Man woman aw16 14 jan page by Xavier Sallustrau

MAN PARIS

JANUARY 22-24 25 rue Yves Toudic Paris 10

MAN NEW YORK

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

JANUARY 26-28 775 Washington St, New York, NY 10014

WOMAN NEW YORK FEBRUARY 21-23 775 Washington St, New York, NY 10014

WOMAN PARIS MARCH 4-7 25 rue Yves Toudic Paris 10

EIGHT AND LOVE Dear colleagues, partners and friends,

This season we’ve been out and about collecting the insights of edgy multibrand buyers, trendy distributors, and smart fashion-business players. As well as other cool characters – art directors, chefs, soccer players, magazine publishers, photographers, DJs, garden designers – who aren’t directly linked to the fashion industry, but who definitely play an inspiring role in it. Inside you’ll also find insights into the future of retail, an exploration of tradition and leather manufacturing, and last but not least, two splendid photoshoots by two talented photographers, Bertrand Le Pluard and Stella Berkofsky, that are the best kind of funny and dreamy. We are now in our eighth season, but the MAN/WOMAN concept remains an intimate show full of carefully selected apparel, accessories and lifestyle brands from around the globe. We want it to be a place where you can meet the best international buyers, press and fashionindustry professionals in a professional but relaxed atmosphere. And at recent shows it’s been great to see how you all seem to continue to understand and appreciate what we’re doing. As we move forward, the goal is to remain a carefully considered and tastefully curated rendez-vous, while constantly improving and incorporating new brands into the MAN/WOMAN mix. We hope you’ll stick around for the ride as next year will see our fifth anniversary! As ever, we’d like to say how extremely grateful we are for your renewed trust and support every season. So thank you to all of you, from all of us!

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Welcome to the Fall/Winter 2016 edition of MAN/WOMAN magazine, the perfect accompaniment to the shows in Paris and New York. Just as we try to make each show bigger and better, so we work harder to make every issue better, faster and stronger. More content, more interviews with interesting and relevant people from around the world, more beautiful photos.

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

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HANDS UP

THE SKIN TRADE

LEEWAY

NEEDS MUST

THE FUTURE OF RETAIL

FOR THE PEOPLE

J+O=A-OK

EVENING STARS

LEE MAJOR

MR. PRESIDENT

AN'S THE MAN AND BK'S OK

TREASURE HUNT

LEE TIME

GREEN LIVING

SUMMER TIME

MATCH MAKER

ODES TO BEAUTY

TOP CHEF

NOT SO FARFETCHED

PARIS: CITY OF BROMANCE

SMELLS LIKE TEAM SPIRIT

IT'S GONNA BE

BERT THE INDOMITABLE

PRETTY IS AS PRETTY DOES

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

PAUL ALGER

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Photography Courtesy of Centre Commercial

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Interview Gino Delmas

Shopping center 6

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MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Eleven years ago, Sébastien Kopp and his childhood friend François-Ghislain Morillion founded Veja to make sneakers that were environmentally friendly from heel to toe. Five years ago, the pair decided to widen their horizons and create a store/creative space. The result was Centre Commercial, on Rue de Marseille near the Canal Saint-Martin and the Place de la République, an up-and-coming part of Paris’ 10th arrondissement. The space welcomes not only one of the capital’s most exciting and interesting selections of mens- and womenswear (and later kidswear), but can also be transformed into a meeting space/melting pot for product launches or events. MAN met up with the founder of a project that never stops being surprising.

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

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How did you come up with the idea for Centre Commercial? Veja was a quest, a maiden voyage. We launched it with €5,000 each, and it grew organically, meaning we kept our independence and huge freedom. When it took off, we said it would be cool to set up a place that could be the catapult for other projects that seemed fun, but weren’t necessarily available elsewhere. Just by going to trade shows we came across projects, perhaps not as socially committed as Veja, but with a specific viewpoint. The common trait of all the participants of Centre Commercial is transparency of production: they know where they manufacture, without it necessarily being something they make a big deal out of. We wanted a space where we could bring together our commitment to fashion, the environment and the social. Since the beginning we’ve seen it as more than just a store. It’s also a space that can host events, meetings. For us it was the expression of the digital generation, the first that grew up without and then with the Internet. We wanted to find that freedom of expression in a space.

How have customers welcomed that approach? They’re interested by it. We wanted to mix fashion with a sustainable and socially based approach to create one of the coolest stores in the world. After five years, we’re really happy with how far we’ve come, even if we’re still right at the beginning of the journey. The space has been hybrid since it began. We have organized book launches, such as Julian Assange’s about Wikileaks, or projects like Enercoop, a green-energy company, which is the French environmental project. To create an atmosphere for that we emptied the store, and forced everyone to wear boiler suits and army gas masks. Everyone took the piss and then two weeks later Fukushima happened. Really soon we’re going to have the French launch of Fairphone, a new cellphone made in a more sustainable way. Centre Commercial is a crossroads where we mix people we like and products we love. We’re lucky enough to do what we love – which is a privilege – and when you do things out of love, then it’s hard to go wrong.

Which brands have been stocked since the beginning? Yesterday’s cornerstones are today’s cornerstones. Bleu de Paname, Roseanna for women, Church’s, which is one of the rare brands still to manufacture in the UK. Or Paraboot, an anachronistic old French company, which still manufactures in Grenoble and had completely disappeared from stores. Veja could have cut us from different ethical or social approaches, but in fact there are lots of different types and we wanted to bring them all together in one space. Veja showed it was possible to produce differently; Centre Commercial is a mix of commitments. it’s not a brand, it’s a movement.

How often do you work on special projects? It depends on what we love and who we meet. Sometimes three a month, sometimes nothing for two months. Now we plan further upstream, concentrating more on quality. It’s really about who we meet: some people come to see us; others we go and see because we like what they do. We love that, sticking with people, working together in the long term, as well as finding new sources of energy. Everyone involved in Centre Commercial has inspired us enormously, even if they don’t realize it. I really admire each project we stock. I need them.

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Where does the name come from, by the way? There were two sources of inspiration. Firstly, sociologist Mike Davis’s Dead Cities books. Each chapter is a city, in which he deconstructs the idea of cities that we have. He discusses Kabul, Dubai, Sun City and US cities in a totally unexpected way and explains why these cities are world centers today. For him the city of the future will be a mall. This is because of their panoptic nature – transparent in all senses of the word. They are places where you are permanently filmed and turned into big data. Then there was Bernard Stiegler, a philosopher who has worked extensively on consumerism and the deadening effect of the mall on consumption. How it is a place you go to waste time, so it becomes a leisure space. By giving the store that name, we wanted to say that the future is not inevitable; we are not just victims. The future will be what we make it. Everyone in their own way. We had lots of problems with real French malls that didn’t find it funny at all. We did, though.

Why did you choose this neighborhood for the store? Rue de Marseille is my favorite street in Paris, the one where I feel most at home.There are hardly any cars, and each time I walked down it, I would say, “I’d love to live here”. I didn’t look anywhere else. I knocked on every door. There weren’t any ads. It took a year and a half. It was a whim, but it was important for me. Everyone told us, “This neighborhood is rubbish; it’s dead”. Back then, they thought we were mad. But I thought that was a good sign. [Laughs]

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

“Veja showed it was possible to produce differently; Centre Commercial is a mix of commitments – it’s not a brand, it’s a movement.”

How would you describe your style? I like useful, hard-wearing clothing, quite basic, with few logos. I hate buying trendy things; I love the idea of clothes you can wear for the rest of your life, without getting bored of them. Not the ephemera of a season. We like climbing gear, workwear, military gear. We have reworked that in Centre Commercial.

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How does the project work? The goal was to create a space in which people would realize that you can build collaborations and bridges. It takes an insane amount of energy. The team only really found its balance about a year ago. We had to find the right blend of ambition for the different projects and people. Which is normal for a project that’s so complex. Since then, it’s been incredible.

“We wanted to mix fashi socially based approach t stores in t

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Who manages buying and the selection? I’m less present than 18 months ago, but before that I was there way too much; I did nearly all of it. Today, Nicolas, the store manager, and I work together, which is great. I look after the overall selection; I try to keep the machinery well oiled. It’s difficult to have a store when you’re not present, but I spend a few hours every Friday morning. My favorite part is seeing the project grow, see the team grow (we’re now eight), as well as the inherent quality of the brands and the close relationships we’ve built up with them. They’ve become partners. We like working with big brands that have lost their credibility and making them relevant again by selecting the 10 percent of their collections that are amazing. They often don’t agree; they don’t believe in it, even if it works. It’s funny how much it can influence them, though. Can you tell us about Centre Commercial Kids? We had lots of young parents, customers of the store who wanted the same stuff for their kids. When there are 10 of them, then 100, then loads, you think, Why not? One day I was having lunch with Vanessa, who works in the store, and I saw she had a copy of Milk in her bag. I said, “It’s funny you read that magazine when you don’t have kids”. She said, “I totally love kid’s fashion”. So I told her, “OK, let’s do it”. Kids exists partly because of her. I gave her the project; she controls it; and it’s going really well. It’s even easier to find sustainable stuff for kids. It’s a new world for us, but after two years, it’s on track and doing really well. How do you bring together digital and bricks-and-mortar? The site is completely integrated into Centre Commercial and is important in terms of turnover. We put a lot of work into it. It’s the same project. One nourishes the other and vice versa, all the time. It’s like the two wheels of a bike. I love crappy metaphors! [Laughs] How does a brand get your attention? It’s a gamble. I realize that the success of a brand is 50 percent about the products and 50 percent the person running the project. Do you go to trade shows? I go to all of them. We have our regular stops and then we discover things, even if that happens less and less. We’re lucky to have lots more information thanks to the Internet – everything is available on a global scale – but surprises can happen with something interesting. You don’t need to have five a day, though. We wouldn’t have the space anyway.

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How do you see MAN/WOMAN in terms of other shows? It’s completely in tune with Centre Commercial, in the sense that we share lots of brands. Lots of brands that we’ve stocked have gone onto MAN afterwards, and lots of MAN brands have ended up in Centre Commercial. We are in sync with the show’s team; we’re looking for the same kind of brands. It’s more contemporary than lots of other shows, fewer big brands, more smaller ones, but fashion’s creative heart is here.

on with a sustainable and o create one of the coolest he world.”

What do you expect from a show? A show’s role is to be a guide, a courier, a connector between brands and their potential customers, stores. We have such a wide range that we’re happy at all shows. We always find interesting things.

Are there changes you see influencing the market? Fast fashion is boiling over. People are tired of paying for stuff that’s cheap but bad quality. It doesn’t last. With Veja, we were in the first wave of “environmentally friendly” brands. And now we’re seeing the second arrive, much more strongly. The collective conscience about what clothing is and how it’s made is far stronger than it was. That rose with the Rana Plaza accident. People now understand that there are consequences to buying such and such a brand with its bad manufacturing practices. What’s next for Centre Commercial? We have loads of projects, but we never talk about them before they’re done. We’ve done 30 percent of the journey, and done it well. It’s now up to us to continue doing things as well as that, and even better. We first had a local impact; then about three years later a national impact; then a global impact, with customers coming from Canada, the US and South Korea. It’s an interesting time. Either we become over-ambitious and expand into NYC or Seoul, which I think would be a mistake, or we concentrate on doing what we do well in one place, Paris. I think we’re leaning more towards the latter vision. We try a lot of things and we mess up half the time. We’re not better than others, but we love creating things, being where people don’t expect us, where even we don’t expect to be sometimes. That is what’s fun. www.centrecommercial.cc

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How has the market changed since you began? The mainstream went online about five or six years ago, which is why retailers are suffering. But I really believe in quality, from added value to risk-taking. The Internet has turned things on their head. We’re talking a lot about the Uberization of the economy, but fashion was Uberized before anyone else: lots of sites have popped up and many retailers haven’t been able to survive this global competition. This has forced multibrand retailers to have a much stronger vision.

HANDS UP

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Interview Matthieu Morge Zucconi

Photography Jan Verdijk

Hands up Fleur and Hans founded their agency hands and legs in 2014. Out of their beautiful studio space in Eindhoven, the couple represent and distribute HOPE, studio RUIG, Stutterheim, I Love Mr Mittens, The Last Conspiracy, The Boyscouts, Wood Wood and Libertine-Libertine. We talked about working together and with brands, and why theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re mad about a monastery.

HANDS UP

Could you tell us a bit about yourselves and what you did before founding hands and legs? Hans: Since 1998, I had been running a showroom in Antwerp featuring several international brands, and next to that I also had a store for 11 years. Fleur: I started a showroom in 2010 and built it up over the years. I opened a boutique in Eindhoven last year. When did you get started and why? We’d known each other for several years as good colleagues, but found each other and “became one” in 2014. But working together is something else and with our characters not always easy! We are both fast-forward, driven persons and hard to follow. But for the first time we both felt that we had found someone equal in thought and especially in action. Since we shared the same vision of the business and had the same approach towards the market, we quickly merged our agencies, kept the best labels and started hands and legs.

How do you work with the brands you represent? We run our agency more and more as a consultancy for retailers. Today the retailers spot everything upfront, so they more or less have done their homework before we meet. Our job is to create the best win-win situation for the retailer and the brand, and this in a natural way. We see to it that they leave our building in the best way. Next to that, through our experience, we try to add interesting values from the brands we work with. But writing orders is the easy part. It’s with what comes after that you can really make a difference. So we try to have the best customer service. What does the name of your business mean? Both: It’s quite personal, actually! [Laughs] Hans: Fleur came up with the name, while we were having dinner at our favorite Japanese restaurant in Eindhoven. For the “legs” parts, its obvious – her legs are longer than mine. Fleur: About the “hands”, that’s for our memoires some day. [Laughs] Funny to hear now that some retailers call us the body parts.

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

HANDS UP

“American and Asian buyers try to do everything themselves to make a brand work in their stores, while European buyers almost ask the label to sell it for them.” The agency is located in an old monastery. Why did you choose it? Is its historical dimension important to you? Eindhoven was bombed during WWII, so it had to be rebuilt. The monastery is one of the few historically characteristic places left. But as important as the building are the people working here. It is filled with small creative companies, from lighting and furniture designers to graphic designers, so it’s the perfect atmosphere for us to work in.

What are your criteria for selecting a brand? First of all, we need to click with the people behind it, then we need to see that the brand has a long-term future. We don’t like spreadsheets, but heart, soul and passion. How does a trade show such as MAN/WOMAN help you in your job? MAN/WOMAN offers us a platform in Paris and New York to show our labels to the best international retailers across the world, and all in a very relaxed atmosphere. It does fledgling brands no good to sit in a showroom and be seen by maybe only four retailers. We believe a tradeshow helps you create a stable market for your brands.

What is so particular about Eindhoven? Eindhoven is the Dutch capital of design. Our design academy is one of the most influential, and we have so many designers, often working behind closed doors. Once a year they come out for 10 days to show their work during Dutch Design Week, which has been rated one of the top five design weeks to visit in Europe. What makes Eindhoven different is that you don’t need to pose here. You just can be yourself, whatever you do or create. People respect you for who you are, not for what you do. Which is so important for us.

How does a brand last, according to you? One word: CONSISTENCY! Do one thing really well. When you start as a brand you create a DNA for yourself. So you create your frame and then you can move around inside it, but you should stay inside it.

HANDS UP

Any tips for places to go in Eindhoven?

You Are Here How has the fashion market changed since you started working? E-commerce, social networks and so on has changed our market completely, of course. Nowadays we are all so well informed that it is hard to surprise people. On the other hand, it is easy to buy labels from across the world, which wasn’t always the case in the past. It is easy to start up a label or a store and get yourself known around the world, at least if you do it in a good way. And it’s for free. How great is that? So if you really are talented, you have easy access now.

Assembles high fashion in a fantastic decor that changes every four months; designers include Gosha Rubchinskiy, Christophe Lemaire, 3.1 Philip Lim, Vibskov, and Hope. Kleine Berg 32A, 5611 JV Eindhoven Gardrobe Gathers a mix of the best Scandinavian and Dutch fashion, located in the old Philips factory on Strijp-S. Torenallee 60-02, 5617 BD Eindhoven

What trends do you forecast for the upcoming seasons? As a trend, we see more and more specialization, as much in physical stores and e-commerce, as in new labels. Focus on one thing and try to be the best in it. For the rest we see that the gap between cheaper chain stores and the luxury segment is getting bigger. The men’s market especially has been upgrading to high fashion the past couple of seasons, a move the women’s market has already made. We can only support that.

Kyoto The best Japanese in Eindhoven. Also the place where we came up with our company’s name. Sint Antoniusstraat 16-18, 5616 RT Eindhoven

Our favorite haute-cuisine restaurant. Perfect service and now a first Michelin star. Bleekweg 7, 5611 EZ Eindhoven

How do you see the future of retail? We believe that physical stores still have a big future, but they need to use all tools the Internet offers. Consumers have information overload today, and want to be triggered. They want to shop whenever they want, so you need to create a situation that makes that possible, in service, offer and atmosphere.

Radio Royaal Good food at good prices in an amazing old factory setting. You definitely have to try the desserts. Ketelhuisplein 10, 5617 AE Eindhoven

How is the European customer different from the American or Asian customer? We see a big difference in their buying behavior, not in what they buy. American and Asian buyers are more relaxed and easy to work with. They try to do everything themselves to make a brand work in their stores, while European buyers almost ask the label to sell it for them.

Ketelhuis A cool restaurant based in the old Philips generator house. Serves simple but very good food, and has an outdoor barbeque and great terrace in the summer! Ketelhuisplein 1, 5617 AE Eindhoven

How do you see hands and legs developing in the future? We don’t plan too much ahead since we work with labels in the long term. We continue to search for small houses with a big potential, which focus on one particular product, like I Love Mr Mittens and Stutterheim. Next to that we hope that we can have as much fun as we do now with the same people, and stay a small family.

Piet Hein Eek

What is your motto? There is a solution for everything, so smile and go!

A group of young creative designers who make the most amazing creations in a beautiful old factory. Daalakkersweg 6-56, 5641 JA Eindhoven

A famous furniture designer’s studio with an attached shop, art gallery and restaurant. Halvemaanstraat 30, 5651 BP Eindhoven Collaboration-O

www.handsandlegs.eu

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Zarzo

THE SKIN TRADE

Text Matthieu Morge Zucconi

Photography Courtesy of KikaNY Maximum Henry Southern Field Industries Filson Ally Capellino Piola Steve Mono VereVerto Southern Field Industries

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

The skin trade Humans have been wearing leather since time immemorial. Not all the time, obviously. When something gentler is required then many people will ditch their leather boots for more comfortable sneakers. But we always come back to the classics. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the same for wallets. Once out of those difficult teenage years, hardly anyone would think of having one made of anything but leather.

THE SKIN TRADE

For Gonzalo Fonseca, founder of Spanish brand Steve Mono, leather has always been present in men’s wardrobes for the simple reason that, “It’s a really masculine material in an almost primal way”. His own interest goes back eight years, which was when he created his brand to produce hard-wearing sustainable objects – and realized that leather is the only material that actually improves with use and age.

For Gonzalo, the sector to watch is accessories, which he believes will continue developing and become as big a market for men as for women. “Accessories are going to become an essential part of our wardrobes,” he says. “We’re wearing more ‘relaxed’ clothing and that means we have to use accessories to make our style unique.” In other words, when you’re carrying a computer all the time, you might as well make yourself stand out with a beautiful bag.

And it does that because leather is the result of traditional and genuine savoir-faire. Whether leather brands are historic, like Filson, or smaller and artisanal, like Southern Field Industries, they all share common traits: a love of products, and an attachment to the quality of the material and the work it requires. This sustainable, handmade vision has been at the heart of recent interest from bloggers, journalists and retailers, driven perhaps by successful collaborations between leather manufacturers and larger brands, such as the one between Horween Leather and New Balance.

Yet faced with the sheer number of accessory and leather brands for men, it can sometimes be difficult to know where to look. So MAN has created a short “A to V” to guide you towards the best brands for whom quality is not negotiable.

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

THE SKIN TRADE

KikaNY Founded: 2010. Where: USA. Run by: Co-founders Kika Vliegenthart, originally a documentary filmmaker, and Sabine Spanjer, a hair stylist turned multimedia engineer. Products: Bags, backpacks, sandals, belts, and small leather goods, inspired by their daily lives in Brooklyn and indigenous peoples’ tool bags, such as Postal Backpacks.

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Made in: Brooklyn, USA, using tools and machines custom-built by suppliers in France and the UK. Something you might not know: The pair started working in their kitchen and were soon invited to a tradeshow in Las Vegas. They went without wholesale prices, lookbooks or line sheets, and wrote orders in an old phonebook Kika had with her.

