belt, a building momentum leaves us with an indelible sense of something more becoming: could Maiyet truly embody the uprising of a congruent and symbiotic balance between ethics and luxury? VULTURE spoke to Kristy Caylor, co-founder of Maiyet to unearth more.

And Kristy Caylor is former former head of merchandising for Gap Accessories and Product RED. Are there any insights from your work that made you want to set up Maiyet? I have a background in both small luxury fashion (Band of Outsiders) and big mass fashion (Gap.) In both worlds, I was consistently focused on the origin of product, the craft behind the design, and increasingly, the intersection of social impact and fashion. In leading Product (RED), I started sourcing knits in Africa and found the opportunity there exceeded expectations. I started spending time in Guatemala designing accessories with women artisans and learned to re-imagine indigenous, heritage craft through a modern, fresh and relevant lens. At Band, I was tailoring with one of the oldest suit producers in Brooklyn and also doing intense product development in Italy. The combination of all of these experiences helped crystalize the concept behind Maiyet. Craftsmanship is at the core of luxury. Whether from India, Italy, Peru, Kenya or Indonesia, we saw the opportunity to

Maiyet was launched after seeing artisans making hand-woven silk in Varanasi. What was it about the industry there that moved you to launch Maiyet? During our visit to Varanasi, we found this incredible handwoven silk. Varanasi is one of the oldest existing cities in the world and sits along the Ganges River, so is a spiritual center to many religions. For thousands of years, the craft of handwoven silks has played an important role within the culture and economy. In recent years, this silk weaving craft has diminished and is at risk of dying out. The silks however, are a treasure and we saw the potential for them to be adapted in a modern, compelling luxurious way. The weavers work in very poor conditions, often

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Daria Werbowy for Maiyet S/S 2012

cultivate and support the next generation of master craftsman. With Maiyet, we aim to give customers a unique, differentiated beautiful product and also promote sustainable employment in places that need it most.

Is there a specific vision Maiyet tries to convey in its look? Our aesthetic is modern, bohemian minimalism. Our customers are strong, adventurous, sensual, fun women. They are deeply connected to the world in which they live and make deliberate choices. They enjoy things that are unique, authentic, rich and interesting.

Some have said that opening a freestanding store just 18 months into the business is bold. What do you hope to achieve with Maiyet's Soho, NY launch?

Our Crosby street store is the world of Maiyet. This is where we can best tell our story. We felt it was important and exciting to create a space that both respected our focus on artisanship, craftsmanship and the nobility of materials, while representing the fullest expression of the brand.

Besides India, Maiyet also sources from other countries such as India, Kenya,

Peru and Mongolia. What are some of the challenges unique to each spot? When we partner with our artisan groups, we select people who have the ability and desire to scale. As we grow, our artisans also grow and prosper. They are faced with unique challenges however, and that is where Nest comes in. Whether it is language classes, skills training, funding machineries or building facilities, Nest identifies the pain points and helps to built capacity so that our artisans are able to meet the growth of the Maiyet orders.

There's been many brands that try to fuse luxury with ethics, but failed. What are some of the pitfalls Maiyet has encountered? Working in these unexpected places is more difficult. There are distance, language, cultural and skills barriers that other brands don’t face. However, our team is so deeply committed to the vision and actually energized by these challenges. We are constantly solving problems, listening and developing innovative in which to work.

In ethical fashion, there seems to be an inevitable "call-out" to social consciousness. How do you perceive ethics and fashion? Is it a fact of reality

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that there necessarily is a separation? We intentionally built Maiyet so that the product goals and the social goals were aligned.

When our business does well, our artisans thrive, so both of our interests are in sync.

What are some of the ways Maiyet ensures that its supply chain is ethical?

We do an extensive assessment before engaging with any artisan partner. Then, Nest independently audits all partners, asking about wages, working conditions, safety and training. We track these metrics year over year to ensure things are working in proper order.

Just after the launch of Maiyet, a garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh collapsed killing more than 400 workers.

What were your first thoughts then?

Proper working conditions, proper wages and an overall respect for human dignity should be a minimum requirement for all customers, factories, brands, at all price points - globally. Customers hold incredible power and should demand greater transparency surrounding the products they purchase. Brands should demand unwavering ethical standards from their production partners and monitor them regularly. It’s

" W e intentionally b u ilt maiyet s o that the p r o d u ct g oal s an d the s ocial g oal s we r e al g ine d . W hen o u r b u s ine s s d oe s well , o u r a r ti s an s th r ive , "

not simple in practicality, but if all parties commit to working on this together, the industry at large can change.

In the larger picture, what do you think is different about today's world that makes ethical fashion such a buzz word?