Maximum Henry Founded: In 2008, when 18-year-old Maximum Henry Cohen started making belts and wallets in his room. The brand has been showing at MAN for three seasons. Where: USA.

www.kikany.com Run by: Maximum Henry Cohen. Products: “Handmade, minimalist and sleek accessories designed for daily use.” Made in: Hudson Valley, New York. Something you might not know: A sleek alternative to the often rustic aesthetic of handmade leather goods, products are handmade in small batches. Plus, the belts age really well! www.maximumhenry.com

Southern Field Industries Founded: In 2008; first showed at MAN in 2013. Where: Japan. Run by: Manabu Okada and his wife, Keiko. Products: Simple, but well-designed and well-manufactured bags and leather accessories, designed to appeal to all generations and both sexes. Made in: A rural area of Saitama, Japan, in a small studio beside the couple’s house. Something you might not know: Before releasing their first collection, the couple worked with horses. www.southernfieldindustries.com

THE SKIN TRADE

VereVerto Founded: 2013. Where: USA. Run by: Co-founders Consuelo Chozas, who oversees operations, sales and production, and Paige Smith, responsible for the designs, brand strategy and art direction. Products: “Leather handbags that bridge luxury with functionality, designed for the day-and-night city lifestyle of the woman on the go. The Macta bag, its most popular item, is a handbag and backpack in one.” Made in: Southern Spain, of high-end European materials.

Filson

Something you might not know: Because Consuelo and Paige travel a lot to source their materials and to work closely with the factories, they have become experts on the Spanish train network and its strangest stations.

Founded: 1897. Where: USA.

Products: “A broad assortment of apparel, luggage and accessories made in specialty fabrics such as Mackinaw cloth, oil-finish cottons or bridle leather.” Made in: The USA; the best-known factory is in Seattle.

Piola

Something you might not know: All its garments have a lifetime guarantee!

Founded: 2011. www.filson.com Where: France. Run by: Antoine Burnier, Quentin Richard, Augustin Gautier and Joshua Rudd. Products: A sneaker line and a premium shoe line. Made in: Portugal, using materials coming from the Amazon (wild rubber), Peru (organic cotton), and Italy (leather). Something you might not know: The price of each pair of Piola shoes includes a €4 donation to help build workshops for rubber producers. www.piola.fr

www.vereverto.com

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Run by: Brand president Gray Madden and creative director Alex Carleton lead a team of 516 employees, 330 in manufacturing jobs.

THE SKIN TRADE

Steve Mono Founded: In 2007, in Bilbao, but has since moved to Madrid. Where: Spain. Run by: Gonzalo Fonseca, founder and director, alongside a small and friendly team. Produces: Artisanal leather goods for men and women, made only with vegetable-tanned leather. The men’s bags and briefcases are its best-sellers. Made in: Spain, with production in Madrid, Bilbao and Cadiz. Something you might not know: Gonzalo started producing leather because he couldn’t find a briefcase he liked. He decided to make it himself.

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www.stevemono.com

Ally Capellino

Viberg

Founded: In 1980, initially as a womenswear label, it moved into bags and accessories in 2000.

Founded: In 1931 by Edwin Viberg.

Where: UK.

Run by: Owned and run by the Viberg family. Glen, the son of founder Edwin, has taken over and personally works on every boot they produce, while Glen’s son Brett serves as a creative director.

Where: Canada.

Run by: Alison Lloyd and Jonathan Platt. The brand now employs 30 people: 15 in head office and 15 in its three London stores.

Products: High-quality work boots, such as the Service Boot, a classic, military-inspired model designed by the brand’s founder.

Products: “High-quality bags for men and women who like simplicity and a less-is-more attitude.”

Made in: Canada, by hand, in its own factory.

Made in: UK, Spain and China using vegetable-tanned Italian leather and British waxed cotton.

What’s so particular about it? Viberg combines its quality heritage shoemaking with modern materials and methods, in order to keep pushing boundaries.

Known for: A focus on design quality, not passing trends, and experimenting with new fabrics, such as paper. Something you might not know: After setting up the business with her then-partner, Alison Lloyd created a collection inspired by the controversy surrounding the 1980 Moscow Olympics and featuring T-shirts with the word “Cancelled” printed on them.

Something you might not know: In the 1950s, Edwin Viberg began working on the brand’s first dress shoe. He passed away before it was put into production, but the family found the original paper patterns and started working on it. Today, the Derby shoe is one of its best-sellers!

www.allycapellino.co.uk

www.viberg.com

THE SKIN TRADE

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LEEWAY

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Interview Jian DeLeon

Photography Courtesy of Écru

Wonjong Lee, better known as Mr. Lee, made his first foray into fashion retail in 2000 with a store in Seoul’s chic Gangnam district (whose style PSY has since made even more famous). In 2004, Mr. Lee and his wife opened Écru, which built on the concept of his first shop and brought European brands such as Maison Margiela and Acne Studios to Korean customers. He also championed Japanese labels including nonnative, Undercover, WTAPS, and Zucca, and in the process, helped them gain a serious foothold in the Korean market. (He even helped them open Korean flagship stores.) MAN sat down with Mr. Lee to talk Écru, Korean retail, and what excites him about Gangnam.

L e e way

LEEWAY

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

“One day my sister gave me a piece by Martin Margiela. This apparently anodyne event was a eureka moment. It was so different from what I had previously understood luxury to be.”

LEEWAY

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Could you tell us a bit about yourself? I studied cinema in Korea and the US. I’m no longer in the film world but creating stuff for stores and presenting it to customers has the same dynamic as cinema. Thanks to my mom who loved clothes, I got to see lots of different stores even as a kid and it seemed quite natural to love fashion and clothes. In the mid-1990s, I was studying in San Francisco and really got into “vintage” looks and music. At the time I liked being alone so I could concentrate on different things (music and fashion) and construct my own cultural identity and appreciate beautiful things. One day my sister, who was in Paris, gave me a piece by Martin Margiela. This apparently anodyne event was a eureka moment. It was so different from what I had previously understood luxury to be. I decided that I had to take that road. So with my wife – who has always helped me – we decided to open a tiny store, just 15m2, in 2000. As we had no experience in the import market, we went abroad, notably to Paris, to buy things for the store. When I think about it now, we were completely innocent when we launched, but we really,

simple and cozy, but if you look carefully, there are delicate details that make it stand out from others. The values I wanted to have are embodied in clothing, accessories and furniture that respect the basics and that correspond to what écru means. When did you open? The first Écru store opened on February 26, 2004, which just happens to be my birthday. In Asia when you have an important event, you usually consult someone to choose a favorable date, but I wanted to move past that tradition, so I chose a date that was important for me. For the store I visited a few flea markets around the world to find vintage industrial furniture that could create a solid atmosphere that was still flexible. When customers come into our store, they feel history, but not in an unfashionable way. With the untreated walls, you have the feeling that the space has always been there, like a close neighbor, and that’s what I wanted to create and which is what makes the difference with other stores.

“My wife and I were buying in a designer’s small store and a sales assistant asked why we were buying lots of different sizes. After we explained, he offered to go to the showroom and order the items at wholesale prices.” Why did you pick the neighborhood for the store? No particular reason. At the time I didn’t have any other options. At the same time, as the location is a little off the street, customers have to make a special trip, which gives them the impression that it’s their space.

really wanted to do it and were totally excited by it. One day we were buying in a designer’s small store and a sales assistant recognized us and asked why we were buying lots of different sizes. After we explained, he offered to go to the showroom and order the items at wholesale prices. Even now, I remember that assistant’s face – he took us for absolute beginners. From then on we learned all the different processes and this experience helped us open the first Écru store in Korea.

Do you have a buying team or do you handle it all yourself? I take part in all the purchasing, but the actual orders is made by our buying team (which is made up of the managers of our stores). We discuss things together and then decide together because the analysis of the managers who are on the front line is extremely valuable.

How would you define your personal style? I try to create a style that lots of people can like; I don’t really look to have one particular style. It’s true that it’s not easy finding a style that everyone likes, but it’s important for me to find a certain harmony for myself and others, and that’s also my style.

What are your criteria for selecting a brand? In general, when I like a brand that I perhaps want to sell in the store, I buy it and wear it myself before making any decision. Most of the brands are chosen in this way. There are lots of collections, but it’s rare to meet a piece that’s sober, uses top-quality fabric and other materials, with impeccable finishes and has its own style. When I discover a piece like that I get excited.

What’s the idea behind the name Écru? I saw the word écru for the first time in my life when we were placing our first official order at Wim Neels. The designer explained to me that écru was a natural color and I decided immediately to use it as the name of my store. Something

LEEWAY

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

LEEWAY

Any buyer’s tips? I don’t think there’s any secret. You have to believe in your own vision and choices. That takes work and experience. To be a good buyer, you have to choose clothes that you want to wear yourself. On the other hand, those choices have to be based upon earned experience, which gives genuine legitimacy.

I really enjoyed working with them. I now work with lots of Japanese brands and I get on great with them. The reason I got interested in these brands was that they had their own identities (which was a major difference with other countries) and were extremely diverse. How has retail changed since you began? American, retro, avant-garde: different styles have come and gone, and now we’re back with basics. Today our customers are really diverse, so all sorts of concepts can exist. Fabrics, details and finishes are really important for customers. From now on changes in fashion will be quicker. The most important thing for survival is to target your customers well and to understand what suits them best.

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

What do you expect to find in trade shows? Trade shows are global meetings. I’m not expecting anything special, but I hope to meet people in the same business sector so we can talk about our ideas and discover their needs. I also hope that we will have good results, but even if it’s not immediately the case, for the show to create a base for future development so we can go as far as possible in Korea and abroad.

How would you describe menswear today? When I talk about clothing I associate it with music. In music, new styles are always arriving. Men’s fashion works in the same way. There’s street style, retro style and a mix of the two, as well as the reworked military look.

How has the fashion sector changed since you started working? Fashion has changed enormously since I began, particularly in Korea where all brands are now present. Fashion used only to be for women; now it’s for everyone and for all tastes. The consequence is the increasing number of outlets. You now have to have something exceptional or different if you want to continue to exist in this world. When I began our main collection was European, but shortly afterwards big Korean groups signed exclusive contracts with them. It was really hard for smaller companies like mine to keep going. So I began to get interested in Japanese brands and

What trends do you forecast for the upcoming seasons? That’s a difficult question to answer. Personally, I prefer soberer and well-constructed looks, rather than anything flashy. That’s why I prefer creating layered looks to following a trend. For example, instead of wearing a single coat, I’d recommend a lighter coat with other pieces layered underneath. www.ecru.co.kr

LEEWAY

Any tips for places to go in Seoul?

Fashion

Bars

• Department stores The Galleria Luxury Hall East and West 407 & 343 Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

ATM 48 Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul Under Lounge Bar Hangdae, Seoul

Shinsegae Gangnam 19-3 Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul

M:Azit 545-9 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

Hyundai Department Store – Main Store 429 Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

Restaurants Lotte Department Store 81 Namdaemun-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul

Hwangsaengga Kalguksu 78 Bukchon-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul Tosokchon Samgyetang 5 Jahamun-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Boon The Shop / Boon The Shop Men 21 Apgujeong-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

Linus’ Bama-style BBQ 550-8 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

Space Mue 93-6 Chungdam-dong, Seoul

Furniture stores AA Design Museum 408-11 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul

Écru 656-10 Shinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

Boe www.bo-e.co.kr

Écru Men 653-11 Shinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

A-Hus 413 Seobinggo-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Koon 21-12 Cheong-dam dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

Dansk Three locations in Seoul www.dansk.co.kr

Rare Market 95-5 Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul Beaker Corners in all major department stores in Seoul

Markets, palaces and parks Dongdaemun Market Take the metro to Dongdaemun Stadium Station. 6-1 Yeji-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Queenmama Market 50 Apgujeong-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul • Others Undercover 656-10, Shinsa-dong, Kangnam-gu, Seoul

Gyeongbokgung Palace

Hoods Seoul 653-11 Shinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

Garosu-gil

Hangang Park

Acne Studios 79-7 Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

• Multibrand stores 10 Corso Como 416 Apgujeong-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

NEEDS MUST

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Interview Jian DeLeon

Photography Courtesy of Need Supply

Needs must Gabriel Ricioppo set up Need Supply Co. in 1996 to sell vintage Leviâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Since the company set up its website in 2008, its multibrand range has become renowned for being carefully and imaginatively curated. Long based in Richmond, Virginia, Need Supply Co. recently moved to Los Angeles to be nearer both the suppliers for its new in-house line and its first foreign store in Shibuya, Tokyo. The company is run by creative director Ricioppo and his wife Krystle Kemp, who oversees the womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s offer. MAN caught up with Ricioppo on his way to work in Downtown Los Angeles.

NEEDS MUST

“The Japanese do as good a job with retail as anyone in the world, but going into a market like that has been somewhat humbling, because it forces you to stop and understand another way of working.”

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

What has you learned from moving to Los Angeles? There seems to be a West Coast renaissance for creatives. There absolutely is, and we saw that. We’ve had this plan for about three years. My wife Krystle has loved LA since she started coming out here, and she really fell in love with the city recently, what with the energy and development going on Downtown, which is where we set up our office. There’s new growth in an area that has been unloved for a long time – so it’s sort of like discovering a new city, in a way.

How are you adjusting as a business? Your shop is still based in Richmond, and you’ve recently expanded operations. Right now I’d say it’s still in flux. We’re finding new ways to communicate, but it’s forced us to embrace and leverage technology. I like to think we’re pretty tech-focused with our e-commerce background, but we’ve really had to find new ways to communicate internally and share information, like Slack. We’ve also brought on Chris Green, our new district manager. He’s in New York City, so we’re not the only ones in a different location. It’s forced us to look at that, have satellite offices, and have a home base. It was definitely a big step for us.

NEEDS MUST

Your largest customer base outside of the US is Australia. So why did you decide to move into the Japanese market with your newest store? Human Being Journal had a lot of success over there, and it created an opportunity for us to take the Need Supply Co. brand to Japan. The Japanese expansion was an opportunity to work with other talented people who we really respect. I think it’s one more example of how we’re always pushing ourselves every day. We found some people we were really fond of, and the timing was right. It all goes back to that notion of challenging yourself. We are constantly asking ourselves, “What’s next?” We can’t sit still and do the same thing year after year.

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

What challenges have you faced in entering the Japanese market? Going into a market like that is a huge challenge, but also a huge opportunity. The stakes are so much higher. They do as good a job with retail as anyone in the world, and it’s been somewhat humbling, because it forces you to stop and understand another way of working. The way they communicate visually, the attention to detail – it’s very different. The little nuances are so important, and it’s challenged us to do a better job over here in the US. What are some of the lessons you’ve learned from Japanese retail culture? It was a really cool process to go through and rethink what our retail experience should be. It’s very different than the US and Europe, the nuances are different and you really need to spend time getting to know and understand them. There’s a lot of pressure and responsibility going into that market. You need to show enough respect for that culture. You can’t just come in and push your ideas on them; they need to embrace and want them. If you can create that, then you’ve got your foot in the door.

What informs these decisions to widen the scope of operations? Is it intuition or is there a data-driven aspect? We definitely do a lot of stuff because we love it and we’re into the industry, and it’s a part of how we see the world. We’ve always stayed pretty busy with what we’ve tried to do every day, and right now there’s a lot of new things happening, which opens up a lot of opportunity to fail, but I think if you’re not creating those opportunities to fail, you’re not challenging yourself and you’re not pushing to do new things.

Why do you think Human Being Journal was so well received in Japan? I have no idea! The second one sold really well. We had a bunch of these cool illustrations in there – I wonder if that and a few other features, and the way we presented the content, really helped. Like I said, you do what you do because you believe in it, and you make a lot of decisions you think are the right decisions, and you hope at the end of the day it’s going to be appreciated. I think that’s what happened.

Need Supply Co. has established a unique, cross-platform identity via content, with the blog, Instagram and print magazine Human Being Journal. How important has lifestyle become to retailers? I credit growing up with surf shops for showing me how important the culture was to the store. That same mindset went into it; it was like, “How important is your crew?” That was a big deal to us. And the other side is just a crazy desire to create things, tell stories, and share what we’re excited about. We’re not just selling things – we’re stoked on them. We are all into the product; we try things out for seasons before we buy them; and I think that comes through, just being involved in the industry we’re in and trying to push it forward and make it better.

Are there any brands you’re hyped on right now? We picked up some Japanese brands like Neighborhood and Beams Plus, which aren’t new, but are nice brands. I’ve been excited by AMI for a while; I think their stuff is really cool. I met Kameron Austin of Can’t Skate through the Soulland guys at a club one night. We were having drinks in New York and they introduced me, and we wrote an order right there on a napkin on the table. It was a funny night. If you know good people, you usually meet other good people.

NEEDS MUST

“If you want to make a product, make it the best. It has to be genuine, or it just becomes deluded, and you start following others, listening what you’re being told, and you lose your way.”

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Tell us a bit about your in-house line. What’s the inspiration behind it, and how will it reflect or complement the brands you stock? We buy with a certain point of view, so when we start to produce our own product, it’s going to come from a similar point of view, like the things we get excited about and look for in other lines. But it’s an opportunity to show our own version of it. All the things we’re into should sit next to each other really well, but we don’t need to make more jeans or another T-shirt that we already carry. We need to do something different with it, and a lot of the influences are found in stuff outside of what we carry.

Lastly, do you have any advice for people in a creative slump? To create something really, really good is hard. I’ve always really believed in doing what you’re excited about. Find what excites you, drives you and gets you up every day, and find the best in breed and set that as your bar – and don’t ever accept anything less. If you want to make a product, make it the best. There’s no other reason to make anything. But you have to have a real motivation in your mind. It has to be genuine, or it just becomes deluded, and you start following others, listening what you’re being told, and you lose your way. It has to come from a real place from the start.

www.needsupply.com

THE FUTURE OF RETAIL

HOW DO YOU SEE THE FUTURE OF RETAIL?

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Interview Gino Delmas

Photography DR

Takahiko Sato, Tokyo Head of PR and advertising manager at BEAMS.

“Retailing, e-tailing, buying, sales and PR would need to work in absolute synergy. In terms of buying, more careful and strategized planning is needed to offer more exclusive and limited-edition merchandising. For sales and promotion, you will need two layers of action plans that work for both physical and online stores, which can coexist and enhance each other. As you can see with Net-A-Porter, which combines high-quality editorial and great product offerings, you need to sell ‘lifestyle’ and ‘aspiration’. The physical store functions almost as an entertainment space that increases customer satisfaction. At our Beams Harajuku store, we have six-month thematic cycles for the product selection, as well as a promotional selection to keep customers excited about the shop’s new themed decor. At the end of day, fashion is what people like. As fashion media go to extremes concentrating more on specialized products or information, or opting either to target fashion-conscious audiences or a more mass-market audience, it is vital for retailers to clarify who their real audiences are. Then they have to keep surprising their existing customers, while trying to entice a new customer base.”

Jay Smith, Paris Co-founder of store-agency-blog Blackrainbow “You can see the future of retail in two ways. Firstly, there is the fantasy version with sci-fi technology and a mass of revolutionary gadgets, connected touch-screens, simulations and sharing on social networks. Then there’s the more pragmatic and less futuristic version of what brands need to do. The challenge they face is to create spaces of life and exchange, in which they replace other social stakeholders. They have to offer more content and services. Sportswear brands, for example, are going to dive headlong into concierge and tailor-made services. Take the example of a running store: it might keep data on your previous pair of shoes, your most recent runs and outings, so that when you enter the store it can take into account the number of kilometers you’ve run or the terrain you’ve been running on, and suggest a new pair of shoes. It might create a training plan so you meet your next target, with perhaps nutritional advice. The idea is to anticipate needs and demands through, say, an app that perfectly profiles the consumer so brands can better construct tailor-made commercial strategies.”

THE FUTURE OF RETAIL

Marc Briant-Terlet, Paris Founder of horace.co, online men’s grooming store

Craig Ford, London Owner of a number of names* (which distributes Billionaires Boys Club, ICECREAM, Kinfolk and Ebbets Field Flannels) and founder of Jacket Required London

Pierre-François Le Louët, Paris President of trend-forecasting agency Nelly Rodi

“Personalization-at-scale while remaining human is what retail must achieve, both because it’s what consumers want and what we can now deliver at a level like never before. The fact that even the smallest retailer can now automate most of its logistics and demandplanning tasks will allow retailers to move employees from the back to the front office, making retail a customer-service industry again. By having more people focusing on clients and their respective experiences, retail will be able to deliver a more personal and human experience, to foresee customers’ needs and wishes, as well as to answer their more specific requests. People are craving human interaction. Amazon is not the model; the model is Amazon meets a mom-and-pop shop – an extremely personalized, yet human experience. The one that masters this first will lead the pack, and some already do.”

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

“The future for retail is going to be fragmented and diverse with much more choice for consumers. If you look at food retail now, it’s changed so much; there’s much more room for niche products, and more choices of how to consume. Look at the plethora of farmers’ markets, and street food. It’s changing for clothing brands and their consumers, too. The web has made it easier for kids to start ‘brands’ from their bedrooms, and promote them to their friends and fans through social media, then sell them on online-shopping platforms like Big Cartel. The flip side of this is buying power, with giants like Tesco and Amazon using that to target consumers through price. Unfortunately, some clothing retailers are looking to these guys for inspiration, too.”

“In terms of fashion, the offer is excessive so customers really need to be given good reasons to go into stores, whether online or bricks-and-mortar. I think that retail of the future will be less basic and depersonalized. Because the brands of tomorrow are moving towards character, and they will need distribution models that reflect that character. It will be shape-shifting: big and small formats, digital or not, discreet spaces and extremely visible ones. This retail mosaic will be about new concepts. Sales spaces will be more inspiring for brands, which will try to integrate their offer into special settings, full of character. Apartments and services spaces such as stations, hotels, post offices, are already part of these changes. I also think that curated offers with strong roots in the local will develop.”