Is it solely driven by consumers? Is it a trend? I think consumers are increasingly aware of how and where their products are made. They are demanding more transparency, which in turns requires brands to be more responsible. But, I also think many companies are genuinely committed to ethical practices in principal, yet find it difficult to turn a big ship. Then there are those who are purely profit driven and aren’t engaged at all. I don’t think ethical fashion is a buzz word or a trend. It is a movement and one that is just beginning. I hope we will see big changes in our future.

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Le Donne Della Vucciria CELEBRATED FILM DIRECTOR HIAM ABBASS SPEAKS OF WORKING HARD, CELEBRATING LOVE AND PASSING THE BATON IN HER LATEST FILM FOR MIU MIU’S WOMEN’S TALES. Text – Nabil A.

of Palermo, I just thought that it would be a great set for a movie.

Afterwards, when I tried to dream my story in this place, I wanted to give a possibility to a certain class of women, like a certain popularity through the fashion because often in fashion, we have this alienating idea that [it] is for the rich – all these dresses that only models can wear. I really wanted to break that image in a way, by just dressing ordinary, casual women from the city of Vucciria.

Her performance as the mother of a suicide bomber in “Paradise Now” directed by Hany Abu-Assad is a fraction of Hiam Abbass’ expansive silver screen repertoire. Other works include the emancipated sister of “The Syrian Bride” and the role of Hind Husseini, a director of a Palestinian orphanage in “Miral”. Her headon approach to dealing with complex female characters, who are often unyielding and self-willed, earns her the respect as a women's director.

You described Palermo as “my set, my story”. What made it such an obvious choice and how has it resonated with you personally? I think it was a coincidence, [although] in life there are no coincidences. I was going to show ‘Inheritance’ that same summer at Venice Film Festival, when the request came in from Venice, via Madame Prada. Then the production [house] of Madame Prada got in touch with me. From then on, I started thinking of Palermo, and what can I do with fashion and Palermo, Miu Miu and Palermo, fashion and I. I was there with my lover, with my fiancé, so everything I was seeing was full of love. That's how Palermo crafted my past in a way. All these elements happened to make Palermo evidence to my story. It is a little representative of my state of mind there; I wanted to treat a story that was a love story.

At the recent Venice Film Festival, Hiam Abbass traded her penchant for the more critical for the more celebratory. In her first collaboration with Miu Miu’s Women’s Tales, the female director expresses women’s deep love affair with the fashion label through a love story of her very own. “Le Donne Della Vucciria” tells a tale of the women in the provincial town of Palermo, Sicily, from Hiam Abbass’ distinct female perspective.

VULTURE spoke to the critically acclaimed actor and director about her dizzying romance that inspired the film and why the exuberant tale of Vucciria is one that will resonate fervently with the fairer sex.

How do you feel being recognized as among the influential women directors to be involved in Miu Miu’s ‘Women’s Tales’?

It has been a great honour and pleasure for me to be part of this. I think any director would dream to be offered to write and direct a story, where the production and the finances are already there. And because it is online, the movie is going to be seen. Everybody could see it all over the world, which is a great opportunity.

The film explores the “transformative power of clothes”. Could you tell us a bit more on what this entails? You know, I work in cinema. (Pause) Cinema for me is about characters and characters are as good as the way they look and the way they behave. A part of how they look is their clothes, what we wear as actors. It is how these clothes play on the psychology of the characters. It’s not about the prices; it’s about how you feel within these clothes. So I came to the conclusion that the way you dress is an extension of your psychology, of your mood, and who you are. I mean how many times have you sat at a café, watching people pass by, and see how every single person is

So what can you tell us about the women of Vucciria? [The film] isn’t necessarily about the women in Vucciria. It is about the place itself. It was so nice and inspiring. When I discovered the city

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dressed totally differently, and you wonder how and why? Otherwise we would all be dressed the same.

Is this the first time you experienced a Miu Miu collection? No, the first time I got dressed by Miu Miu was for the Deauville [American] Film Festival that happened in France. I really like [Miu Miu], their service and their clothes. I’ve often gone back if I needed to be dressed [for events]. When I worked with them, I had an entirely different level of contact with the brand. Suddenly, it became part of me and I became part of them. They are very generous, and I am very proud to wear them. I’ve been wearing a lot of their dresses at the Venice Film Festival, where I got compliments.

Let’s talk more about the film itself. Why ‘Pupi’ or puppetry as part of your story to celebrate the female point of view?

The whole thing about the story is where I wanted to set it. Once I decided I was setting it in Palermo, I had to find a story that rests in the city. Part of the city is this artisanal work of puppets. There is a museum where you would go for a guided tour to see how the puppets are made and manipulated. So I thought it would be a great idea to include this in the story: a woman creator makes the clothes with her husband (or her lover), working on these little marionettes that later

come to life. I also wanted to work on the idea of young and old; things that already exist and things we are doing now for the future – all [done] in a beautiful moment of music and fiesta.

One of the most profound scenes in the short film was when the dressmaker (Patrizia Schiavone) threw flower petals from the balcony onto the female lead almost like a blessing. In that scene, I was talking about young and old, in a way. I felt one of the things I think about when looking at old movies and cinema of a certain epic is why don’t we have the same talent today?

It’s a question of transmission almost. I thought all these younger ones are almost like a reflection of this old lady and her man.

The two standing over them, and in a very poetic way, blessing them to go ahead with their lives. So, it’s about the transmission of knowledge, the transmission of love, and the transmission of existence almost. It’s like as if they were their parents.

Let’s talk a bit a bit about your background. How has your eclectic upbringing informed your work as a female director? I was born in Israel. As a Palestinian, I was born in Nazareth, and I grew up in a village in the north of Galilee, in a Palestinian village. I grew up between two cultures since young, you know. I am

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Palestinian; I speak Arabic. My mother’s language is Arabic, but I had to be part of this country called Israel, which has its own mixture of cultures. And I grew up always wanting to see beyond what I was given. I always had this ambition of going further than what everybody offered me. And in a society like mine, where you have to fight a little for your rights and for your differences, whether within the Palestinian society, or the Israeli society, I grew up pretty [much] with that mentality. But, I left for London before I came to Paris, and I’ve been living in Paris for the last 25 years. So it has been a tremendous number of years that I’ve been immersed in Western culture. My identity is really as an Arab, and whatever I receive living in the West. I keep navigating the double culture no matter where I shoot.

[Eventually] I come back to Paris, and I live in Paris. My daily is life in Paris. My kids are Parisians. All these just become part of your identity as an artist really.

Does it give you a broader view of the world? It’s not about a broader view, but I think it’s about looking at things with much more distance. When you used to live in a country that is politically oppressed, the main interest in life is what’s going on politically, and who is fighting whom, and who is stealing what, and whatever. I think you have to have some distance to look at

things in a different way, and to analyse them differently. My life in Paris [still] permits me to do that. It permits me at the same time to choose my own closeness to my culture, to my country and to my roots. They are not imposed on me, but they are a part of me, and I live with them, and happily so.

I look at what is going [on] over there, and I look at my own culture, and I can be critical, and I can be much more decisive.

together, the filmmaker and the dressmaker.

It’s a whole process of creativity, which is very interesting and I think are of the same edge. We have to work hard, and triply hard, maybe more than men do, to make our way around, because women exist in this society and their voice is still minor. So I think when you are a minority, you just have to pierce through much stronger and harder to be able to prove yourself as a creator.

There was an accompanying discussion about the role of women in cinema at the recent Venice Film Festival. What insights can you draw between the role of women in cinema, and the role of women in fashion? I don’t think they are very different because I look at both as inspiring artistic works. So for me, if I have to compare, I would compare the creators

Finally, what makes this short film such an enjoyable tale to share with fellow women? That’s a hard question, really.

Though it seems easy. I think it is enjoyable because basically this short [film] was really meant to be a fun part of life, and a fun part of creativity, and a fun part of music, of sharing, of dressing up together and being in the same collection. I wanted to stay on

the edge of what is joyful, and what is really promising, and what is positive, and what is love, and what is… transmission. So I think I really meant, as I have shared in the beginning, to stay in that point of view for the short film, and I think this is how people receive it really. This is how women receive it, because it is just like seeing yourself living seven minutes of joy and fun, music and dance, seaside and sun.

the edit

MIU MIU Embellished

MIU MIU Jacquard &

MIU MIU Belted silk

MIU MIU Polka dot jacquard

MIU MIU Metallic

MIU MIU Croc effect

wool crepe skirt

leather tote

tafetta coat

taffeta skirt

mary jane pumps

leather gloss waller

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Man on the Ground Miniature diorama sculptures by spanish artist isAac cordal.

The Office Nantes, France 2013

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Forest Road Nantes, France 2013

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Ophelia Nantes, France 2013

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Follow the Leaders, Berlin, Germany 2011

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Trapped in a lifetime, M. laga, Spain 2012

the edit

ZEGNA Leather slip ons

TOD'S Leather briefcase

GIVENCHY Star cufflinks

BOTTEGA VENETA Pocket hankerchief

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TOD'S Leather clutch

MARNI Mens's shirt

if the world changed A quick guide to the fourth installation of the Singapore Biennale.

Text – Gregory N.