FOR THE PEOPLE

Photography Sylvain Homo (store) Glenn Kitson (portrait)

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Interview Glenn Kitson

For the people Sometime in the early years of this millennium, Nigel Lawson and Steve Sanderson went for a curry somewhere in the north of England. When the meal was over they had decided to open a menswear store in Manchester and call it Oi Polloi. Sometime in 2014, Nigel and Steve had another chat and concluded that they wanted to take their menswear-store concept and export it down south, because, as Nigel once put it, “we’ve got nothing else to do”. So in May 2015 Oi Polloi opened in Soho, in the heart of the capital. We caught up with Steve who gave us the lowdown on his bipolar store empire.

FOR THE PEOPLE

Could you tell us more about the new store in London? How did you select the neighborhood? We come to London quite a lot on buying trips. We’ve always liked Soho; it feels like proper London to us. Rightly or wrongly, we don’t care. We like the area and we always have. Design-wise the brief was to create an interesting space, like a storeroom that’s open to be shopped. We found some interesting materials – I’m a big fan of cork, for example. I didn’t want anything too fussy or fancy.

What was the driving force for its creation in 2002? What was the gap in the market? There wasn’t a shop like Oi Polloi at the time – that was the gap. Nigel and I had talked about putting something together, something that would fill the void we felt had been left to fill. There was no big plan; we just got on with it and opened a shop.

Is there a buying team at Oi Polloi or do you handle it all by yourself? We have a very good buying team; it’s not a two-man job anymore. We’ve recently brought in people with more industry experience – and it’s made a big difference to the way we operate.

Why did you feel the need to open a new space in London as well as the original Manchester store? Is it a different clientele? Again, this was something that had been niggling us for a while, and then an opportunity presented itself, the stars aligned and we opened our second shop in the middle of Soho. The clientele is maybe a little older – they appreciate the finer things Oi Polloi has to offer. But basically, it’s the same but different. There are pockets of people all over the world sharing the same information on a fuckfest called the Internet.

Which part of your job do you prefer? Well, the product is key, and finding new labels or brands that aren’t already in our market sector is what Oi Polloi’s about. Creating stories and marketing brands or products – I love that bit of what I do. What are your criteria for selecting a brand? It needs to be good; it needs to have a good backstory; it needs to be real.

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

What is the purpose of Oi Polloi and what makes it different from any other stores? The purpose of Oi Polloi is to keep men’s clothing-lifestylefashion-whatever-label-you-want-to-give-it on its toes. What make us different is the way we do things, how we see things, how it all fits into our own world.

FOR THE PEOPLE

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

“A well-curated trade show simplifies some of the process, but it also puts the same products in front of all of our competitors.”

Please tell us more about your ’zine, Pica~Post. It’s something we’ve always been into. I love fanzines and we always wanted our own, a physical thing. It was a reaction against all the digital throw-away content floating around the web. It keeps things interesting for us and our customers. We don’t want to talk about clothes all the time.

Talking of which, what do you expect from a trade show? For the trend side of our business, you see what’s happening across our sector and you can pick up some interesting stuff. A well-curated show simplifies some of the process, but it also puts the same products in front of all of our competitors. MAN is very good at curating. There’s a good taste level and a chilled atmosphere. It’s relaxed – and we like it.

What’s coming up next? How about opening another store somewhere? We’ve got a few projects on the go. Opening more stores? You never know, maybe not right now.

What does a brand need to do to earn your respect? They need to know who they are and what their strengths are. We don’t want copycat labels; we like originality and knowing that a brand is committed to what it’s about.

How would you define your personal style? Postmodern.

How has the fashion market changed since you started working? Pre Oi Polloi was great – you had to dig around and go traveling to find interesting things. Now everything is available to everyone everywhere in the world. If we hadn’t set up our first website 10 years ago, this could be a different story. We’ve only been open since 2002 and the world of men’s clothing is so different. You have to work hard at keeping yourself relevant and look at how you can make it work for you as a business. It’s not easy, but I love every day of it.

What trends do you forecast for the upcoming seasons? Still SOCKS AND SANDALS. Comfy is king! Menswear seems to have become more creative than womenswear nowadays. Discuss. Is it? Something to do with them looking down to us for inspiration as opposed to us looking up to them? Them being the big fashion houses. They’re always creative; they’re always inspiring in some way. I wouldn’t wear most of it, but neither do most other people. We’re not weird, you take from it what you take. I get loads of ideas from them, so big thanks for that! Are socks and sandals now a thing in womenswear? Who knows? Who cares? Does it matter?

Any tips for upcoming brands looking to survive in the fashion business? Make sure you have a good idea and that you believe in what you do, then find people with skills so you don’t have to fill the gaps.

How do you see the future of menswear? Oi Polloi will rule the world by 2020. Everybody will be wearing socks and sandals, and we’ll be using the Internet to teleport around the world, making it super-easy to go to all the trade shows.

www.oipolloi.com

FOR THE PEOPLE

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

J+O = A-OK

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Interview SB

Photography Norm Wong

J+O = A-OK Jackie Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien first opened super-cool boutique Jonathan+Olivia in Vancouver in 2005, before moving it east to Ontario three years later. Since 2010, she has run it with help from Nic Jones, her husband and ex-partner in Paris label Surface to Air. Located on Ossington Avenue in one of Torontoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trendiest neighborhoods, J+O is home to a fine selection of cutting-edge brands, and also hosts events including product launches and catwalk shows.

AA 38

J+O = A-OK

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what led you to open Jonathan+Olivia? When I was living in Vancouver, I worked for a major Canadian retailer for over a decade and learned as much as I could about all areas of the fashion retail business. It was quite rewarding at the time, but I always had ideas outside of that brand. Creating Jonathan+Olivia allowed me to put those ideas into place and buy collections that I really identified with. Nic Jones, who joined the company almost five years ago, brings over 20 years of working in the fashion industry creating events and concepts in London, Paris and New York, and now alongside me.

What makes Jonathan+Olivia different from any other shops out there? I wanted to open a store in Canada in which I would want to shop in terms of collections and aesthetic. How is it different? It’s mine, I suppose, so it reflects my own personal taste and vision rather than a market trend. How did you pick the Toronto neighborhood your store is located in? I had a gut feeling that the West Queen West neighborhood was going to take off, particularly Ossington Avenue. It might not have been the most logical place to open a shop as the area was mostly car-tire garages, but there were some really good art galleries and new restaurants opening up at the time. The spaces were very large and the rent was affordable, so I signed a lease. Now, eight years after the J+O store opened, the neighborhood has been voted second coolest on the planet by US Vogue.

How would you define your personal style? That’s a tough question – it’s hard to put a title to what I enjoy wearing. I’m not into wearing pretty clothes. When I was growing up my friends used to call me “Jack” because I was more likely to hang out with boys and act like one. Nic just qualified my style as “rock chick”, so let’s just stick with that.

What’s the creative concept behind the store’s design? White, big, visible. The space is a blank canvas for the collections. It’s also very versatile and modular, which makes it easy for me to merchandise how I see each season and how the collections fit together.

What is your motto? Always wear what you like and what you feel the most comfortable in. Fashion shouldn’t be taken too seriously.

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

J+O = A-OK

What are the pros and cons of working with your spouse? It’s nice to know that someone has your back in both life and business; we are very lucky in that way. Nic’s strengths are my weaknesses and vice versa. At times it’s not easy as we are both determined individuals, but the benefits far outweigh any negatives. I think the success of the store shows that the relationship works. I oversee the whole operation from buying to staffing to finance, while Nic drives the business via marketing, events and social media, as well as sourcing new collections and helping me with menswear.

How does a trade show such as MAN/WOMAN help you in your job? Antoine has a great eye for fashion. As a buyer the MAN/WOMAN aesthetic helps me walk the show and not feel rushed. It’s a nice community of like-minded individuals. I know I can go there and work with existing collections such as Our Legacy and also find some real gems. We were stoked to pick up Cast of Vices this season, which in turn led to us pick up Herman Market for Spring 2016. What will you do next? Nic and I are always looking at ways to grow the Jonathan+Olivia brand. We have a few ideas we’re working through. Watch this space!

What are your criteria for selecting a brand? Both Nic and I have to like it. In today’s market, and in particular for J+O, I would say that it has to have notoriety or recognition or some hype to go with the obvious underlying talent. Nic has an eye for picking out young talented designers. He created the Rendez-Vous trade show in Paris that unearthed some crazy talents and that’s probably his favorite part of his job.

Any tips for places to go in Toronto? J+O obviously, but the whole city is really buzzing at the moment: the mix of Drake, the Weeknd, the sporting success of the Raptors, the Blue Jays, an amazing selection of new restaurants and bars, and some great independent fashion stores. Toronto is a great city that’s found itself!

What do you expect to find in trade shows? Well, I found a husband!

www.jonathanandolivia.com

J+O = A-OK

Any tips for places to go in Toronto?

Union

Toronto Islands

French-modern Canadian restaurant run by old friends from Paris. 72 Ossington Avenue, Toronto, ON M6J 2Y7.

A two-minute ferry ride away, the islands are a great place to relax on the water in the summer. www.torontoisland.com/ferry.php

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Langdon Hall

Vinyl heaven! 801 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON M6J 1G1.

Our weekend getaway, an hour’s drive outside the city in Cambridge. 1 Langdon Drive, Cambridge, ON N3H 4R8.

Bar Raval and Bar Isabel St. Lawrence Market A food market that reminds us of being back in Paris. 92-95 Front Street East, Toronto, ON M5E 1C3.

The Oxley

Côte de Bœuf

Modern English pub, because you can take the boy out of England, but... 121 Yorkville Avenue, Toronto, ON M5R 1C4.

Excellent butcher and traiteur. 130 Ossington Avenue, Toronto, ON M6J 2Z5. The Drake Hotel

Dandylion New modern Canadian; most excellent! 1198 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON M6J 1J6.

Really nice patio in the summer and there aren’t that many! 1150 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON M6J 1J3.

Le Sélect Bistro

Yamato

Traditional French brasserie for when we need a dose of Paris. 432 Wellington Street West, Toronto, ON M5V 1E3.

Go-to sushi. 24 Bellair Street, Toronto, ON M5R 3L3. Wayne Gretzky’s

Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada Sports diner opened by Canadian ice-hockey icon Wayne Gretzky. Perfect lunch spot to take friends from abroad. 99 Blue Jays Way, Toronto, ON M5V 9G9.

We have a little boy, Phoenix, who is four and this is a great place to bring him. 288 Bremner Boulevard, Toronto, ON M5V 3L9.

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Spanish tapas-style restaurants & bars set up by one of the city’s top chefs. 505 & 797 College Street, Toronto, ON M6G 1C7.

EVENING STARS

Interview Matthieu Morge Zucconi

Photography Courtesy of Bonsoir Paris

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Team portrait Romain Bernardie James

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EVENING STARS

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

As online shopping becomes ever-more important, bricks-and-mortar stores are having to become more ambitious and innovative. Like creating original windows, experimenting with how products are displayed, and blending art and fashion. Bonsoir Paris, a design studio based, unsurprisingly, in Paris, was founded by Rémy Clemente, Morgan Maccari and Ben Sandler, and today works in a number of media, including photography, video, object and interior design. With an aesthetic that sits at the intersection of art, science, design and new technologies, it has created challenging and innovative retail spaces for clients including Études Studio, Hermès, Nike and Selfridges.

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EVENING STARS

How and when did you all begin working together? Rémy: It happened in two stages. Morgan and I met 10 years ago at [Paris design school] École Duperré. We began working together on creative extracurricular activities, from graffiti to sculpture experiments. I worked at WAD and Le Creative Sweatshop, and then a year later, we were lucky enough to sell a work to Citroën. We invested the money we’d saved in the first offices, which we shared with the Imaginers, which has since become Gender [organizers of MAN], Le Creative Sweatshop and Youngunz. We were a sort of incubator for creatives, who had pretty much all come from WAD. Ben: For my part, I worked with Le Creative Sweatshop, notably on editorials, and then I was invited to share the famous office while I was still freelancing. As we had the same approach and similar aesthetic, I suggested working on an editorial for Amusement magazine to the guys, and we became friends. I then left to work in advertising in Amsterdam, but when I visited Paris I would stay with Rémy. We soon started talking about doing something together, especially as I wanted to leave the agency I was working in. Rémy: It coincided with when we were looking for a third person. With Morgan, we were more focused on graphic design and images. Ben arrived after having worked in an agency and he saw us working hand-to-mouth. He told us straight away that we needed to move to the next stage. Ben: When I arrived, we structured the project like a real business, and not just a bunch of freelancers working together. We took a new model: that of a real agency. Morgan: We needed to. Rémy and I knew how to manage projects together, but our way of doing it was completely personal. We needed someone like Ben, with experience in production and business.

Rémy and Morgan, to begin with then, you had a “creative” set-up, and Ben brought a more business-oriented approach? Ben: I also have an arts background. I studied photography at [Paris visual-arts school] Gobelins with Morgan. But when you begin working, you quickly realize where you feel most at home. For me, it’s really production and project management. Everyone plays a part in managing the company, though. Morgan: Sometimes you are pretty creative in the way you manage and develop projects! [Laughs] What does your day generally look like? Ben: We have official titles, which are more for the clients than us. Morgan and Rémy are co-artistic directors; I’m, let’s say, managing director. I manage the commercial side of things, while the studio is managed with Anna, our project manager, and Morgan and Rémy are the creatives, sometimes working on projects together, sometimes leading a team. Morgan: We head up our own projects, while talking to the others, obviously, because we love working together and discussing our respective projects. Generally, we’re creative directors working with the designers in our studio. We don’t really create things ourselves anymore. Rémy: We do sometimes, but a large part of what we do is managing the teams, much more than when we were two or three and we did everything together. The structure changes according to the projects. Next to that, we have more personal projects that we do in a freer, less formal way. The hierarchy exists because it’s necessary for commissioned work, but we do break out of it sometimes. Ben: We’re structured like a real agency, which means that when we need to grow, everything will be in place to do it properly.

EVENING STARS

You work on graphic and image design – videos and photography – as well as interior and object design. Isn’t it difficult to be doing so many different types of project? Morgan: We have been diversifying recently; our days are mainly filled with interior and object design. Even if our projects often let us do a little bit of everything. We really sell a package to our clients. Above all, if we do all that, it’s because we love doing it: nobody is forcing us. Ben: We don’t want to be “jack of all trades, masters of none”. That’s not our goal. What’s important is the narration, the story we’re telling. Our different specialties are only a tool we use to communicate our ideas – and design is part of that. Rémy: I think we’re lucky not to have to limit ourselves to just one kind of artistic discipline. We can be as inspired by a photo shoot as a design project, for example. It’s a freedom that allows us to go further.

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Does the way you work change according to whether it’s a retail, graphic design or artistic project? Ben: You don’t have to reinvent the wheel with every project, so we try to standardize the way we work. When we get a brief, we sit down together and look to see if the project corresponds to the studio’s needs, as much creatively as financially. The process is always the same. Nevertheless, it’s true that each project has its own method due to its specific constraints, whether its nature or our own experience. If it’s retail, for example, there is a client-management aspect that could interact with our way of working. We’re far freer with editorial work. Morgan: In the process, we always have the same way of working, but there are questions of scale. The bigger a project is, the more people are involved and the more presentations have to be made. The teams are bigger, the clients more demanding. Rémy: It’s sometimes difficult for personal projects because you quickly get used to having really precise briefs, and when you find yourself alone with your own creativity, it can be weird. Having a certain work ethic is essential. Our way of working is tested every day, so we can also improve it.

“We don’t want to be ‘jack of all trades, masters of none’. That’s not our goal. What’s important is the narration, the storytelling.” 45

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EVENING STARS

How do you juggle the commercial and artistic sides of your work? Morgan: That’s what makes what we do so interesting: we really work in the applied arts. Ben: Our work really sits at the crossroads of design, technology and business. Our main objective isn’t to get into galleries. We want to work with progressive, ambitious brands that want to reinvent something with us. We love special projects, windows for 500 stores, unique objects. When we get a brief, we really ask ourselves if it’s a challenge. We don’t want to do the same thing twice. Rémy: Every Monday we have a big round table where we discuss projects. Sometimes the client does not seem to fit what we do at all, but with the brief, we see that it’s really interesting and that we could do something special. That’s where you have to be a gymnast and smart: how can we drag a brand or a brief into our universe? Today, we know what we want better; we have our objectives – and we know how to say no. Ben: We often hear that for something to be good it needs two out of the three elements that are time, budget and quality. We can never let go of quality; it is primordial. The type of projects also determine how the business evolves: we can’t only do commercial projects because we also want to do our own work, but we can’t only do personal projects, because we have to live. Morgan: It’s not art; it’s not a job. It’s a “job-art”. How do you find new clients? Ben: We mix PR, posting projects on social media, and personal contacts. We often meet people and are drawn to working with them later. We go out and meet clients, agencies – during business trips, for example – so we can build loyalty in a way, so we have regular clients who bring us work every three weeks. Rémy: We communicate heavily online, obviously. It’s an opportunity today, I think. We try to be meticulous about everything. With beautiful images and a happy client, then word-of-mouth happens by itself, I think. We are present on social networks, without being overly present. We try to post only quality stuff!

“Today with online shops, you can buy any clothing you want and get it delivered. If you go to a store nowadays, it’s to have more: to live a genuine experience, a story, design, a brand, interaction.” 46

EVENING STARS

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INTERVIEW

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EVENING STARS

Let’s talk about your retail work. What are the keys to designing a good retail space? Rémy: The first thing, obviously, is the product or the brand. Design accompanies something – always. You have to know a client’s universe, its target audience and the product. A brief helps you to create the rules of the game – then you can have fun in the playground. After that you have to think about retail without being inspired by retail. Today with online shops, you can buy any clothing you want – if you know the size – and get it delivered. If you go to a store nowadays, it’s to have more: to live a genuine experience, a story, design, a brand, interaction. What we’re trying to do is something new for us, for the client. Store windows are really our gallery. We take them seriously and are always motivated by them. Ben: The store has to capture your attention for something other than just the product, because that’s available elsewhere. Morgan: It’s also about memories, I think. You sometimes go into a store without intending to buy anything, but just to live a memorable visual and sensorial experience. These are the parameters within which we can play: a kinetic experience, around, say, a movement or a sensory experience that mixes marble and the inflatable. Sometimes that can push the customer to buy, if the goods are good, and sometimes it’s more about the brand’s image.

Ben: Agencies are obviously different: you don’t have any real contact with the client, but the upside is you do less account and client management. Each type of client has its advantage and disadvantages.

Is the right balance of aesthetics and user experience sometimes difficult to find? Ben: Obviously. We can never forget that we are doing something that has to be centered on the product, its history and brand. It’s never form versus function or function versus form; we always try to find the balance between the two. We try to make things practical for sales, while standing out from what the brand usually does. That’s why we love working on special events: they allow us to dig deeper into the aesthetics, which are really important to us, while not forgetting the practical side. Morgan: For example, when we have to work with mannequins, we try to change things so we do something less classic, less déjà-vu, more daring. But it remains a tool, so you have first push the product. Rémy: Sometimes the constraints become your best creative tools. We try to see them in such a way that we go beyond the constraint, without losing sight of the point of the tool.

Do you see the studio specializing in one activity in the future? Ben: There are certain types of projects we will always want to do. We’d like to do sustainable stores, not just pop-up stores, but timeless places. That would be a real challenge. Architecture is becoming a bigger part of our work. What we want to do are things that interest us, and discover new things all the time. At the moment, Rémy is working on parametric design with algorithms creating shapes. Rémy: We are not really designers in the conventional sense of the term. I don’t get up in the morning thinking about a chair. We don’t think in the same way as people who have had a traditional training. We don’t do any design shows, for example. Any dream projects? Ben: There are brands we dream of working with, photographers, designers, too, who could bring their vision. I would love to work with physicists, mathematicians, biologists, people who don’t necessarily work in luxury but who would know how to bring something new to our vision. We want to be different to classic studios, and that’s what we’re looking for when we hire people. We’d love to develop short films and music videos. Rémy: We’ve been talking about that for years. The advantage is that we can do the design, storyboards in 3D, and the narration. I’d love it if one day we could do clothes, buildings and short films, all at the same time. Morgan: My dream project would be if we designed all the sets for Alien 6.

Your clients are both giants, like Nike, Hermès and Intel, smaller independents, such as Études Studio, and agencies, such as Sid Lee. Do you work differently with each? Ben: We do a bit, so we can differentiate the work. With big brands, there are lots of people involved who look at everything that’s done and give their opinion. For smaller brands, we can have more off-the-cuff and direct conversations. There are fewer middlemen. Morgan: What brings the two together are “progressive” brands that know what they’re looking for from us.

bonsoirparis.fr

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

How do you imagine the retail space of the future? Ben: More than a simple salespoint, it will be a contact point. Yes, you can find everything on the Internet, but at a certain point you have to see the product, and experience it. There will necessarily be a need to create experiences around brands, product and user experience. Rémy: I think we need to take a bit more culture into stores. Until I was 12, the only cultural outings I went on were to malls where I had access to comic books and music. Taking culture into stores can mean luxury brands exhibiting artists in their windows, car brands offering driving simulators, or games. The future of retail is really about asking the question of how we can draw people into the physical experience of the store. Ben: It’s going in the direction of branded content, films made around products: these are experiences that bring the customer to the brand. The best example of that is Apple: there is a community around the stores, not just people who come to buy, but workshops and visiting artists. Morgan: The ideal future retail space is just a space where you will want to go, to return to, because it has content and other interesting elements, whether architecture or decoration.