The fourth Singapore Biennale is nigh, and this time, it comes with renewed geographical relevance by promising a greater focus on Southeast Asia. This year's theme, 'If The World Changed', is one that invites discourse about the complex, diverse environments found within this constantly evolving region. With 82 artists and groups participating this year, there is so much to take in that an unprepared visitor may feel overwhelmed. Here are 5 artworks that should not be missed.

Specula Nguyen Oanh Phi Phi Vietnam

The Rise and Fall of 1°17′N 103°50′E, 1°5′0″S 75°55′0″W A Circular Journey Sai Hua Kuan Singapore

Nguyen Oanh Phi Phi was born and raised in Texas, and lives and works between Hanoi and Madrid. In 2004, she received a Fullbright Grant to study Vietnamese lacquer painting, a multi-layered process which she utilises as a medium to convey concepts of memory and reflexivity. With this artwork, she has created a cavernous barrel vault out of an iron frame that appears plain and industrial from the outside, but contains an interior of gently illuminated floors and glossy lacquered walls. To the artist, Specula functions as an attempt to reconcile and reflect upon her Vietnamese and American identities.

However, for the viewer who walks through it, it is a liminal space that encourages wonder, searching, and quiet introspection.

Born in Singapore and trained in London, Sai Hua Kuan has exhibited his work internationally at venues including Mostyn Open 18 in Wales and the 14th Media Art Biennale WRO in Poland. This artwork is an immersive, dual-channel video installation that documents the sun rising and setting in two countries: Singapore and Ecuador, cousins on opposite sides of the equatorial belt. One can experience the images of Singapore and the Yasuni National Park of Ecuador over the cycle of sunrise and sunset, becoming aware of the similarities and differences in the two countries' historical, cultural and political contexts, as well as the environmental issues - caused by their unique geographies - that continue to challenge their survival.

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Crystal Palace: The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nuclear Nations Ken + Julia Yonetani Australia This husband and wife duo are based in Sydney and have collaborated since 2009, creating works ranging from sculpture and installation to video and performance. They are known for their use of unusual materials like sugar and salt, and this environmentalist piece is no different: it comprises 31 chandelier frames fitted with uranium glass, which glows neon green when lit by UV bulbs. The 31 pieces are symbolic of the 31 nuclear nations in the world, with each chandelier's size differing according to the number of operating nuclear plants in a specific nation's possession.

The Mugler-green glow of the glass beads alerts the viewer to toxicity, and yet, the display has its own dangerous beauty, signifying the moral ambiguity of nuclear power. This artwork has been shown in different stages of completion in Armenia, Pakistan, Germany and Japan, but it is at the Singapore Biennale 2013 that it will be presented in full a not-small irony, since Southeast Asia remains without nuclear power plants.

Hope Brings Us Here Nipan Oranniwesna Thailand

Terra Sensa Jeremy Sharma Singapore

The work of Thai artist Nipan Oranniwesna has been shown widely in his home country as well as at international exhibitions, including the 18th Biennale of Sydney and the 52nd Venice Biennale. Much of his work revolves around issues related to globalisation, historical memory, nationality and the politics of identity and migration. Hope Brings Us Here, commissioned by the Singapore Biennale, follows from his previous work Narrative Floor, an interactive wooden platform embedded with 'raindrops': minuscule resin beads that show photographic images of urban and rural cartographies. The piece invites viewers to become directly and physically involved with the work - they may take off their shoes and walk on it, as well as get close to the floor in order to experience and discover the nearly invisible realities housed within each bead. There's a lot to be learned from looking closer.

Though trained as a painter, Jeremy Sharma also works with video, photography, drawing and installation. Terra Sensa is based on the observations made by British scientists Jocelyn Bell Burnell and Antony Hewish in 1967, when they noticed electromagnetic pulses separated by 1.33 seconds each originating from the same location in the sky. It was discovered that these pulses are emitted when a star begins to die, creating a 'death line' that persists until the star ultimately burns out. Sharma has taken the radiographs of collated data from pulsars (a portmanteau of 'pulsating star') of every decade since their discovery in 1967, and plotted the data lines into 3-dimensional column slabs of ridges, peaks and valleys. This melancholy meditation on the afterlife evokes geographical terrains and wall reliefs, but its starkness makes it strange and unfamiliar.

Unlike many of the artworks in the Biennale which ruminate on existing physical landscapes, the artist has here looked towards something intangible and alien in order to create his own.

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FOST GALLERY P RESENTS :

S u r r e a l R e a l i t y - P h oto g r a p h s by R o d n e y S m i t h 15 N ov e m b e r 2 013 – 0 5 J a n ua r y 2 014

Men with boxes on head, Brunswick, GA, 2001 Archival pigment print 1 Lock Road #01-02, Gillman Barracks Singapore 108932 info@fostgallery.com

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