BETTER CALL PAUL

Photography Sylvain Homo

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Interview SB

Paul Alger is director of international business development at the UK Fashion & Textile Association, a trade body that works â&#x20AC;&#x153;ceaselessly for the benefit of fashion, clothing and knitting businesses across the UKâ&#x20AC;?. Paul sat down with MAN for a chat about how the global fashion market looks from across the Channel, and what makes Britain great.

BETTER CALL PAUL

What does your job as a director of international business development consist of?

Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your career path? I am possibly one of the more unlikely arrivals in the fashion and textile industry! I grew up in an idyllic part of rural Kent in southeast England. Aged 17 I went to study French, Russian, politics and economics at university. After graduating, I was keen to develop my marketing skills, so I took a job at a small food-import start-up called Château des Arômes de Vence. I spent much of my time working with wonderful chefs and patissiers in and around London. It was there that I developed my telephone-sales skills and learned how to organize trade fairs. After two years I was ready to move on and I applied for a job organizing trade-fair groups for the then British Knitting and Clothing Export Council. Initially, I was supposed to look after the menswear group at SEHM in Paris, but before long I was asked to take trade-show groups and missions to the whole of Europe, the USA, Japan, Hong Kong and Russia. Twenty-six years later, I am still with the same organization and, in spite of the odd grumble, I am still loving it!

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Over the years, this job has changed and I with it. At the top level, I am responsible for creating an industry strategy with the UK government based upon what companies actually want. For many smaller and medium-sized companies, that is primarily about direct-grant funding for trade shows in Europe and further afield. In this respect, I have to be a bridge between what the companies need to do to get their products in front of the right buyers, at the right place and time, and the government, which has its own views on what companies should be doing. Frequently, there is a big gap between those two positions. A large part of my job centers around lobbying the government for the right amount of grant support for UK companies. Over the years, there have been good and bad years. Unlike our competitors in France, Germany and Italy whose government support has changed relatively little over the years, UK schemes change often quite dramatically, sometimes as frequently as every 18 months. With each new government and minister, there is a new emphasis on policy. It is my job to stay close to the politicians, the civil servants and the companies to make sure that the industry gets the best deal available. While I have no formal fashion and textiles training, after 26 years I have a pretty good idea how the industries and the main markets for them work. So once the political wrangling and scheme management and finance are done, the most important and, to me the most satisfying part of the job, is sitting down with the companies to help them formulate an export strategy that works for them and saves them time and money. Unlike most other countries, the UK does not have a strong independent retail industry. Our market, with a few wonderful and notable exceptions, is dominated by the “high street” or large store groups that are either very price-point sensitive or cautious about picking up new brands. This leads smaller companies to start looking to export very early on in the lifetime of the company and this, inevitably, leads them to need to show at key international trade shows including MAN and WOMAN, where they can see buyers from all over the world. I and my team talk to the companies about almost every aspect of their business and we have grown up with and worked with a number of companies that are internationally successful, including major brands like Orla Kiely, Simon Carter, Jenny Packham and Private White VC. Like Paul Smith and Vivienne Westwood, many of them are as successful as they are because they have managed to crack the Japanese market. While my Japanese is far from fluent, I still spend a lot of time on and in the Japanese market and it is here that many of our smaller brands are born – in some ways I would say that Japan is the UK’s “bread and butter” market, because Japan really gets what British fashion and textiles are all about.

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MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Could you tell us about the UK Fashion & Textile Association?

them most. Wandering through Isetan department store or United Arrows in Tokyo and you will see the largest possible array of British collections, from Barbour (which is huge in Japan) and Dunhill to Henry Poole Savile Row, Margaret Howell, YMC, and Dashing Tweeds. The list goes on. The Japanese love the British manufacturing story. They love the fact that when they visit Jamieson’s of Shetland knitwear in the Shetland Isles, it takes forever to get there and they literally have to clear the sheep from the runway to get into the airport. They love our “slow” fashion as much as our fast fashion.

The UKFT is a private, not-for-profit trade association set up by the industry for the industry. Its role is to bring the industry together and to support it at home and overseas. We have over 400 direct members who pay every year to be part of the organization and we have another 2,000 members through some 17 federated members, including the British Footwear Association, the National Childrenswear Association and the British Fashion Council, organizers of London Fashion Week. The organization prides itself on being “the most inclusive UK fashion and textile network” and we have an outreach to another 4,000 non-members with whom we also engage on a regular basis. Yes, we’d love to have them all as members of UKFT, but trade associations have to play a long-term game and our success depends on the success of the sector – the more successful the industry, the stronger the trade association. Most of our companies start out as tiny one-man-band start-ups – they need a lot of help, but that’s what we are here for! UKFT provides services and networking events, including its own UKFT Awards, presented most years by our active and supportive president, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal. We help companies to identify and work with appropriate agents and distributors and, more than anything else, we act as their “best friend” and sounding board for all their business decisions. Exports are a key part of the operation, but UKFT is also active on many international standards committees and groups, and we represent the industry at national and EU level. Over the years we have worked with most of the betterknown UK brands. Our membership goes from the largest UK companies including Barbour and John Smedley, through smaller designer-led brands such as Ally Capellino. At the moment, we are working closely with some smaller companies we believe have real potential to grow including Marcus De shoes, Katie Mullally jewelry and Tom Smarte hats.

What’s a typical day for you? Time management is not my strong point. I love people and products and the time often runs away with me. I am not an early riser, so I usually aim to reach the office by 10am or 10.30am, but by then I will be at least part of the way through the 150 emails I receive every day. To make up for the late start, I am rarely away from work before 8pm and sometimes much later. When in the UK, I usually see about 10 new companies every week, and when I am not “doing the dance of the 10 shows” in Paris, New York, Berlin or Milan, I am usually to be found trying to build an export-business strategy for a small start-up company or negotiating with the ministry for funding to get companies to the right shows. We organize a lot of networking events and seminars and I often present at them or chair them, depending on how familiar I am with the subject matter. Far and away the part of the job I prefer is trying to solve our companies’ challenges. A lot of what I do is the “application of common sense”, none of it is rocket science, but as they are not my businesses, I can stand back from then and suggest alternative solutions. Usually I play the role of the “critical friend”, emphasizing the “friend” as we do understand the challenges facing our businesses. Sometimes, I also have to be fairly direct – especially if there is the risk that a company is going to invest huge sums in a product that has no potential.

What makes British fashion so special?

What are UKFT’s criteria for selecting a brand?

As in so many areas, British fashion is distinctly different. The most notable difference is in the sheer number of very talented and innovative designers who come from the UK’s incredible fashion universities: Central St Martins, the Royal College of Art and London College of Fashion immediately come to mind. But, for example, there are some amazing talents also coming out of De Montfort University, which runs the world-famous Contour Fashion course for lingerie. Many of these graduates stay in the UK and many Brits can be found heading up international fashion and design houses. If you ask a Japanese buyer, they will also tell you that British heritage and niche manufacturing is what excites

As the most inclusive network in the UK fashion and textile industry I will literally talk to and work with anybody as long as they have a UK-domiciled business. No one is too small or too big and most of the companies, large or small, need additional help with something. When it comes to a tradeshow, we sit down with each brand to advise on the best ones for their collection, within their strategy. We visit all the key shows so we have a view on them all. I spend a lot of time getting companies ready for export, asking the questions no one else in the company has thought of. Often, I will talk a company out of doing a show if they are not ready.

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“Over the last 25 years, retail has become more insecure, less willing to take risks and, from the customer’s point of view, boring, especially in the UK.” MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

What are the differences, according to you, between online and bricks-and-mortar retail? What does a brand need to do to earn your respect?

Multi-channel is the future and I would expect that more and more fashion companies will have to learn to do everything – and to do it well: own-shops, wholesale, own-online, third-party online, direct visits to retailers, trade shows, social media, press and PR. The list is endless. This is especially important in the UK where there are relatively few multibrand retailers (except in the childrenswear industry) and the larger stores prefer to invest in established brands. UK brands have to look further afield for their first breaks and own-online gives them back control of the market. However, to get there they will often have to sell thirdparty online to get their name out there. Own-bricks-and-mortar is a great way of directly engaging with customers and telling them your story (there’s that word again!). Online customers are fickler and tend to get carried away by the latest trend, often looking for the best price. On the other hand, bricks-and-mortar operations are about more than selling. The designer or retailer can have an immediate dialogue with the consumer and build up more of a rapport.

My favorite combination is a beautiful product with a strong story told well, where a designer understands business and selling at least as well as I do! A willingness to be self-critical and to listen, and an understanding of the importance of research are also valuable tools. It is important for a company to understand what it does well and what it does less well. Some of the best businesses I have worked with have a design brain and a sales/business brain – rarely can these two be found in the same body. When they are, I am really impressed and get very excited. What makes a brand last? A great product, with a great story and a thorough understanding of business are key, but you also have some money and think very carefully about how you are going to get the product to market! It will cost a lot more and take longer than you think!

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What changes have you seen in retail since you started working?

next generation. At the same time as exporting the skills and jobs, we also exported responsibility for caring for the planet and we now see one of the most hateful things man has done to the planet: fast fashion. According to the Fashion Revolution moment, less than one percent of all “fast-fashion” remains in use nine months after it was first sold. This is staggering. It is easy to blame the retailers and cheap manufacturing in China, but the buying of these products takes place much closer to home. We all have a responsibility to know who is making the clothes we wear and then buy responsibly. We should respect the people who make our clothes – wherever and whoever they are.

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This is going to be contentious, but over the last 25 years I would say that retail has become more insecure, less willing to take risks and, from the customer’s point of view, boring, especially in the UK. If you look at most of the department stores and groups, most of them are selling the same products and brands, so customers looking for something different will only find this in multi-brands (which are wonderful but under huge pressure) or direct from designers. The irony here is that some retailers are worried about losing customers and are playing it safe. This actually creates the very circumstances where the consumer starts to look elsewhere! I think multi-brands have a vital role to play in supporting new talent and raising the standard of living in the towns we all live in. Our quality of life is diminished where multi-brands are not flourishing. I would also like to see larger stores in Europe and the US follow the Japanese model of researching and supporting new designer collections. We need more leaders in this industry, not followers – someone needs to be buying from the next generation of designers if they are to survive.

What trends do you forecast for the upcoming seasons? This remains a difficult time for multi-brand retail and I think more designers and companies are going to have to devote more time, money and resources to non-wholesale parts of the business. In addition, the Paris attacks could prevent some of the larger Japanese and US stores from visiting Paris. If this is the case, companies will need to be ready with other solutions to make sure that buyers have all the information they need to place orders. I still hope that most buyers will travel, but we have been here before: after 9/11 a lot of companies photographed their range and sent swatches and samples to Japan, or took flights to Japan and the US to bring in orders. I am also advising our companies to look, some for the first time, at shows in Japan and the US. In terms of the collections themselves, I think brands are being increasingly cautious in line with the behavior of most of the buyers and most brands are trying to keep their prices affordable. This is especially important for UK companies who work in a strong-currency environment, whereas Japan and the US have weaker currencies.

What do you expect to find in trade shows? Trade shows are an important bridge between new brands and buyers who are looking to buy something new – and repeat business with existing brands, of course! This business is as much about people as it is about products and trade shows bring people together in ways that online cannot and will not. Over the years they have changed from being the only place that business was done to becoming a research ground for those buyers interested enough and brave enough to take a chance and invest in the new. I think all trade shows should have someone at the door to shake the buyer by the hand on the way in. It takes courage, commitment and great skill to be a buyer – and we need to encourage more those buyers, agents and press who want to be leaders rather than followers. Anyone can read a spreadsheet.

How is the UK or European market different from the American or Asian? In times of globalization and as high-end menswear keeps up its strong links across different international communities, do you still see differences between fashion customers around the world?

How has the market changed since you started working? I would say the UK market is different from all others as it is highly polarized and price-point sensitive. The UK has some amazing world-class stores and some great indies, including Content in Lamb’s Conduit Street, and brands like Private White that support other heritage brands from the UK and Ireland. But many are being forced out by high rents and business rates and, sadly, fast fashion with its inherent problems for the planet, has suffocated large parts of our retail space. In mainland Europe and the US, this also happens, though at a slower pace and consumers are more sensitized to the needs of supporting their local stores and indies. Consumers seem to be willing to spend more on quality goods. Even in the UK, there is a growing trend towards

On the one hand it has become tougher and harder, but it has also become much more niche! And parts of that niche are doing extraordinarily well. There are fewer real buyers with fewer real budgets, but so many new collections starting out each year. The bars to entering the industry fall with each year, but the challenges of making it work and profitable in the long-term increase each year, and the money needed to build a new brand goes up all the time. On the other hand, I am pleased to see that we are talking now about supporting EU manufacturing. This is especially important in the UK where much of our industry was allowed to evaporate in the 1990s and early 2000s and, with it, a lot of quality jobs and self-respect for the

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Any tips for places to go in London? supporting UK-made products – especially in menswear. This trend also extends across the European mainland and the USA. Asia is different, Japan especially so. Japan remains alive to new products and ideas, but also loves a story. Value for money in Japan is not about getting a bargain; it is about getting a good product with an even better story in a great retail environment! Attention to detail and customer service are key. The rest of Asia follows Japan, albeit with different emphasis and a more edgy take on the trends. China, for example, loves edgy collections and experimental designers like ZDDZ and the look is generally more urban and less heritage inspired, with a few exceptions. Generally, Asian consumers are hungrier for information and a story and a great shopping experience. I hope this will always be the case. What will you do next? Between now and the holidays, I have to chase down who is showing well so that we can inform our press and buyer network at UKFT. Our exhibitors do not see this because it happens behind the scenes. At first, we had to push this information and the Brits in Paris, Brits in Berlin and Brits in New York lists and maps at buyers. Now they look for it on our site and contact us directly to know who is showing where. This information helps them to plan their visits efficiently, which is our intention. What is your motto? With great (spending) power comes responsibility! And, Buy responsibly, buy less but better!

“The UK has some amazing world-class stores and some great indies, but many are being forced out by high rents and business rates and, sadly, fast fashion with its inherent problems for the planet, has suffocated large parts of our retail space.”

www.ukft.org

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Much more than any other city in Europe, London is a collection of villages – each with its own heartbeat, character and charm. For great shopping, I usually head to Lamb’s Conduit Street (near our offices) to my favorite Italian café La Gourmandina or to Isola Bella on Red Lion Street – you can tell a good Italian restaurant by the way it prepares spaghetti carbonara and it does a very good one. Other favorite areas are Spitalfields Market and the trendy Shoreditch and Hoxton areas, followed by a curry on Brick Lane – any restaurant as long as they serve Peshwari naan. Covent Garden still has its charm around the Christmas period, but I prefer the quieter King’s Road area, starting with Peter Jones and following the route of the number 22 bus towards home. There are some fun indies and if you get hungry, Daylesford organic café in Pimlico does great eggs from Lord and Lady Bamford’s most excellent farms. Nowadays, there are so many French and Italian families living around there you would think you were in Paris or Rome. Back home in Putney, we are next to the river and the wonderful Putney and Barnes common areas – one of the things that make London great. We have the best butcher in London, Chris at Parson’s Nose, who’s starred in numerous TV shows. He has to be the nicest and most entertaining butcher in London, and he sells the best pies! Or there is the Spencer Arms on Lower Richmond Road for a pint of beer and great food in an unusually dog-friendly environment (I am sorry to say that London can be shamefully dog-unfriendly when it comes to restaurants) or the Plough pub on Christchurch Road, Richmond, which really feels like a country pub. My favorite at the moment is Ma Goa, a Keralan restaurant, on Upper Richmond Road, Putney. The Half Moon Pub is great, and the Grind Coffee Bar (both on Lower Richmond Road) is very popular, if a little too trendy. There are great parks all over the city. There’s Wimbledon Common with its open spaces, shops and restaurants and some great pubs, such as the Crooked Billet. North of the river, Hyde Park and Regent’s Park with its rose garden and open-air theatre are great fun, while some of the best views of London can be seen from Hampstead Heath, near Kenwood House. Or take a river trip through the City, past the famous Bermondsey Farmers’ Market at London Bridge, Tower Bridge, Butler’s Wharf, and the Town of Ramsgate pub, the oldest pub on the River Thames. Finally, there are some buildings I can stare at for hours. I love Art Deco and other 1920s and 1930s industrial architecture and while there is not much of it left standing in London a few gems do remain: the Royal Institute of British Architects on Portland Place, Battersea Power Station, the OXO Tower on the Thames, Freemasons’ Hall near Covent Garden, BBC Broadcasting House and BBC Bush House, not forgetting St Olaf House at London Bridge.

MR. PRESIDENT

Interview Eleni Sakelaris

Photography Romain Bernardie James

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Chris Kontos is an Athensbased photographer, DJ, and editor, writer and publisher of Kennedy, a â&#x20AC;&#x153;biannual journal of curiositiesâ&#x20AC;?. The magazine is filled with an eclectic collection of people, places and things that interest him, and grew out of his long-running blog. We sent our Athens correspondent to meet Chris and talk music, magazines and moving.

Mr. President 58

MR. PRESIDENT

“Kennedy is a really personal project, almost autobiographical. It’s a magazine about me, my circle and our obsessions.”

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

MR. PRESIDENT

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do. I studied photography and I’ve been a photographer for the past 15 years. But I also always enjoyed writing. And at some point I discovered that I could mix both these obsessions, which is what brought about the magazine.

You also DJ. How did that come about? It started with my friends when I was like 16 or 17. We used to go to a lot of really, really good clubs in Athens, around 1995-96. We were into that whole anthemic vibe of 1990s indie and dance culture. We got to know the people there, built some strong relationships with bar owners and promoters, and started doing our own parties. I think the first time I ever played music was in Decadence, a legendary Athenian venue. Later I turned to dance music, and then the Internet started bringing in all these people from around the world. I started making more friends, exchanging ideas, music mixes and playing worldwide – and things just took off.

Where were you born? I was born in Piraeus, which is the port of the greater Athens area. Most people who aren’t from Athens don’t know much about Piraeus. It almost seems as if it’s not a part of Athens, but it is. I was born there and I consider myself quite different to an Athenian. I did start going out in Athens as a teenager, though, to bars and clubs, so I’ve ended up more attached to Athens. I’ve been living here in the city center for more than 10 years now; I don’t go to Piraeus that much anymore.

MR. PRESIDENT

Is there a link between being a photographer and a DJ? Not really, except that I don’t consider either of them a real job. People ask if I’m a DJ, and I don’t even know what to say. I just buy records and play music. It’s not my job; I don’t want to have a job. I just make some money from things I enjoy doing and that’s the way I want to live my life.

What is the difference between the blog and the magazine? The magazine happened because of a blog I had for years. The blog was a really lonely thing because it didn’t really have any real interaction. Maybe a comment once in a while from some dedicated fan, but other than that it was just a lonely page on the Internet that carried all my obsessions and thoughts. For me, writing is like catharsis. The magazine is like catharsis as well, so it’s a natural evolution of the old blog. That was a way for me to survive my life in Athens, because as much as I love Athens, I am struggling to survive here in a way, because aesthetically it’s not stimulating at all. I feel like a stranger in a strange land. That’s what I’ve always felt.

More people should have that answer! Tell me about the magazine. First the name, Kennedy. Where does that come from? When I started thinking about making a magazine, I thought a name would be a good place to start. The first one that popped in my head was Kennedy and I thought, Wow, that’s a catchy name. It worked kind of naturally and magically. I was thinking about a band I was really into as a teenager called The Wedding Present, who had a song called “Kennedy”. The name was not linked to the lyrics of the song at all. Also, I was kind of obsessed with the Kennedy family and 1960s-1970s American magazines, like National Geographic, the New Yorker and New York. I wanted to make a magazine that had that kind of American-heritage vibe. Tell me a little bit about the content. It’s a really personal project, almost autobiographical. It’s a magazine about me – because I am really egocentric in a way – and about my circle of friends who are into the same kind of a vibe as me. The early issues were all about my friend Angelo’s and my obsessions. We said we were going to make a magazine with articles about the people we like. It’s still the same. I still try to feature people who are on my list of favorite people – artists, musicians or directors. It could go on for years and I still won’t have all the people I like in there.

How do you split your time between the magazine, the DJing, the living, the making money? E-mails take up most of my time. Even with all the work I put into e-mails, there are still some that I never get to answer. I would like to say a big sorry to all the people I haven’t replied to; I feel really bad. I also do everything at the magazine. I edit it. I write some of the articles, take some of the photos, look after the whole distribution thing, logistics. Everything.

“I don’t want to have a job. I just make some money from things I enjoy doing and that’s the way I want to live my life.”

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Would you could choose to live permanently somewhere else if you could? I think I would. I was just always scared of making the big step because Greeks I think in general have a really strong bond with their country and Athens in particular. I really can’t explain it. I see myself somewhere else, but I never made the big step because somehow Athens is a comfort zone and it’s hard to get out of your comfort zone. Despite the situation that’s been going on for five years now, Athens is still quite a cool place to live. The weather is amazing; the rents are super cheap; the food is good.

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

MR. PRESIDENT

Has the fashion market changed since you started? What differences have you noticed? The first difference is the quantity of brands, particularly smaller brands. The same thing happened with magazines; there are hundreds of new magazines every year. The market is becoming huge. I have been living on and off in London for a long time and have noticed the change there more than anywhere else. If I remember correctly, one of the first shops to emerge in London was Albam. It was amazing at the time because there werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t many places you could actually buy clothes from London. Then, one after the other a lot of menswear shops opened up, and a lot of new brands, like Folk or Several, started becoming really big. London suddenly became the place for menswear.

Does the quality still remain high? Yes, most new menswear brands now concentrate on quality much more. Now that these new small brands or the imported brands from Japan are focusing on materials and quality, and not manufacturing in big factories or sweatshops, quality is much better. Prices are high, of course, but you get what you pay for. I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the most exciting time for menswear ever. So, whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next? The next step is growing my magazine even more, because I never like to sit on my laurels. I always like to move forward. Also, making it more like a creative agency because it has brought me a lot of work like that lately, like building brand identity or shooting for brands. Travel more. Move to Paris. Those are the next steps, I guess. Oh, and photograph more. kennedymagazine.com

MR. PRESIDENT

Any tips for places to go in Athens? Chris Kontos reveals his selection of the best places to eat, drink, shop and wander in the Greek capital.

Philos Athens

Heteroclito

Multi-use space for a nice breakfast and a great selection of magazines, local herbs, enamelware, clothes and stationery, housed in a beautiful building built in 1937. Solonos 32, Athens / philosathens.com

Simply the best destination for Greek wine in Athens, this tiny bistro-wine bar is owned by Dimitris and Mantlen who are responsible for a resurgence of interest in Greek wine and its producers. Their Greek-only cellar is huge, while their reasonable prices mean you can dive right into exploring this unfairly ignored wine world. A meeting place for friends and creative Athenians, it is one of my favorite places to spend a cool night. Petraki 30, Athens / heteroclito.gr

Kosta Souvlaki The best pita, with meat that has real smoky flavor, and a special tomato sauce. Extra points for Mr. Kostas himself: he has been making souvlaki over the coal fire for more than half a century and has spent that whole time talking about his favorite soccer team, AEK Athens. Platia Agias Irinis 2, Athens

Blue Bird The tiniest bar you can imagine, with a vintage feeling and a great atmosphere that’s always oozing good vibes. I take care of the music here every Friday and it has been a perennial favorite for years. It’s the kind of place you go without calling anyone before, because you know you’ll run into someone you know. Ipitou 4, Athens

Tailor Made Cafe

Baba au Rum One of the first bars to open in Athens’ historical center, Baba au Rum was making great cocktails long before everyone became a mixologist. It’s a proper drinking establishment, run by owner Thanos to showcase one of the best collections of rum anywhere in the world and to educate people in the art of mixing. Athens is almost overrun with bars right now, but this place is still a must for all discerning drinkers. Klitiou 6, Athens / babaaurum.com

Sabor A tiny and low-key café that serves the best coffee in town thanks to a barista who ensures that every cup is perfect. Handmade chocolates and pastries also available. Perikleous 40, Athens Nikitas

Monastiraki Flea Market Situated in one of the oldest (and now gentrified) parts of the city, this traditional taverna offers a good variety of freshly cooked Greek dishes, grills and fresh vegetables at the best prices in town. Ag. Anargiron 19, Athens

The place to visit if you want to buy anything from an old chair to a rare Greek disco record, the city’s flea market is overflowing with smells, colors and people. It can sometimes be too much, but it generally holds a nice surprise for the patient. Make sure you visit the Avissinia Café (round the corner at Kinetou 7) to eat while enjoying the view of the Acropolis from the terrace. Ifestou, Athens

Diporto Next to Athens’ central meat and fish market, Diporto is one of the oldest places to eat in Athens: it has been serving the same menu since 1887. Simple, almost minimalist Greek cuisine featuring fresh fish and vegetables. Go down the steps, past the old and beautiful washbasin, and get teleported to another time and place. Sokratous 9, Athens

Agora Probably more interesting than the Acropolis itself, this site was the heart of Ancient Athens. The walk up the hill to the Temple of Hephaestus is probably the most enchanting in Athens.

Temple of Poseidon, Sounio An hour or so’s drive down the coast from Athens, on the most southerly point of the Attica Peninsula, is the Temple of Poseidon. Sitting on the top of a cliff overlooking the Saronic Gulf, it’s a place with an almost eerie energy, and is both magical and serene. Everything about this place is breathtaking. It might be swamped with tourists in the summer, but try visiting at another time and you will be rewarded with a life-changing experience. The drive down the coast is worth the trip alone.

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Next door to Kostas, a crowded café offering good coffee made from special beans roasted on the premises, and a great cold brew. Also, check out and then enjoy one of the best selections of Japanese whiskey in the world. Platia Agias Irinis 2, Athens / tailormade.gr

SMELLS LIKE TEAM SPIRIT

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Interview Gino Delmas

Photography Romain Bernardie James

Smells like team spirit

SMELLS LIKE TEAM SPIRIT

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

You may have spotted Pub FC in our last issue. Now the time has come to properly introduce you to the squad that has been bravely battling for almost a year in Le Ballon Football League, a 7x7 championship. MAN/WOMAN spent the first season following the games from the terraces, a smoke bomb in one hand, a drink in the other, but for season two we decided to team up with the guys in a more concrete way. So the Pub FC boys now sport the MAN/WOMAN colors on their jerseys. Win or lose, we are sure that they will never lose their fighting spirit. Because Pub FC is way more than a team. Our players were friends before they started playing and they’ll be friends long after they’ve stopped. No matter the result, “they’ll never drink alone”.

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

SMELLS LIKE TEAM SPIRIT

Ruben Gérard

Thomas Roffé

Coach

Left-winger

Defender

Right back / winger

1.80m / 72kg

1.85m / 88kg

1.86m / 90kg

1.79m / 79kg

08/08/1981 in Saint-Nazaire

26/04/1986 in Ermont

19/05/84 in Paris

29/01/1984 in Reims

The Pub is my house, the boys

I’m not German. I don’t have

If Pub FC were a flock, I would

My spirit animal is the gaur, a

are my sons, and I’m the mama

any Turkish roots. I’m not

be the sheepdog. Always loyal

powerful Thai bull. My motto:

bear. Fear my fury if you mess

left-footed. I’m not that skinny.

and protective to my mates,

“What would I do if I had $1

with one or the other.

Yet people call me Özil.

stronger than the wolves,

million? Two chicks at the same

Guess why? (O_O)

I am the Briard!

time, dude.”

Rémi Macario

Noé Gérard

Gauthier Grandvaux

#10

Emmanuel Peillon

#16

JC-JeanDog Clément #23

Guillaume Lacraz

Midfielder & captain

Winger / soldier

Midfielder

Center back

1.87m / 78kg

1.80m / 72kg

1.89m / 82kg

1.88m / 81kg

14/07/1987 in Stade Vélodrome

12/06/1988 in Paris

01/07/1988 in Rouen

06/13/1985 in Ambilly

(Marseille)

Football means a lot to me,

Rough but fair midfielder who

Lover of football, Champagne

I impose my rules in midfield

so Juan Pablo Sorín was a role

works hard for the team. Will

and the fighting spirit. Got a

as I do my nudity in the locker

model to me. My motto is,

always choose the tackle over

problem with that?

room. I am the captain, so

“Give everything for my team

the interception. There is foot-

what?

and have no regrets!”

ball – and there is Arsenal.

SMELLS LIKE TEAM SPIRIT

Arnaud Dedieu

#14

Félix Antoine

#12

Striker

1.84m / 75kg

1.70m / 60kg

1.74m / 60kg

16/09/1979 in Munich

28/03/1979 in Orléans

09/08/1988 in Nice

I am the German who works

Forced to practice soccer aged

Not from Paul Scholes’ family,

hard all over the pitch,

seven, I had no choice but to

not even Irish. I’m the Young

famous for my physical, but

shine in my Spanish club where

Fefe, which I’m called because

fair play. Being 36 and so at

we learned about technique

everyone thinks I’m 16! I never

the end of my football career,

and vision. I can be a last-

give up; I’m a sort of ginger

it is an honor to be part of

minute replacement goalkeeper

Rooney.

the Pub family and to shine

like Jean-Pierre Papin or win

one last time at international

a crossbar contest like Michel

level.

Platini.

Thibo Denis

#21

Pierre Miriel

Romain Sibyllin

Winger

Striker / winger

Goalkeeper

1.79m / 61kg

1.92 / 92kg

1.86m / 97kg

29/01/1986 in Longjumeau

17/04/81 in Paris

19/05/1983 in Aix-en-Provence

I’m a Parisian with an accent, a

The finest calves in Paris,

From the south of France to the

true football fan since my days

2002. An injury every week.

north of England, my passion

growing up in the suburbs. I’m

Still on the pitch, thanks to

for football knows no borders.

better known for collecting and

my marabout Claude Le Roy.

Better known for drinking shots

designing sneakers than getting

than taking them, I am the

them dirty on the pitch. “Just

founder of the Public House

do it” is a slogan I take really

Football Club: embodying the

seriously!

team’s values and spirit.

#LBFL @publichousefc

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Defensive midfielder

“Let us drink for we must die.”

#11

Max Doerr

TREASURE HUNT

Text Zab Ntaka

Photography Courtesy of Hunting and Collecting

t n u re h

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

u s a e r T

TREASURE HUNT

Six years ago Aude Gribomont and Niels Radtke gave Brussels a new must-visit destination: Hunting and Collecting Select Store. A concept store and more, it is a changing, mutating, evolving space where clothes and accessories are sold and events and cultural happenings are hosted. With a design and selection that changes every year according to a different theme, Hunting and Collecting Select Store is like a multidisciplinary design and culture platform – and a new way of seeing the retail experience.

Can you tell us a bit about who you are and what led you to open your store? Aude: I’m Belgian and grew up in Renaix, in the East Flanders region, where my family runs one of the largest cotton mills in Belgium. I have a degree in marketing and communication, and worked as a fashion editor for Belgian magazines including ELLE and Le Vif Weekend. Then I decided to do a master’s at the Institut Français de la Mode in Paris. Niels: I’m German, but grew up in Schriek, Belgium, in a family of folk musicians. I studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp and worked in new media and technology at Avenue Cyber Theater in Brussels before working in live events in Paris, Berlin and Brussels. For the store we basically wanted to fuse everything we love into one way of working, and we wanted to be self-employed in a creative, but a financially viable venture. We didn’t want to depend on any subsidized or public money. Which brought us to the idea of Hunting and Collecting Select Store.

What’s the idea behind the store and what makes it different? We sell and produce a wide range of products that you need today: interior-design products, lifestyle products, fashion, art, plus parties and events. There are not many independent stores in the world that are as active as we are within their culture on so many levels. When did you open? What made you want to create it in the first place? We opened almost six years ago in February 2010. We were never into retail; we don’t want to be shop owners. We are cultural actors with a store as a medium of expression. A real concept store. Neither Brussels nor Belgium had a place like this at the time. It didn’t exist, but Brussels as a capital city needed one. So we opened it. The name of your shop is very cool, how and why did you pick it? Can you explain the philosophy behind it? Hunting and collecting or gathering is the way our ancestors lived in the Paleolithic era; it was our way of living, with the essentials. (When you look at the paleo diets that are trending now, you can see it was a very healthy era, too.) Basically, the meaning is we hunt and collect essential ideas and products for our contemporary mobile lifestyle. Seasonal products just like in nature. We also stand for durability, hence the word collecting, things you actually use and/or keep. We sell products you really want and need in today’s society: for your body, your home, your works spaces, your looks.

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

How would you define your personal style? Our style is always changing. We are inspired by evolutions and change. We’re driven by change and renewal, not money. There is always someone or something new that is happening and we want to be there when it happens. We trust the unknown; it is our friend and ally.

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

TREASURE HUNT

What’s the creative concept behind your store design and seasonal installations? Since we opened Hunting and Collecting the windows and spaces have been places of artistic expression, either a brand installation during events or as a place for artists to express themselves. For example, we did a trunk show with Carven a few years ago and during the event the space was transformed into the room of a student studying art history in Paris. Artists such as Andy Wauman and Belgium superstar singer Stromae have done interventions and installations in the same space. Brands like Eastpak, Surface To Air or A Cut Above have used the space to bring a special focus on their latest collections. Of course, we also bring our own creative display to it. We both have a background in fashion, image production, live events and digital media, and we use Hunting and Collecting as a mirror, a stage, a store, a blog, a magazine, to reflect how we feel about the industry. We change every year, not season, not because of the work it demands but to give more time for people to experience it. Themes have included a Winter Garden, the South American Desert, Paradise, Après-ski, and Space Exploration. However, we have also started to clear the space several times a season for bigger events that require it all. We’ve designed a curtain system that easily allows us to hide the whole store, so that we end up with a clean industrial volume with marble tiles on the floor. This way Hunting and Collecting the store is gone for 12 hours and we create a complete ballroom, a gallery space or a night club in which more than 400 people can travel somewhere else.

It’s a totally different setting and purpose, but it still has the concept of Hunting and Collecting as a whole, just not as a retail space anymore. So we needed to adapt the theme idea and make it more minimal so that the new identity for the night is easier to create. Hunting and Collecting is about contemporary fashion and culture and how we experience it. We are not interested in being just retailers; we love the magic of live happenings that seamlessly blend with our cultural heritage, its expectations and future. So at the moment the space is very minimal, white and with a focus on mobility, but we are working on a new SS16 theme, Bohemian, which we think is going to be spot on.

“We were never into retail; we don’t want to be shop owners. We are cultural actors with a store as a medium of expression. A real concept store.”

TREASURE HUNT

How did you choose where to open your store? We love Brussels because it is our hometown since we are young adults, because it is humane and gentle. People are friendly and open. People are not so superficial as in other bigger cities. You are not judged on what you wear or what you do or how much you earn; you are judged on who you are. This can sometimes be frustrating in our line of work, where we need early adopters, people who want novelty, but that is changing a lot now. Do you have a buyer’s team or do you handle it all by yourself? Before we did all by ourselves, but we are three people now, Fabien, Aude’s brother, recently joined the team full-time.

How do you manage all of your different tasks on a daily basis? It has been a lot of work. As at all start-ups, you actually do six full-time jobs at once, some of which you have to learn the skills on the job – and you are not allowed to make mistakes. The thing is that it never stops; we have not been on vacation for six years! So we handle things as they come up; we have a grid of what is a priority and what can be done in-between. Of course, we prefer the more creative part of the work: looking for new products and discovering the “new” on a daily basis. How is the buying process different for the physical store and for the online store? We used to differentiate, keeping the more expensive pieces back for the online store, but we’ve now built up a clientele that’s the same online as in the store. Also customers are way more product-educated through social media than a couple of years ago. Before we used to sell the cool stuff to people who had learned about things online and to a couple of people living in Brussels, but today everybody is in the know. Which makes it of course harder to bring something more exclusive. How has the fashion market changed since you began? When we started we were new, avant-garde in Belgium, and even Europe. We are still respected as the concept store in Belgium, or at least the first to do it in a contemporary way, but many projects have opened since then, here in Brussels and abroad. Would you consider opening a store anywhere else? No, not a store, something else… What’s your motto? “Where No Store Has Gone Before.” www.huntingandcollecting.com

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

What are your criteria for selecting a brand? We look for a certain notoriety in the way a certain style or look is handled by the brand or the designers. Many brands have a certain style, then high-street chains copy it. We are looking for the one that makes the right product, the original idea that’s the best executed and most desirable. We try to be the first to stock this for our early-adopting customers. We are looking for what is relevant in today’s lives and lifestyle and when we think the product is right, then we go for it. Our offer varies between first-time collections and established luxury designers. There has to be a chemistry between the name, the logo, the designer, the product, the packaging, the look and the visual identity. With some brands it is just the sum of it all, and with some brands the sum is bigger than the parts. These are the brands we are looking for and who earn our respect and in general the respect of the customers. It is a gut feeling: if we want it, our customer will want it. We trust this feeling when we do our buying in any category of product we represent.

LEE MAJOR

Interview Jian DeLeon

Photography Courtesy of Sean Lee

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Lee Major Sean Lee is owner and director of Biting Fingers Lab, so named because “it’s what I’ve been doing longer than anything else”. A designer who consults and a consultant who designs, Lee has worked on some great projects since he set up the agency, including concept store OUT LAB and store design for Korean brand 7+h/0.

Could you tell us a bit about yourself? I’m a South Korean creative director and consultant in the fields of design, branding, curating, and more. I do pretty much everything! Before that I studied menswear design at Central Saint Martins in London, and interned at Alexander McQueen in London and Maison Martin Margiela in Paris.

What does your job consist of exactly? I design, of course, as well as doing branding and marketing work based on brands’ concepts, market position and circumstances. I do branding and design work for large project such as Common Ground, the biggest shipping-container shopping mall in the world. I also do business matching between brands and buyers at Korean fashion trade shows. I have consulted for a Hyundai Motors fashion project at global motor shows, and I have also been designing a lifestyle brand that will come out soon.

What is the idea behind your company? Biting Fingers Lab is a design, branding and marketing consultancy. Early on we set up a pop-up multiconcept store and incubator for up-and-coming designers, then we co-created OUT LAB, a unique store on Garosu-gil, Seoul’s hottest street. It’s a concept store featuring cutting-edge fashion, a bookstore, an exhibition space and a café.

What’s a typical day for you? I wake up, work out, go to meetings, socialize with good people over a pok-tan-ju, a Korean cocktail of soju or whisky and beer. Our office team is small – it’s basically me directing projects and Gemma, our managing director, managing the rest.

LEE MAJOR

What are your criteria for selecting a brand? I need to identify with it. Not only the design and quality of the clothes, but also the branding and the owner’s spirit. I love meeting these people. Any tips for upcoming brands looking to survive in the fashion business? Collaborate and communicate without boundaries. Try to find the right partner, someone who is a good person who will look after your interests in a broad way. What are the differences between online and bricks-andmortar retail? Since I began a multibrand store I’ve never bought clothes online, but the younger generation does. One business model I’m interested in is O2O, which means an offline store and online marketing. One pop-up store I did was a collaboration between a teen-idol band and local street brands. Over two months we had over 1,000 customers a day and did $1 million a month in sales on average. Offline store and online marketing could be the future.

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

What do you expect to find in trade shows? No more glam. I don’t want too many collections, but rather quality items and fun. I like the brands and spirit at MAN/WOMAN, as well as the vibe. It’s easy for brands and buyers to talk. Menswear seems to have become more creative than womenswear nowadays. What do you think? Menswear has become more practical. It’s moved from high-end suits or casual to workwear. What was a subculture is now mainstream.

“Menswear has become more practical. It’s moved from high-end suits or casual to workwear. What was a subculture is now mainstream.”

What trends do you forecast for the upcoming seasons? Designs that last a lifetime. A growth in the vintage and secondhand market. What’s up next? A project called 4est Project or For East, as well as For Establishment in Asia. We have teamed up with one of the best PR agencies in Korea to do some brand and – and this is key – star marketing. It will be a great opportunity to test the Korean market. What is your motto? No boundaries. And, keep it simple, bold and efficient. Any tips for places to go in Seoul? Common Ground, the world’s biggest shipping-container mall with a changing range of fashion brands, food and drinks on the roof, food trucks and activities in the courtyard. What’s not to like? Nonhyun-dong, a local bar for drinking with highly recommended, extremely spicy chicken and live baby octopus.

LEE TIME

Interview Jay Smith

Photography Courtesy of fakesickness

Lee time MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

KB Lee is a former head designer at California-based brand Undefeated and now runs his own creative agency that aims to build bridges between east and west. The designer, also known as Fakesickness, recently launched a new project called Emotionally Unavailable with Hong Kong megastar and street-culture guru, Edison Chen. MAN had a chat about making connections, working on collaborations and the future of street culture.

LEE TIME

“What is the future of retail? No retail.”

Can you tell me more about yourself?

How do you see street culture evolving?

My name is KB Lee. I was born in Korea and grew up in Long Beach, California.

This whole market has become mainstream culture. I’m not hating though; it’s just that this was very underground niche market. It feels a little bit weird to see so many of my friends doing good on a business level, even if I’m always happy to see them do well and make money! And it’s good for my résumé, too!

What have you been up to since you left Undefeated? I spend most of my time overseas these days, especially in Korea. I’m basically always traveling.

What does a brand need to do to surprise you? It seems like you’re working more and more for Korean stores, such as Boon The Shop, and acting as a link between them and the rest of the world. Boon The Shop is one of my new clients in Korea. They are great and their selection is amazing. The boutique is one of the illest stores in Asia. I wanted to connect them with good people, like Michael Dupouy at [Paris agency] La MJC. He does a world tour every year for the launch of [annual streetwear bible] ALL GONE. I thought Boon The Shop would be the perfect fit for him and his book launch in Korea.

Any tips for upcoming brands looking to survive in the fashion business? Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not. People in this industry and consumers are smarter than you think – they catch fake shit. What is the future of retail?

I’ve heard you’ve also got a shop project with Ramdane Touhami.

No retail. What are you up to next?

Yeah, Ramdane is opening a Buly store in Korea in 2016 and I’m consulting for the brand in the Korean market. I’m really exited to be working with him.

I’ve got lots of new projects, especially in Korea. I have a new project with G-Dragon. I will continue Boon The Shop projects. We’re launching Buly in Korea. Stüssy Korea stuff, as well. I’ve also been writing a lot for Korean Harper’s Bazaar and I’m going to continue that. There will be more fun Emotionally Unavailable projects with Edison. I think I’m going to end up opening two studios next year, one in Korea and one in LA.

I wanted to know more about Emotionally Unavailable. What’s the idea behind the project? Emotionally Unavailable is a project I do with Edison Lee, who is one of my best friends. It’s like a personal project where we do whatever we want to do. All the collaborative partners are our friends and people we respect and look up to. For example, we have a partnership with United Arrows in Japan and we do a collaboration with colette every season. They’ve both been great supporters since day one. There’s much respect. We’ve also got a new project coming out with Perks and Mini (PAM). Basically, we pretty much put out stuff whenever we want. I don’t want to turn this project into a brand that follows a schedule. It’s more of a fun personal project for Edison and me. At least for now.

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

It all depends. So many brands are doing their own thing. I respect anyone with a unique creative perspective and some hustle.

GREEN LIVING

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Interview Gino Delmas

Photography Steven Frebourg Illustration Apolline Risser

Green living Pierre-Alexandre Risser has been greening the city for more than 25 years with gardens not designed to be looked at, but rather lived in. Nursery owner, landscape designer and gardener, Pierre-Alexandre believes green spaces are refuges from our increasingly stressful urban environments and insists on their positive impact. We caught up with him to discuss staying calm, being curious and adapting to change.

GREEN LIVING

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

How would you describe what you do? Imagining, creating and maintaining urban outdoor spaces so that they become an extra part of life. A chance for people to experience the outdoors in all seasons, so they can rediscover a certain equilibrium with their biological clocks. It’s also about creating happiness and well being through plants and the feeling of being outdoors. The urban garden is the ultimate sacred ground, a place where technology has still not stuck its nose in. We’ve still not arrived at the day when you can use a remote control to stop a flower blooming while you’re on holiday and then start it up again when you get back. A garden has value as a refuge in the today’s instant culture, particularly in terms of technology. Gardens have their own rhythm.

a nursery owner who grows the plants, or a landscape gardener who maintains the gardens, or a gardener who plants the flowers. We do it all. As one of my mentors, Paul Maymou, who I worked with for 25 years and who died recently, used to say, this versatility means being “the best landscape-gardener nursery owner around, as well as the best nursery-owner landscape gardener”. My other mentor is Russell Page, a British landscape gardener who I have never met but whose work I admire. How did you end up in Paris? One of my teachers told us when we graduated, “Gentlemen, you have succeeded in getting important diplomas, now you have to manage chance”. I ended up in Paris by accident. Initially, for two years. I began in a small garden in Montmorency [just north of Paris], then in Paris, working on terraces and balconies. I thought it was magical. It was an extra challenge: growing stuff where it was least expected. After 18 months of Parisian life I decided to stay. Today I live between my house in Boulogne [just west of Paris] and my offices in Saint-Prix in the Val d’Oise [northwest of Paris]. It’s a second home where I work. There’s a nursery, my offices and a show garden, an hour from Paris.

How did you get into gardening? I spent my childhood 20 kilometers from Lyon, near the Beaujolais region. I was interested in agriculture and horticulture really young. At that time for me a garden was above all a vegetable garden; the rest was the countryside around us, like a giant garden. I studied at the agricultural college in Lyon, then at a horticultural college in Antibes. It was there that I realized how much I not only enjoyed growing plants, but also gardens. Generally, either you’re

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

GREEN LIVING

What is your method for designing the best garden possible? I don’t see myself as an artist. If I create a garden, I do it because people ask me to. That doesn’t stop me being stubborn and having ideas I hold dear. My aim is to make the family who lives in a place happy. The advantage we have is that we know better than them what will happen in two to three years in their garden. The first meeting is generally at their home. You soak up the atmosphere; you see how the people are, the interior decoration, the surroundings. Then we work at the office. To design a garden that best matches their lifestyle, as well as the botanical, biological and environmental framework. We’re not going to plant a 20-meter tree in a tiny garden or plants that will freeze in a shady spot where it gets really cold. We always try to imagine the composition that will require the least maintenance. You have to be realistic. We’re in a world where people have no time and less money. We warn people if one of their requests will mean 50 hours of maintenance a month. You have to adapt to a customer’s lifestyle: customers who have different stress levels whether they’re in Paris or Biarritz or Brittany. The city is a stressful and difficult environment for both plants and humans. Gardens have to be calming, and not take up people’s time. What I want is that when a customer is drinking coffee and sees a ray of sunlight strike his terrace or garden he’ll know where to sit to fully

enjoy it. Each customer is different. And sometimes the same customer can be suited to two different gardens at two different moments of his life. I recently reworked a garden I first planted in 1989, because the people are now retired and it no longer corresponded to their lives. Others have grandchildren and they want to redo a corner of the garden for them.

What inspires you? A garden is a world of curiosity. The more you know about it, the more there is to discover. We are only at the beginning of understanding how plants function and communicate. It always makes me smile when I see people abandon meat for vegetables on the pretext of animal suffering. Because soon we’ll discover that carrots suffer, too – and they’ll be really annoyed. [Laughs] I obviously draw some of my inspiration from my travels. Each time you go to a new town, you obviously go to the botanic gardens, the nurseries, the natural environment, camera in hand. I was recently in São Paulo and I totally fell in love with a mall that had a really interesting mix of materials. City dwellers who have an outside space are so lucky, and they have to develop it. Today we’re rediscovering the virtues of a vegetable garden and I love that. I love cooking; I raise chickens and I have a coop on the roof of the garage in Saint-Prix. What people ask me to do is something I live and love.

GREEN LIVING

How has our relationship with nature changed in the 30 years you’ve been working? Post-war France, in the 1950s, was one TV network, no inside bathroom, coal fires, no dishwasher or washing machine. In the 1980s, 30 years later, it was two cars, color TV networks, small vacuum cleaners, but no fax, Internet or cellphone. Today it’s different still. If you took a 20-year-old today back to the 1980s, it would seem prehistoric. He couldn’t live there. In 60 years, the way we live has changed incredibly. But our biological clocks haven’t changed one nanosecond. And the garden is still the ultimate refuge for people who live in cities. It’s an important urban need. In the 1980s we tried to bring the garden into the home, but today people want to go out and be outside. Gardens and plants are crucial in helping us live together better. There is something called the natural prairie where lots of plants grow next to each other. Imagine this prairie is surrounded by a hedge; the plants in the shade are different to those nearby that grew in the sun. But they’ve all found a way to live together. We need to follow the plants’ example in our cities. Everything happens gently. The development of allotment gardens after World War II wasn’t motivated by people wanting to grow their own vegetables, but by encouraging men to look after their gardens rather than getting drunk. The real objective was to fight alcoholism. I’m convinced that if we hadn’t got rid of the green spaces in the Paris suburbs, people would talk to each other more. It’s a rule: wherever you put gardens, people speak to each other, whatever the language. Gardens are a fraternal link that allows people to share knowledge. Gardens in businesses are often beneficial. In France, we’re behind the English-speaking world. They’ve done lots of studies that measure the impact of parks and the closer you live to one the less you are likely to see a therapist or doctor. It’s important to quantify the medical and social impacts so that the people who make decisions – mayors, regional officials – have the tools to make the right decision when it’s between a car park and a park. I’m convinced that the future is bright for gardens and green spaces.

Your gardens often include wood. Is that a deliberate choice? Wood is not an aesthetic choice. When you want to walk barefoot in your garden, we put down wood because it doesn’t heat up and it dries quickly after the rain. Wood also allows you to be creative because it’s light and easy to work. You can do what you like with it. Maintenance is simple, too: a brush and soft soap three times a year. It’s really an element of freedom; a lifestyle rather than an aesthetic choice. We also work with iron, stones and gravel. But most of our gardens are spaces to be used. When there’s some sun, it’s much nicer to put your towel down and lie on wood than stone. But when we create a garden for an office that will be looked at and not used, it can be different.

www.horticultureetjardins.com 79

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Do you have any favorite trees or plants? I love Cornus, trees native to North America and Asia that develop flower-like bracts. They have an insignificant blossom, but oversized petals for a month. They also have beautiful fall colors. You could say it’s one of my favorite trees. [Laughs] I also love the grace and elegance of Japanese maples. For flowers, I love violets, which always remind me of my childhood.

SUMMER TIME

Photography Romain Bernardie James

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Interview Zab Ntaka

Summer time Stéphane Sultana’s store SUMMER is like a little bit of California in the heart of France’s second city, Lyon. With help from his wife, Sophie, and a dedicated team, Stéphane has created a space for innovative and creative brands both in-store and online. We met up and talked shops and stores, selectivity and surprise.

SUMMER TIME

“I’m very happy to be able to make a living from what I love. I never think of my job as a constraint, even if I have to work long hours.” Do you have a buyers’ team or do you handle it all yourself? I do all the buying myself. I know what I want and where I want to go, but I sometimes ask my assistant, Yoann, to come with me to a showroom and give me his feeling about a brand or a collection. He’s younger than me and can sometimes have different and interesting approaches. How do you manage your time? I’m very happy to be able to make a living from what I love. I never think of my job as a constraint, even if I have to work long hours. I have three kids, so I have to manage my time between SUMMER and my family life. So I get up early and I’m organized! I share my time between managing the store – even if Sophie helps me a lot every day – purchasing, and foreign trips to meet suppliers, go on retail tours and visit shows. My favorite part of the job, like many store owners, is the buying. Each new buying season is a way of dealing the cards again. It’s also a time when you spend lots of time at trade shows or in showrooms. We meet up with our other buyer friends, and have some great times and nights out, of course!

When did SUMMER open? We opened in September 2012. I’d had the idea and concept in my head for ages. The more time passed, the more it seemed like it was what I had to do, particularly as there was space in Lyon because there were no other shops like it. It was also a moment in my life when I felt I needed a new challenge.

What are your criteria for selecting a brand? When I choose a new brand I ask myself a few questions. Does this brand make me feel something? Does it fit into our selection? Does it fill a need, a lack, a request? Does it have a great image? Is it good value for money? How is it distributed? Are our customers able to buy these products? To pique my interest, a brand has to surprise me with its products and its communication. It has to have a real identity that’s strong and constant.

Why did you choose the name? SUMMER is a reference to our Californian experiences: the sun, the easy lifestyle, the friendly and postive side of things. That’s the image we wanted to bring to the store. We’ve always wanted people to feel good and spend time with us, to feel they can just pop in. Also, the first day of summer is special for me and Sophie, my wife and partner on the project, because it’s the day we met!

Any buyer’s tips? Curiosity and openmindedness. When I’m selecting, I always put myself in the position of the customer: would I buy this product? At this price? Also, always keep in mind who are the targets of the products you buy. A large part of it is gut feeling, but you also have to be pragmatic about the economic reality. Stock rotation is essential! It’s a question of alchemy. I also think it’s really important to have good relationships with the people behind the brands you work with. It’s also really important to build your own universe, to have your own style. Customers feel it. Copying a concept no longer works today.

How did you decide which neighborhood to open in? When Sophie and I began working on the project we had a precise idea of where we wanted to open. We are in a neighborhood we’ve renamed “South Bellecour”; it was the neighborhood for antique dealers. Then over time, they began to leave and were replaced by new cool, independent stores, coffee shops, independent fashion boutiques, and galleries. That’s what makes the neighborhood great. It’s exclusively made up of independent stores – and we’re all passionate about what we do. We’ve managed to create an atmosphere that reflects us: cool and friendly.

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Please tell us a bit about yourself. I’m 41 and owner-buyer for my store SUMMER. I was born in a small village not far from Avignon, then grew up in Lyon. I come from skateboarding, a world I discovered in the mid-1980s and which gave me a love of streetwear: the “tribal” side, my first Vans, and Stüssy T-shirts. I’m still influenced by skate culture, from my musical tastes to my interest in graphic art and architecture. In my professional life, I’ve always worked in the skateboard and fashion worlds. Aged 25, I opened my first sneaker store, in Lyon, and then I moved to Paris for 10 years, where I ran the business side of one of the biggest European distributors of skate gear, before working for the Californians at Vans. These different jobs gave me the chance to travel and discover amazing stores in the four corners of the world. I remember my first visit to Union in New York, sometime in 2000 or 2001 – it was a total revelation. The product selection, the atmosphere. That was when I first wanted to open my own store.

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

SUMMER TIME

Any tips for up-and-coming brands looking to survive in the fashion business? Believe in your concept and your work. Have a real editorial line. Have a strong identity and stand out from what already exists. Have selective distribution. Be close to your customers.

What are the current trends in retail? One is how we’re personalizing and mixing products. It’s difficult to talk about one vision of fashion. Customers today are mixing designer pieces, basics and streetwear. I really love contemporary fashion; it’s so creative. It’s really interesting for us to mix brands like Comme des Garçons and Acne Studios with rawer or more streetwear labels like Bianca Chandon, Stüssy and Palace. I think that’s one of our strong points today. Stores like Dover Street Market understood that long ago. This diversity also offers more brands the chance to be seen. Everyone has a chance. Today’s customers want diversity and to stand out.

How is the buying process different for the physical store and the online store? The main difference for me is that online sales allow us to connect with the entire world. That means we can widen our target audience. The online store also allows us to choose and sell less well-known brands, which would take longer to take off if they were only sold in the store. We love brands like Cav Empt or Roundel London, which are aimed at a cutting-edge clientele. The web means we can work with labels like that, sell them, and at the same time take the time to introduce them to our customers in the bricks-and-mortar store. Lyon is France’s second city, so we have a well-informed customer base that knows its brands. We’re also near to Switzerland where this kind of offer is pretty limited. Finally, Lyon has seen strong international tourism growth, which has brought us a good number of foreign customers.

Would you consider opening a store anywhere else? At the moment we have no plans to do that. We are concentrating on the SUMMER store and our online store. Since we opened in 2012, we’ve grown quickly and we have to stay focused on what we’re doing. What I can say is that we are working on another project in Lyon, which should be ready next spring. Stay tuned… How is Lyon different to Paris? Is the clientele different? The main difference is the offer. In Paris customers can shop in a large variety of stores from Comme des Garçons boutiques to A.P.C. stores to independent stores like Starcow, for example. In Lyon, the offer is more concentrated. The clientele doesn’t differ that much! They have the same tastes and want the same product at the same time.

What changes have you seen in retail since you began? Customers have access to so much more information before buying a product than before. Today our customers are ultra-connected and well informed. They know the products, their history and specificities. Products and brands’ life cycles are shorter and shorter. Online is so much more important, whether it’s for selling products or “teasing” potential customers on social networks and blogs.

Is it hard to be in Lyon when France is so concentrated on Paris? I think that’s less and less true. The fact that we now have an online presence means we can exist on a much larger scale. Lots of brands have understood the interest of being distributed outside of Paris. www.summer-store.eu 82

SUMMER TIME

Any tips for places to go in Lyon?

Slika

Maison Hand

A coffee shop-gallery in our neighborhood. Good coffee and regular exhibitions of international street art, such as Jonone and Crash. 37 Rue des Remparts d’Ainay, 69002 Lyon.

A large loft full of everything you could need for home: furniture, rugs, candles and scents. 11 bis Rue Jarente, 69002 Lyon. Entre[vues]

Durden Café The best glasses store in town with a fine selection of hard-to-find, vintage and Japanese frames. 17 Rue Auguste Comte, 69002 Lyon.

La Table D’Hippolyte

Sofa

French and American cuisine and cool staff. Try the perfect carré d’agneau (lamb). 22 Rue Hippolyte Flandrin, 69001 Lyon.

A great record store. 7 Rue d’Algérie, 69001 Lyon. Datta Librairie-Galerie

Le Butcher Best burgers in town. 30 Rue Lanterne, 69001 Lyon.

The best place to buy international magazines and books. 10 Rue du Griffon, 69001 Lyon.

L’Antiquaire

Solis

The place to take your official partner for a cocktail. 20 Rue Hippolyte Flandrin, 69001 Lyon.

Women-only clothing featuring Comme des Garçons, Lanvin, Dries Van Noten and Margiela. 6 quai Jules Courmont, 69002 Lyon.

Le Redwood Cocktail Bar

2nd Face

The place to take your lover for a cocktail. 1 Rue Chavanne, 69001 Lyon.

The best hairdresser in Lyon. 3 Rue Mercière, 69002 Lyon.

Galerie Nathalie Rives A fine selection of vintage furniture. 39 Rue Sainte-Hélène, 69002 Lyon.

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Our cantina. Home-made French cuisine and friendly staff. 1 Place Antoine Vollon, 69002 Lyon.

MATCH MAKER

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Interview Jian DeLeon

Photography Rintaro Ishige

James Oliver is a former professional soccer player who fell into the fashion-media world when his brother started seminal street culture website SlamXHype in 2003. In 2009, he launched THE NEW ORDER, a print magazine that explores similar themes as SlamXHype, but in a more cerebral way, and combines them with top-notch visuals that look so much better on paper. James, a native of Auckland, New Zealand, who has lived in Tokyo for the past eight years, took some time out of his busy schedule – which included welcoming his first child into the world – to talk about THE NEW ORDER, the state of the men’s market, and her., his recently launched women’s magazine.

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MATCH MAKER

How did you get involved in the fashion industry? When I left school I played professional soccer for three years, then coached for close to five years. During this time my brother started SlamXHype and when I was ready for a change we started working together. It was during this time that THE NEW ORDER was founded. SlamXHype was sold a few years ago, so I now work full-time with THE NEW ORDER and as a freelance stylist.

Is there an underlying meaning behind the names of each? I guess the name came from the band New Order; Technique was the first album I ever owned. Then there was the track they made for the 1990 World Cup, “World in Motion”. I also think the name fits in well with the concept, discussing what is relevant now and looking into the future. The name might not be that original, but I think it fits in well with what I am trying to achieve with the publication. While the name THE NEW ORDER came to me very easily, her. was the complete opposite. Which is pretty ironic given how simple the name is. I wanted something really refined and minimal, but perhaps I was overthinking it. In the end, my wife played an important role in naming the magazine.

What is the philosophy behind THE NEW ORDER and your new publication, her.? Whether it is finding something new and original or telling the story of someone well-established, I always try and find an angle that’s unique, fresh and new. While the magazine is predominantly a fashion magazine, I think there are so many other contributing elements to fashion – like art, music, food, sport, and other subcultures. I think the magazine wouldn’t be complete unless I incorporated these topics. So much of THE NEW ORDER and her. reflect me as a person and what I am interested in on a personal level. Everything I talk about in the magazines I have a genuine interest in.

What is the editorial process like for each issue? In a way, I feel like the player-manager of a soccer team: I have key players in every position and an amazing squad, though I still like to contribute on the pitch. I have to discuss with the players about how they like to work and what will make them excel. We all share the same ideology about making THE NEW ORDER team better, so together we can easily work on the pitch. Each editorial is like a game and the whole magazine is like a season. I have to put a plan together and then take it one game at a time to have a successful season. I have huge respect for every player who has worn THE NEW ORDER colors over the years.

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

“In a way, I feel like the player-manager of a soccer team. Each editorial is like a game and the whole magazine is like a season.”

MATCH MAKER

Where are your offices based, and how did you choose that neighborhood? I am based in Sendagaya, just behind Harajuku in Tokyo. I guess it chose me as much as me choosing the area really. Its convenience is key, fairly close to home and many friends have offices close by, and my favorite restaurant in Tokyo, Yogoro, is close by.

What do you expect to find in tradeshows? Something new. What changes have you seen in retail since the beginning of your career? It is interesting to see so many stores focusing on their online stores rather than their brick-and-mortar. I understand the importance of this, but I personally prefer to go to a store and see a garment before I buy something. I am not sure what makes people buy what they buy, if I knew that then I would be a genius, but I hope THE NEW ORDER and her. somehow have an influence – or at least educate people about what they’re buying.

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

What does a brand need to do to earn your respect? Passion, first and foremost. The people behind a brand have to be passionate about what they do. This is the most important ingredient for making something that’s genuine and quality.

“It is interesting to see so many stores focusing on their online stores rather than their brick-and-mortar. I personally prefer to go to a store and see a garment before I buy something.” Any tips for upcoming brands looking to survive in the fashion business or raise awareness in the press? I don’t think I am in the position to really say, but like anything, people should just always have the philosophy that they can always be better and improve. Fashion is such a competitive industry that you just have to keep your head down and do your own thing, and not get clouded by what is going on around you.

How would you describe menswear today? What excites you? I think it is a really exciting time. When I look around at labels like Sasquatchfabrix., Unused, and Old Joe, their attention to detail and quality is above and beyond. Then on the other side, I like what people like Brain Dead, Bianca Chandon, Gassius, and the like are doing. They’re proving fashion doesn’t have to be so serious. How is the Asian customer different from the American or European customer? Consumerism is a big thing in Asia, especially in Japan. People don’t really hesitate about spending money on luxury items. Whereas I feel people in the West have different priorities and this is reflected in the market.

What’s the current value proposition of print versus online? Where will the roads diverge in the future? To be honest, I don’t really know. I am and have always been into tangible things: records, books, art, and of course, magazines. This might sound negative, but I never really followed the Internet even when I did SlamXHype, so I think if there are people like me out there, then there will always be a market for print. Of course, the Internet is an important tool, but personally not for me. I still buy the newspaper everyday.

What is the most exciting thing about the Japanese market right now? Japan will always be Japan. The market here will always be special and unique. www.thenewordermagazine.com

MATCH MAKER

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

ODES TO BEAUTY

Interview Matthieu Morge Zucconi

Photography Romain Bernardie James

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Odes to beauty

Horace is an online store for menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grooming products that wants to make it easier for men to take care of themselves. Its carefully curated selection of products and guides about how to use them aim, says co-founder Marc Briant-Terlet, to make shopping a comfortable, even fun experience. Marc, who often writes for this magazine, gave us the lowdown on what makes Horace a great retail experience â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and why the multinationals have got it wrong.

ODES TO BEAUTY

How did Horace begin? I used to work as a marketing consultant and, like lots of people, my work hours didn’t fit with shop opening hours. One day I was having real difficulty getting some gel that I had finished. When I left work all the shops were closed, at weekends I had other things to do, and on the Internet there was no site that gave me what I wanted to buy, either because it wasn’t sold in France, delivery was too long, the site was bad or delivery cost too much. Faced with that problem, I just thought it was insane that there was no service that did repeat orders for products without me having to think about it. So I quit my job and created Horace with a friend, Kim Mazzilli, one of the first people I met when I went to study in Canada. We have complementary profiles – he has a background in IT; I come from marketing and business – so we launched Horace together. How would you describe the men’s grooming market? It’s extremely competitive because there are an enormous number of players, yet service hasn’t really changed for the past 20 years. Nothing is really set up to help customers, to accompany and advise them. Either you see shops for women, where the men’s part is a small section next to the shampoo, or it’s specialized shops where you find more men-centered products but no advice. There are also clothing shops that sell grooming products, but that’s not their core business.

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Which bit of the service experience do you think is missing? Putting yourself in the customer’s shoes. It might sound like a caricature, but women’s shops really don’t make men feel welcome. No men feel comfortable enough in Sephora to go and buy their shampoo there every three months. It’s the same online, where the featured products and product categories are mainly aimed at female customers. Today, men can and want to buy things themselves. For fashion stores, the problem is different: the way of selling and advising on a product and alerting customers to it is different for grooming products than in clothing. Customers are less interested in brands than their particular concern. It’s not the same business. The service in clothing stores is built around brands, and it can have problems adapting to grooming. Specialized stores are simply online stockists: there’s no product selection, no advice before buying, no attempt to choose the best products. It’s basic and works one way: the more you stock, the more you sell. It’s true, but it’s also the best way to lose all those people for whom too much choice means problems choosing. Our site is designed so that a man who has no idea about the products can find something that suits him, thanks to our advice. We try to help men as much as possible so they feel better about themselves. We want them to feel as happy with their skin and hair as they do with a new shirt.

ODES TO BEAUTY

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“The men’s grooming market is extremely competitive because there are an enormous number of players, yet service hasn’t really changed for the past 20 years.”

Apart from the archaic advertising, what are the market leaders’ main weaknesses? Resting on their laurels and only talking to customers via focus groups. For the most part big groups aren’t looking to change things. Unilever is still bombarding us with Axe; L’Oréal is still convinced that men want to smell of that enigmatic scent that is “ocean”. Yes, they’re looking to diversify through acquisitions, but there’s never been any attempt to reassess how they sell. But then it’s not easy to be agile when you’ve got nearly 80,000 employees like L’Oréal. The industry is too focused on products and “market opportunities” – and not enough on the individuals who are its consumers, and what they want and expect from a brand in 2016. Do you think that the men’s grooming market is an extension of the menswear market? Lots of men discovered some of the brands we sell when they were first sold in clothes shops. Obviously, when men start feeling less self-conscious about fashion, then they will do the same for everything else, notably grooming products. So in that way, grooming is more an extension of men’s fashion than women’s beauty products. It’s like what Grant McCracken, an anthropologist of consumerism calls the “Diderot effect”: one day, one of Diderot’s friends gave him a new, extremely beautiful dressing gown. In the text, the philosopher explains that this new dressing gown makes all his other belongings look ugly and so he has to buy new stuff as beautiful as the dressing gown. When you start paying attention to certain products – depending on your budget, because not everyone is lucky enough to be able to take design into account – it becomes a spiral. From the moment you pay attention to what you wear, then you start to pay attention to grooming products, the design of your furniture, your bookcases. Style is grooming’s big brother. There is also the whole thing about being different: you don’t want to look like everyone else, but you still want to be part of the group, so you have to show you’re not entirely different. Suddenly, men want alternatives to mass-market products: some that are more high-end but not luxury, others that are less well known, but well made. This makes it a logical step for clothing shops to stock a selection of gels or shaving products. To generalize, the Instagrams posted by “influential” men often feature Common Projects, Eames chairs and Baxter of California. So grooming is part of a whole, an appreciation of beauty.

Is there a process to making men feel more comfortable about grooming products? Things haven’t really changed. It’s still difficult to talk about grooming products without some men having preconceived ideas. The men’s market is pretty special: it’s been a promising business, both in fashion and grooming, since the 1980s. In that decade we saw the trend emerge of men taking care of themselves, both with clothing and grooming. Lots of fashion books with “grooming” sections were written at the time. Yet the reality of the grooming sector is completely different: brands and certain retailers just haven’t understood that it’s not enough to have a good product. What has made men’s fashion go supersonic is the Internet. Suddenly, there is this huge offer, a way of buying that corresponds with how men want to buy, and above all, lots of men were interested in it all. Men have suddenly said, “It’s normal to be interested in fashion”, because they’ve seen street-style icons like Nick Wooster or the guys at Pitti Uomo photographed by the Sartorialist, or have read fashion blogs and websites. Four Pins is a great example of that: it’s just a bunch of guys in their 30s who have the same references as lots of other men – basketball, rap – and who totally love Visvim and Acne. This hasn’t happened yet for grooming. There are lots of brands and products, but men don’t yet feel legitimate enough to use them. The way it’s sold, for example, is always the same: it’s David Beckham or Zlatan, athletes in the shower who use their perfectly honed bodies to get some shower gel out of the bottle. It’s ridiculous to try and make customers think that a sportsman is successful thanks to his shower gel. The market today is already big, but I’d say that it has in no way reached its full potential because no one has found the right way to effectively get men talking and offer them something designed 100 percent for them.

How do you select your products? We use three criteria. The first, the basis of all, is the product’s performance. Then, a little less so, but still important, is obviously how it’s made: say, a gel that doesn’t leave residue or a natural soap. Finally, we pay attention to the product design.

ODES TO BEAUTY

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

How did you build the service behind Horace? We really looked hard at the reality of our customers’ lives. How do they shop? What problems do they face? We looked at what already existed in terms of customer experience, asked what the problems were, and began building our own version based on our ideas, and our own wants and needs. Because we’re customers, too. That’s why we do automatic reordering, delivery in Paris in under three hours, a restricted selection of products, and the guides. Each one responds to a need. We deliver quickly because there are customers who want their products fast. We look after automatic reordering because men don’t want to do it themselves. We put together guides because men don’t necessarily know how to use all the products. We do interviews to show what other people are doing. It’s all been thought out to give customers and future customers the feeling that it’s perfectly fine to be a little more demanding. And they’re right. That’s why we still talk to our customers every day and we do tests with them. We’re not in business to please our suppliers but rather our customers. For example, we brand our boxes on the inside, not the outside, in case our customers receive an order at work and don’t want to explain what it is. We focus more on the user experience, the interface and content than, for example, handling stock, because there are machines to do that. The goal is to always improve our service. being able to test the products before buying them, fast delivery until late and at weekends, automatic reordering and delivery in under three hours: all that is just a start. What’s the future for Horace? There are two parts to our future plans. The first is to continue developing Horace as a brand, site and service. This will mean developing content, pre- and post-purchase service, which will be key to making sure the site stays in tune with today’s man. The second part is the international expansion, which will mean translating the site into English. We’re already present in Belgium and Luxembourg, but we want to develop in other countries neighboring France. We want to take Horace into all the countries where men need it. www.horace.co

TOP CHEF

Photography Romain Bernardie James

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Interview Gino Delmas

Top chef 92

TOP CHEF

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Pierre Touitou grew up in a family surrounded by fashion, architecture, art and music, but he chose a different creative path. Working in professional kitchens since his teens, this young Parisian has built up his hard-earned experience in luxury institutions like the Plaza Athénée where he discovered the classics and trendy restaurants like Aux Deux Amis where he (re)created neobistro food every day. MAN caught up with him just before he headed off to Uruguay’s top resort for a season in the sun to talk chefs, classics and the art of repetition.

TOP CHEF

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“My first five-course tasting menu was stunning. Monumental. A revelation. I had never imagined going to a restaurant and feeling that.”

Are the kitchens in those luxury hotels as hostile as people say? Of course. I cut herbs and made vinaigrette for six months. It was very, very hard. It’s a violent and tough world, which was the opposite of how I’d grown up. I had always been calm. After a bit I realized that now and again you had to show that you could be stupid and violent so people stopped bothering you. I lost 10 to 15 kilos in the first six months. I couldn’t sleep; I was constantly stressed. But I discovered a lifestyle. If you compare it to fashion or a magazine, instead of a show or a deadline every two to three months, you have a rush twice a day. It doesn’t last long, but it’s really intense. I was really happy to work there; I learned so much. I worked on all the different services, mainly in Le Relais Plaza. That’s the brasserie, but a luxury brasserie with the sole at €68. There are things that don’t change there and some customers have been coming for 40 years. I remember one woman who came for lunch every Thursday at 1pm and had a fillet of poached sole and boiled vegetables. It was great to have this classical apprenticeship because you never forget it.

Tell us how you got started as a chef. When I was 14 I met [French food critic] François Simon at an event organized by food guide Le Fooding. We had a great talk. He knew Kaori Endo, currently chef at Japanese restaurant Nanashi, who was at Rose Bakery at the time, and she spoke to me about Iñaki Aizpitarte, a “crazy, visionary chef”, who at the time had just opened Le Chateaubriand. I went with my father to have dinner there. It was my first five-course tasting menu. It was stunning. Monumental. A revelation. I had never imagined going to a restaurant and feeling that. It was one of the most beautiful meals of my life. As you ate it, you were like, “Fucking hell…” and I wasn’t even a cook at the time so I didn’t even realize the amount of work that went into it. And it wasn’t just about what was on the plate. The waiters were all in sneakers and worn but clean jeans, white shirts and blue aprons. It was friendly but polite. It was noisy, but in the background you could just hear the Stooges. We ended up talking to Iñaki. He told me, “Finish school, find a cooking school, and then come back and see me”. Later my Dad said something funny, “Pierre, I think it was one of the best meals of my life, but I don’t want you to go and work there because I think they party too much”. As a Dad would say to his 15-year-old. I went back to see François and told him that it was perhaps better I started somewhere more conventional. He said to me, “Go and work in a big five-star hotel or a big brasserie, a big machine. You’ll learn techniques that will be useful all your life”. I ended up at the Plaza Athénée with Alain Ducasse for three years.

What do you mean? Now I’ve been head of a kitchen I would never think about recreating any dish we did at the hotel. But when my fishmonger offered me affordable soles for Aux Deux Amis, the restaurant I’ve been working in most recently, I would immediately think about doing a sole meunière. I know we have great butter, so we can do it, and then we’ll accompany it with something other than mashed potatoes and spinach. But it’s a great base. It’s in those moments that I feel happy to have spent hours and hours at the Plaza cooking 40 to 60 soles a day.

TOP CHEF

What inspires you? I recently went for a walk in Chinatown and bought some vinegar and pomelos. The result was as pomelos, olive oil, burrata, cubeb (a pepper with a licorice taste). Then one night, no more pomelos, so I had to rethink it. I thought I might as well go full Asian, so I added a few drops of sesame oil or some passion fruit. Sometimes I have to do a dish two or three times in a row to finally find the right solution, and sometimes you do it once, put it to one side and come back later to find the right solution. I note everything I do in a notebook, so I can keep track of my experiments. When you’re a chef, you go to the market because having everything in front of your eyes is great. I always look at everything. In the end, you often go to the same guys, but you have a look at the others to see if they might inspire an idea. You immerse yourself in feelings. I work quite a lot by instinct. I also buy lots of recipe books, especially old ones. There is a bookseller by the Seine near Rue Dauphine, who has incredible stuff. I don’t go too often or I’d spend too much money. That and restaurants are a problem! But to make food you have to eat it. It’s silly – but it’s really important. And travel? Obviously. I often go to Italy in the summer, and I always go to those little restaurants by the sea where they serve maltagliati, pasta made from dough scraps, with clams, garlic and pepperoncino. One day the pasta arrived just as I was finishing my spritz. I bit into the orange slice and then begin to eat my pasta, and that bitterness with this dish was amazing. Then about two weeks ago I made a risotto with squid ink and orange, which I later reworked as risotto with orange and a pumpkin purée. It’s a dialogue. This creative process is really important to me, this evolution, discussion and dialogue with other people.

How did you end up at Aux Deux Amis? I went to Japan for a week with some friends. I’d already been with my parents. My mother worked for a Japanese company for more than 15 years, my father has worked a lot in Japan, and in the all the restaurants I’ve worked in, I’ve always come across quite a few Japanese chefs. So I knew the culture pretty well, but I really wanted to go back because I wanted to see things from a chef’s angle. Explore, taste everything. I ate two or three times a night and put on 10 kilos in a week. I just immersed myself in everything and came back saying to myself, Now I want to see what I’m worth. I could get my wings burned, it could be too early, but I want to do it. I was a regular at Aux Deux Amis, and I knew they were looking for someone for their two-man team: one for lunch, the other for dinner. It was good for me because I wanted to express myself. But I’ve done that now and so I’m leaving for Uruguay in a month to do the summer season by the sea. I’m thinking that when I get back I’d like to be part of a big kitchen brigade again, where there are 30 people and everything is calibrated. I kind of miss it. It’s an artisanal trade where you use your hands every day and learn by repeating things all the time. The problem with Aux Deux Amis is that it’s a permanent experiment: you change technique or ideas so often that you can’t perfect what you do.

What links do you see between music and cooking? Well, I like to work with music in the morning during the set-up. I sing quite a lot too, unfortunately for the kitchen porter. I’ve had the same iPod for 10 years and I listen to some recent stuff I come across when I’m out – Drake, for example – but I listen mostly to rock from the 1960s to the 1980s. I grew up with it. It influences you. It’s like how you don’t cook the same when you’re in love or when you’re sad. Some days you are edgier, others softer. What’s your approach to fashion? People often tell me that I always dress the same way. I have a kitchen uniform: a pair of Dutch clogs in wood and black leather, black trousers from the same brand, and a white, long-sleeved chef’s jacket. Outside of the kitchen, I mostly wear boots, jeans, T-shirt, shirt, jacket and scarf. It’s my uniform. Fashion is a pretty precise job as well, with real savoir-faire. Like in a kitchen, you can’t reinvent the wheel, but you have to think differently and see what you can do with what’s already been made, while being creative and pushing things forward.

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After the three years in a classical register, you moved to the UK? Yes, first in the English countryside between Oxford and London. A sort of gastropub that had a Michelin star. I worked there for two months to get out of the city and change my ideas. I lived onsite in renovated farm buildings and we did everything ourselves. In the morning I’d go to the restaurant and get the bread going. Then I’d go home, walk the two dogs, and then take the deliveries. We’d start the day and then I’d spend afternoons walking in the woods. It was a real change of scenery after the Plaza, and not just in the surroundings. The restaurant completely rejected classical French cooking and was concentrated on British food. So the first day I was told to prepare some tomatoes, which I did as I would in France. I did five kilos of it before someone looked at it and said I’d got it completely wrong. After the pub I went to work at Sketch in London for Pierre Gagnaire, one of the chefs with the most Michelin stars, an incredible man. He loves to experiment and he has all the flavors he’s come across in his head and he invents mixes of flavors really easily. It is a two-star restaurant, so a lot of work. It was classical French cuisine, but with really surprising taste combinations. I remember endives sautéed in butter, deglazed with Guinness, accompanied by an oyster and some ham and sheep’s cheese. To begin with, I was like, “What am I doing here?” but it turned out to be a magical experience. It made me realize that real complexity is really hard to achieve.

NOT SO FARFETCHED

Photography Sylvain Homo

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Interview Laura Camille Saglio

Not so farfetched

NOT SO FARFETCHED

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Pascale Colony left the south of France to study in London over 20 years ago. She never went back. For much of that time she worked in international wholesale, either in-house or in showrooms, developing and managing brands including Earl Jean, Folk, McQ, and Alexander McQueen. She is now business development director at incredibly successful website farfetch.com. We spoke to her about brands, Browns and getting bigger.

NOT SO FARFETCHED

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

“We are mainly focusing on brands that have a bricksand-mortar store, as this multichannel approach has always been at the heart of what we do.”

NOT SO FARFETCHED

What brought you to Farfetch? I was attracted to the project as it was a real solution to helping multibrand boutiques have a presence online without the huge risks and costs that setting up your own e-commerce can bring. I have always joined brands when they are just starting, so moving to Farfetch five and half years ago when it was still a very small start-up didn’t feel scary, even though most of my friends had never heard of it and were wondering what I was doing! Through my previous jobs I had a good knowledge of international markets and a large network of contacts, which was incredibly helpful. I now manage the business development team that scouts the world to find the best retailers out there and do all the negotiations needed to sign them to the platform. There is a lot of travel and research involved for all of us. Last week I was in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Warsaw; next week in Antwerp and Brussels for meetings, and the week after probably in Porto, which is home to our operational and tech offices. We also have to work closely with our merchandising team to make sure that the boutiques we select carry the type of brands that work for us and appeal to our customers.

Last May Farfetch bought London’s iconic store Browns as part of a multichannel strategy. This hasn’t pleased all of your partners. How is this move a good thing, rather than just competition for featured shops? I’m not sure I agree that it hasn’t pleased all of our partners. In general, it has been well received. Browns is an iconic retailer with a long-standing reputation – it was a great idea! Farfetch needs to constantly work on new systems and technology, but as we didn’t own a store it was very difficult to test ideas and projects. Now all of this can be done and new services can roll out to other shops if they want them in the future. We will of course also be able to buy deeper into brands we are lacking stock for. If any other stores are worried, they shouldn’t be – even if we managed to grow Browns to five percent of our business, the other 95 percent would still need to come from all the other stores! What was interesting was the number of stores that contacted us after the announcement to find out – jokingly or not – if we would be interested in buying them as well!

After specializing in shops, this year Farfetch has also been developing labels, like A.F. Vandevorst and Roksanda. From the beginning the idea of Farfetch’s founder José Neves was to work with both boutiques and brands. A.F. Vandevorst, for example, joined us over six years ago. However, in the early days most people didn’t really understand what Farfetch was about, so we decided to concentrate on shops and keep a clear message. Now seven years later, we’re more established and it’s a natural progression to also start working directly with some brands to increase our offer and selection.

Farfetch recently launched a tool on the site allowing visitors to customize their own pair of SWEAR shoes. Will this option be extended to other brands? It’s an exciting new tool that needed a big technical development. SWEAR was José’s other project before he came up with the Farfetch idea, so it’s nice to see the two companies working together. Maybe more partnerships could be formed with brands that want this service.

How are the brands chosen? We have different criteria we consider when looking to partner with a brand. Ultimately we want to optimize customer experience by having a stronger and more complete range from the brands featured on Farfetch. Some brands that should be performing better or which we feel match our DNA are simply not stocked at all by our boutique partners. By working directly with those brands we will be able to have an overall better representation and ultimately a better chance to sell the products. We are also mainly focusing on brands that have a bricks-and-mortar store, as this multichannel approach has always been at the heart of what we do.

Farfetch seems like a great place to work… It’s been an incredible journey. In the early days we were only 12 people in the London office; by the end of 2015 we will be over 1,000 across the offices! There are growing pains that come with such growth, but there is a core group of people that has been there since the beginning and we are working hard on trying to maintain the company’s culture.

How can this evolve in the short to medium term? Some very exciting and relevant brands don’t have their own stores, so in some cases we may evolve in the future to also work with them. The other opportunity will be to partner with certain brands that already have a strong presence on the site, but lack depth of stock. At the end of the day we want customers who shop on Farfetch to find what they are looking for with us and not be disappointed because we are sold out or don’t have their size.

www.farfetch.com

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Farfetch has expanded quickly globally. You now have an office in Brazil and a few more are planned in Asia this year. Will this help give new local designers more international exposure? We opened the Brazilian and US offices very early on, over six years ago. This year we further expanded and opened the Japanese and Hong Kong offices. They will allow us to get supply from Asia and Australia by working with both stores and brands there. The plan is definitely to look at some local designers and we have already partnered with quite a few Australian and Japanese brands. This will help us reach out to more local customers and absolutely give those brands global exposure.

PARIS: CITY OF BROMANCE

Interview SB

Photography Romain Bernardie James

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Paris: City of romance

Guillaume Berg has lived in Paris for a decade. “No one really knows what I do,” he says, “and to be honest I don’t know myself.” Some of what he does includes: DJing on weekends, and co-running Bromance, a record label that recently celebrated its fourth birthday, as well as BMC, a clothing brand. He also works with some friends of his who are Swiss and have a brand, Armes. Welcome to Guillaume’s Paris guide.

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What neighborhood do you live in and why? I live in the 11th arrondissement because my friend found a room for me, and I like my friend; he’s like my brother. I like it there a lot.

Where would you go for an hour’s quick shopping? I really hate shopping, so I can’t answer this question. Shopping is my personal nightmare.

What makes Paris special? The food, the wine, the music and the vibe.

Where do your visiting friends always want to visit? colette, obviously. colette, 213 Rue Saint Honoré, 75001 Paris

Where do you grab breakfast in your hood? To be honest, I’m not a morning person.

Where do you do your crate digging? The Internet.

What about a swanky lunch? Not sure about the swanky part, but in the 10th arrondissement around my office, you could go to I Cugini for Italian food, Nanashi if you’re vegan, Resto 27 for a good couscous or tagine, as well as Richer or Bistrot Vivant. I Cugini, 33 Rue de Paradis, 75010 Paris Nanashi, 31 Rue de Paradis, 75010 Paris Resto 27, 27 Rue d’Hauteville, 75010 Paris Richer, 2 Rue Richer, 75009 Paris Bistrot Vivant, 43 Rue des Petites Écuries, 75010 Paris

What about book and magazine shopping? I usually go to The Broken Arm. Or I ask my friend who works in a bookstore to buy me books. The Broken Arm, 12 Rue Perrée, 75003 Paris Any recommendation on a small gallery to spot future talent? I just walk around Le Marais and try to surprise myself. Try Rue Notre Dame de Nazareth, as well.

A quiet place to chill out? It’s not chill all the times because it can get crazy in a minute, but Le Cabinet des Curiosités. Once again, crazy cocktails there. Or the bar at Hôtel Providence, my friends Jean and Pierre’s new place. Le Cabinet des Curiosités, 74 Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, 75011 Paris Hôtel Providence, 90 Rue René Boulanger, 75010 Paris

Best place for drinks after work? I go to the Buffet de la Gare or Le Floréal for drinks after work. They have amazing cocktails, even if I don’t drink cocktails that often. Le Buffet de la Gare, 70 Boulevard de Strasbourg, 75010 Paris Le Floréal, 73 Rue du Faubourg du Temple, 75010 Paris Best place for beers with the lads? A pub by our place called The Green Goose: good beers, good vibes, good lads. The Green Goose, 19 Rue des Boulets, 75011 Paris

Crazy clubbing until morning? Le Pompom for rap parties; Les Bains for a house-y disco vibe and the pool; Le Showcase for electronic music; Concrete for the techno warriors. Le Pompom, 39 Rue des Petites Écuries, 75010 Paris Les Bains, 7 Rue du Bourg l’Abbé, 75003 Paris Le Showcase, Port des Champs-Elysées, Pont Alexandre III, 75008 Paris Concrete, 69 Port de la Rapée, 75012 Paris

What about a fancy dinner with clients? Le Chateaubriand. Definitely. I don’t know if it’s that fancy, but the food is insane. Le Chateaubriand, 129 Avenue Parmentier, 75011 Paris Midnight munchies? 4am burger? La Poule au Pot! I love the staff; I go there a lot as I live mostly at night, and I don’t eat burgers. I love French food – a good bœuf bourguignon over a burger, anytime. La Poule au Pot, 9 Rue Vauvilliers, 75001 Paris

Best neighborhood for bar-hopping until dawn? The 10th and 11th, if you know the good spots you can end up with the sun already out. I’m pretty sure you can do the same around Pigalle, but that’s definitely not my hood.

Sunday brunch? As I’m touring at weekends, my Sunday brunch is sadly usually airport or train-station sandwiches.

Any other place you’d like to recommend? Riding the quais along Seine from side to side at night. That is my favorite thing to do.

www.bromancerecords.com

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What about your favorite mainstream museum? La Maison Européenne de la photographie, I guess. La Maison Européenne de la Photographie, 5/7 Rue de Fourcy, 75004 Paris

Where do you grab a quick sandwich? I go to Boulangerie Mekerbeche close to my office for a chickensalad-mayo sandwich and an ice tea. Boulangerie Mekerbeche, 4 Place Franz Liszt, 75010 Paris

AN’S THE MAN

Interview SB

Photography Courtesy of An Nguyen Xuan

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An’s the man and BK’s OK French-Vietnamese chef An Nguyen Xuan has been living in New York for the past 13 years. After spending eight of them working in banking he wanted to do something more creative and, after regularly cooking for friends and family, he decided to open a pop-up restaurant. He now runs Bêp, a Vietnamese restaurant in Williamsburg, and drives his food truck over to Manhattan during every MAN to keep us fed and watered.

What the idea behind Bêp and what makes it different from other eateries out there? Bêp shares a space with Simple Café: They serve breakfast and lunch all week, as well as a killer brunch on weekends, and we’re open every night from Monday to Friday. So it’s two restaurants in one space. We also just opened a small shop in the space where we sell flowers, ceramics and chocolate bars from our Vietnamese friends at Marou Chocolats. At Bêp we serve traditional Vietnamese cuisine; we want to share the Vietnam experience in a very casual setting. We could serve you a bowl of phở (Vietnamese noodle soup), bò bún (bowl of cold vermicelli) or bánh mì (Vietnamese sandwiches), but we could also give you a taste of Vietnam’s terroirs with our Vietnamese coffee or Marou Chocolats.

So, An, where do you live in and why? I live in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It used to be really industrial, but over the past decade it’s gone through a huge development and is now gentrified. But it has great stores, restaurants and coffee shops – a lot of coffee shops. I love the neighborhood because it is like a village in NYC. It’s just one stop to Manhattan, but the pace is quite mellow. It’s so different from Midtown and the Financial District where I used to work. I love to walk by the river and look at the view on Manhattan. It’s a total cliché, but you can’t beat the view of Manhattan from Williamsburg.

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Where do you go for a fancy lunch? It could be fancy, but it is always better when it is a good deal! So here are some places to go for lunch à petit prix. In Williamsburg, there’s Peter Luger Steak House (178 Broadway) for amazing steaks and a $9 burger. Aurora (70 Grand Street) is a great place for a nice al fresco lunch in the garden, and it has a $17 menu. If you’re in Manhattan, try Soba-ya in the East Village (229 East Ninth Street) for its fantastic soba and a $21 lunch box. For a classic French lunch, try Le Relais de Venise – L’Entrecôte (590 Lexington Avenue) in Midtown: steak frites and salad for $28.75. Where do you grab a quick sandwich? I go to Saltie (378 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn) or head over to Chinatown in Manhattan for a pork pancake at Spicy Village (68B Forsyth Street). Best pastry shop? I rarely eat pastries in NYC because I was spoiled by growing up in Paris, but I sometimes go to Maison Kayser (eight locations in Manhattan). Best food shopping? Fairway. I love it, especially the one in Red Hook. Best place for drinks after work? For a glass of wine, try Four Horsemen (295 Grand Street), James Murphy’s new gig, three blocks from Bêp. For cocktails, there’s Maison Première (298 Bedford Avenue), two blocks from Bêp.

How did you pick the neighborhood? Williamsburg picked me! Simple Café was closed on Mondays and it is three blocks away from my home. I saw it was closed and asked the owner, Sammy, who’s now my business partner, if she was cool with me doing a pop-up there, and she said yes.

Where would you take somebody for a cozy dinner? Semilla (160 Havemeyer Street), definitely. A vegetableforward gastronomic restaurant run by Pam and José, who are doing a great job. One of the cheapest Michelin-starred restaurants around! Then there’s 1 or 8 (66 South Second Street), an amazing Japanese-French omakase from chef Kaizuo and a great wine selection by owner Shinji.

What’s your specialty? Every day I make different specials. People really love my Bêp Vietnamese-style chicken wings. Someone even called me Lord of the Wings!

Sunday brunch? Sunday brunch in Manhattan and Brooklyn is so hectic and the wait is always two hours, so we go for Chinese dim-sum brunch at Dim Sum Go Go (5 East Broadway, Manhattan) or Golden Unicorn (18 East Broadway, Manhattan). Or we sneak in at Simple Café for a traditional brunch.

What is your motto? Make sure my wife is happy, my staff are happy, and they will get my back! Where do you grab breakfast in your ’hood? For a quick breakfast, try Northerly at 181 Havemeyer Street. A very good breakfast burrito and very good coffee. Ask manager Julien to make you a caffè con panna or a matcha latte. For a longer breakfast I like to go to Egg at 109 North Third Street: great French toast and any style of eggs, obviously. It’s better to go in the week, because weekends are too busy.

Best neighborhood for bar-hopping until really late? Chinatown and Lower East Side in Manhattan, and Williamsburg. Midnight munchies? 4am burger? I love going to 1 or 8 on Friday or Saturday for its late-night, after-midnight menu at the bar.

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When did you open? I opened Bêp in 2009 as a pop-up. We were open once a week, every Monday for six months. Then step by step, we opened more days to become what it is today! Vietnamese cuisine was hard to find in Brooklyn back then and people in Williamsburg were hungry for something new. So the opportunity was there and I took it.

IT’S GONNA BE

Interview SB

Photography Kenneth Edwards

It’s gonna be

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Kazusa Jibiki arrived in the US in the early 1990s to learn English. She then studied business at New York University, helped out in local restaurants, and worked for a company scouting new designers for the Japanese market. (Her first “find” was an extremely young Marc Jacobs.) At the turn of the millennium, she decided to open a restaurant, using the earnings from designing best-selling hair accessories. The result was instant-place-to-go Lovely Day, a Japanese-Thai-American restaurant, that opened on Elizabeth Street in the heart of Little Italy in 2003. Kazusa will be creating a mini Lovely Day at the next MAN and WOMAN New York shows, so we sat down to discuss making menus, Marc on Mercer and memories.

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Could you tell us a bit about yourself and what you do? I’m from Japan. As I was growing up my mother and stepfather designed and opened lots of restaurants and bars. I remember being surrounded by books of carpet, tile and wallpaper samples. We went to so many restaurants to try them out. I was often picked up from school and taken to the construction site. Then I waited for them to finish work and we went home late. I feel at home in good restaurants. And I always thought that one day I’d have my own where people would gather to eat good meals together.

What’s the concept behind the restaurant’s design? We discovered the beautiful old tile floor under the tar paper that had been layered on top of it for years. We found a great set of diner booths and stools at a flea market. The old bar was found in Harlem. Then George said, how about wallpaper? My affection for wallpaper came back, and I went through all the old wallpaper I could find, until I found a roll of flowered kitchen wallpaper that was so old that it was almost falling apart. I asked another artist friend to recreate the wallpaper by stenciling. I wanted the place to have the feeling of having been there for a long time without making it seem forced. My hope was to make everyone feel like they were having a lovely day whenever they came in.

What makes Lovely Day different? My intention was to create a kitchen where people could gather and exchange their stories, like a family. Kind of like someone’s home kitchen. I spent a lot of time in Little Italy 14 years ago because lots of my friends lived there. But there were only a few places to eat, so I wanted to create a place where everyone in the area could come everyday and which wouldn’t break their wallet. How would you define the cuisine you serve? The food at Lovely Day isn’t really one particular type of cuisine. The menu was created by two chefs: one Japanese, the other Thai. It has some classic Thai dishes, alongside casual Japanese dishes. I also wanted to serve food for people who don’t eat Asian food everyday, so I added other dishes, which explains why it’s a mixture of Thai, Japanese, English and American.

What is your motto? At this point in my life, I want peace and harmony with everyone and to be a good boss. Fourteen years ago I was in a different place.

Why did you pick Little Italy for the restaurant? Some of my friends were living and working in the neighborhood, so I started going there. I got to know lots of interesting people there. Back then it was like a small village, with benches on the streets, where everyone knew each other, even the mailman. People were freer back then: old-timers put chairs out, kids played in a paddling pool in front of their stoop, someone might barbecue on the street, and just have fun. The neighborhood was like a mix of Martin Scorsese’s old New York and artists.

What will you do next? I have been wanting to do an old-school Japanese home-cooking place focusing on rice and good New York ingredients. It might happen sooner rather than later. Any tips for places to go in your neighborhood? I go to Cocoron Soba (61 Delancey Street) for lunch once a week; it’s a perfect to place to sit at a counter and have a bowl of soba. We are trying to save Elizabeth Street Garden (Elizabeth Street, between Prince & Spring Streets) from being developed. I go there to have a meeting or lunch with friends when it’s nice out. I sometimes volunteer to take care of the garden, because it’s an oasis and a garden for the neighborhood. One great thing about being so close to Chinatown is having access to massage and acupuncture places. I go to Fishion Herb Center (107 Mott Street) and Kamwo Meridian Herbs (211 Grand Street).

Why call it Lovely Day? My friend George was helping me open the restaurant. He’s an English artist and would say “lovely” quite often. I always thought it was very sweet, even if it didn’t always mean much. One day he played Bill Wither’s song “Lovely Day” for me, and I knew immediately what the restaurant’s name would be. At his studio I saw some drawings he’d done in Central Park and it all made sense to me. I asked him to make a drawing of children playing in the park. I wanted to create a lovely day for myself and everyone else in the neighborhood.

www.lovelydaynyc.com

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From your perspective, how has the fashion market changed since you started working? I think designers had a bigger impact on people’s lifestyles at the time. There were also those great stores with cool salespeople you knew who worked for those designers. You met people at those stores, as well. You might have gone to Patricia Field on Ninth Street to meet your friends and then go to a club. You went to Marc’s store on Mercer for a small party for Tim Burton’s book of drawings. Now more people shop online, try on the clothes at home and return them if they don’t like them. It saves time, but we are losing the human experience.

BERT THE INDOMITABLE

Photography Courtesy of Bertrand Le Pluard

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

Text & interview Laura Camille Saglio

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Bertrand Le Pluard otherwise known as B.L.P. or Bert, when his work involves himself as protagonist is definitely more than one person. Artist, photographer and performer, wearing his legendary smiley trucker hat, hair long or short, with or without a hermitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beard, his almost cartoonish yet elegant slender figure has been bringing pleasure to Paris for more than 15 years. For MAN he has handpicked a selection of images that embody this showâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mood. Something about beauty, paternity, geometry. Wild and free.

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

BERT THE INDOMITABLE

I was having my soup in Così, minding my own business, when this tall guy with a huge dog came in and sat at my table. Bert and Gaston, his Bernese mountain dog and his best ally when it comes to generating sympathy or dislike in people. Let’s call Gaston the Bertometer. This time, while our conversation went from life on the edge to airports, like it so often does, we garnered a fair amount of smiles, like we often do.

Bert’s parents are an improbable match. “They weren’t supposed to be able to conceive a child you know,” he explains. It’s true: Bert is a miracle. But he wasn’t raised as one. “Well, I was spoiled alright,” he continues, “but not treated like the messiah.” His parents have split and gotten back together several times. Bert attributes that to his mom’s infinite patience: “I believe women are superior to men. They are stronger both physically and psychologically”. Which might or might not explain why Bert married an opera singer and philosophy teacher when he was 18.

Bert recently had a bike accident, which left him a little broken, but led to an epiphany. After working in an agency for the past couple of years, he suddenly realized that he no longer wanted to be in an office and started questioning his lifestyle and his status as an artist. “I’ve realized that I don’t need a lot of money,” he tells me. “People only make money to buy stuff. I’ve spent quite a lot on clothes myself, but in the end I don’t care. The interesting thing is the message that comes through. People look at you differently if you’re dressed well.”

Little Bertrand was different to other children, of course, but rather than going to art school, he went on to study economics. “Then I thought I wanted to go to” – exclusive French university – “Sciences Po, but I left for Spain and did drugs instead,” he explains. Partying and nightlife stood in the way of Bert’s studies: “I painted, acted and started photographing my nights, just so I could remember them the next day”. Bert took pictures, but wasn’t a photographer. Yet. Then one day someone told him, “You’re not a painter, you’re a photographer”. So, “I made the decision to become an artist. If I didn’t do it, I’d die. I’m a lazy guy, but I can’t help making stuff”.

There’s something about Bert, a “je ne sais quoi” First of all, Bert is ageless. Because his father worked in aviation and his mom was an ex-stewardess, he grew up within the kerosene-filled atmosphere of airports. “When my parents talk about Le Bourget,” he says, talking about Paris’s old main airport, “the place where they first met, they speak of a time that no longer exists. Aviation doesn’t make sense anymore. You had to be resourceful to be a stewardess then. My mom moved on to become ‘in charge of celebrities’; she was there when Nureyev landed in Paris after he defected!”

What interested Bert about the night was less the people than the atmosphere, the humidity, the smell, the details. This was right before digital, late 1990s, early 2000s. At the time he had a muse. She weighed 106 kilos – 230 pounds – and was nicknamed La 106, after a model of Peugeot car. No images exist of her; they disappeared in an iMac crash. “To begin with La 106 was my drama group’s groupie,” he remembers. “We were 16 so we used to send her buy us cigarettes.”

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Some of the photos of animals and objects in the photos – such as the rat and the thumb – are part of riddles that only he and his father can understand: “My father was an extremely sensitive and artistic child, but his mom took him out of school to pay for his brother’s studies, creating a huge frustration that remains to this day”. Maybe that explains why his dad is always so enthusiastic and fascinated with Bert’s work: “My mother on the other hand doesn’t get it – she doesn’t like photography”.

The man behind the MAN

Bert is a complex man

“The guy with the bird is my father.” Although it’s not the portfolio’s only theme, Bert wanted to talk about father figures and his relationship with his dad: “I found it interesting to try and illustrate the masculine identity through my personal photo work”. Very interesting indeed.

Snappy and uncompromising at times, he can also be benevolent and full of good advice. He feels he can come across as arrogant. (I for one believe arrogance to be a beautiful flaw.) He also believes that, “If people knew how I really am, they wouldn’t want to be with me. Dark, cynical, tortured. I love and seek solitude; it’s not a problem to me.” OK, Batman, but we still love you.

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

“Then I started taking pictures of her. She felt ugly and I made her feel beautiful. Her mom used to be an accordion virtuoso who had abandoned her career to become a housewife.” Bert had an exhibition featuring her and a party at Les Bains Douches, but I don’t think he wants me to mention this. After that he lost La 106 as a friend because of a photo-shoot debacle in Ibiza and a guy in his drama group who turned out to be in a satanic cult. He accused Bert of being the devil, but I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want me writing that either.

So Bert went through 15 years of his unpublished – and probably even unseen – archives: “I put together a selection of more than 30 images, all of them very close to my heart, revealing a precise moment in my life. It seemed to make way more sense to me – and to MAN and the people behind it – than a pretty fashion shoot.”

“It feels weird to grow older and lose the ‘cute Bert’ avatar I’ve been using socially for 15 years,” he says. “It needs to evolve because I can’t go without a character. Sometimes I create one at home and start photographing it.” Bert is a master of self-portraiture, of submitting himself to a story. That’s how he got to model for the likes of Yohji Yamamoto and numerous fashion magazines including Dazed. Being extremely handsome also helps, of course.

When Bert was 15 he took pictures of his dad dressed as a woman: “It’s crazy that he accepted to play along. I still can’t believe it. Since then he’s always supported and helped me in my work, serving as subject, as a model. He’s very photogenic”. This is what saved their relationship, making images together and bonding over it: “I’ve tried to build on this thing that brought us together. It’s precious because I come from a complicated family”.

“Today I meet people who fantasize about a time I knew,” he reflects. “Meanwhile I see myself growing old. But by the sea, surrounded with young boys, wearing only a sun tan, long hair and a bandana.”

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PRETTY IS AS PRETTY DOES

Text Laura Camille Saglio

Photographer - Stella Berkofsky Stylism - Hayley Jean Production - Giovanni Duca

MAN/WOMAN AW16 ISSUE

PRETTY IS AS PRETTY DOES

Raised in London but living in Los Angeles for the past 10 years, Stella Berkofsky is from a family of photographers, stylists and designers. After her father showed her the basics of photography, she quickly began taking pictures as a hobby and is now entirely self-taught.

But the multitalented Stella does not stop there. For example, she also regularly consults for brands (some show at WOMAN), as well as “everything from design consulting to art direction to creative on shoots”. When confronted with the fact the object of her photography is almost only women, she says, “I started photographing my friends, and that organically switched to shooting for women’s brands. I love shooting women and capturing their quiet moments without being too made-up or posed. But I also love shooting interiors, still lifes – and men!”

Later Stella worked with other photographers and did a lot of casting: “I was very lucky as most of my mentors were kind enough to pass some work on to me. Then my work quickly spread and I began building my own client list, mostly shooting for clothing designers in Los Angeles, and some magazines.”

www.stellaberkofsky.com

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Stella Berkofskyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s photos are soft and clear like a ray of sunlight coming through a window and warming the bed sheets. And lying on that bed is someone looking good. Because Stella knows pretty.

This new issue of the MAN/WOMAN magazine was carefully crafted in our office by the MAN/WOMAN team. We hope you will enjoy it as we try to propose you a usefull professional tool with interwiews of selected people from our industry.

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MAN-WOMAN.CO @MANWOMANSHOWS