XO MAGAZINE JANUARY 2012

XO

JANUARY 2012 No 11 - THE DESIGNER ISSUE.

HANNAH BETH FINCHAM MESHIT ZEKO EON CLAIRE HUISH THOMAS TAIT

Angelica by Zeko Eon.

XO MAGAZINE

EDITOR IN CHIEF + CREATIVE DIRECTOR Le’Keisha Sims FASHION EDITOR AT LARGE Taj Ragland CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Zeko Eon Lcb Studios Claire Huish Hiro Kimura Saibh Egan Farzam Hosseindoust XO CONTRIBUTORS Thom Popejoy Sophie Roberts Geraldine Sanchez Nancy Liu

Cover: Photography Zeko Eon Stylist Nicole Wiltshire Hair & Makeup Squalie S. Malone Photography Assistant Alejandro Rojas

Amrit Gill

Mpho Machaka ADVERTISING/CONTRIBUTING infoxomag@gmail.com XO MAGAZINE IS PRINTED ON DEMAND BLOG http://xomagazineonline.tumblr.com FACEBOOK: http;//facebook.com/ XOMAGAZINE All XO Magazine contributors contain sole copyright to their work. Feel free to contact us at infoxomag@gmail.com or the contributors themselves about questions you might have etc.

EDITOR’S LETTER

Look from the MALAIKA RAISS SS12 lookbook.

Dear Readers, Wow the first issue of the year! Thanks again for reading with us, and following XO into a new year and new chapter. The designer issue is always one of my favourite issues to create because their really is a abundance of talent out there! We chat with Hannah Beth Fincham about her amazing leather jackets and bags. Then we catch up with Lena and Ida of Meshit on their label, and how age doesn’t matter when you have talent.

It’s the start of a new year and I hope you make 2012 one of the best years yet!

Stay Fearless, Le’Keisha Sims Editor in Chief XO Magazine

NEW SEASON // SS12

THE SEASON OF FORWARD. WORDS Taj Ragland

Everyone can see that fashion is stuck in a gimmicky repetitive, referential rut. We’ve all seen enough Cobain-y Grunge outings, Sailor Babe/Nautical influenced romps and Hedonistic 70’s/ Club 54-inspired collections to last us a literal lifetime. To many designers looking to the past for inspiration and not enough are looking at whats gonna lead us into the future. But just as I’d given up all hope, along came Spring/ Summer 2012. The season of “Forward”.

A slew of designers including Olivier Theyskens at Theory, Nicholas Ghesqiuere at Balenciaga, The Proenza Boys, Marc Jacobs at his namesake brand as well as the house of Louis Vuitton and Ricardo Tisci who always, always slays at Givenchy are valiantly leading fashion into “The Future” with thoughtful, breathtaking collections that can only be described as “Right Now” .The concept is so brilliantly simple that its hard to imagine that no one has tried it before: Innovative, fresh ideas coupled with classic couture construction in the form of ready-to-wear-Couture! You know its a major movement when a Rick Owens collection is practically swimming in Balenciaga era- Cristobal references!.

Trends acted only as little links to give the season a little cohesion. The two biggest trends, the peplum waist and florals slipped in and out of collections taking on a new identity with each new incarnation. Peplums were super smart at Dries Van Noten while being super sultry at Givenchy. Florals became more than just florals, at Mary Katrantzou they were crushed soda cans and fish, smeared embroidery at Hussein Chalayan, while Marc Jacobs chose to collage them in lace and at Christopher Kane they were tween-y appliques.

A few designers were also able to prove that looking back doesn’t always also mean taking a step back. Miuccia Prada and her “50’s Glam Greaser babes” looks just as new as Raf’s “Couture Nurse” at Jil Sander and Joseph Altuzarra’s “90’s Techno Jungle Hacker”. All of this innovative young blood coursing through fashions veins gets me so excited for the upcoming FW12 season!

SPRING 2012.

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK// DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT

THOMAS TAIT WORDS Sophie Roberts

Thomas Tait’s Spring/Summer 2012 collection burst onto the catwalk last year in a monochromatic whirl of shimmering fabrics, clean structures and sharp collars. It’s sleek, classic and utterly wearable. And it’s not just his designs that are impressive.

Canadian-born Thomas Tait completed a womenswear degree at College LaSalle in Montreal before gaining an MA in womenswear at Central Saint Martins in London, all by the time he was 22. He’s already collaborated with ASOS, creating a range of handbags and won the prestigious Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize in 2010.

Considering all of this, it’s no wonder that he is one of the most exciting new designers around at the moment.

Right from his debut S/S 2011 collection, Thomas Tait’s designs have had an elegancy that has echoed through every one of his collections. At his first London Fashion Week show in 2010 it was all midnight blues, flirty open backs and architectural silhouettes. The clothes were sharp and

smart with their high necklines and shoulders, but had a resolutely feminine twist with structures that emphasised the feminine form. His A/W 2011 collection evolved into voluminous coats and boxy t-shirts, featuring some of the round collars that we’ve seen in his Spring/ Summer 2012 collection. Over the last two years his pieces have retained an angular and slightly androgynous quality, and a subtlety that isn’t often seen in the clothes made by new designers.

The latest collection stood out refreshingly in the crowd of florals, pastels and achingly bright colours that make up most of the spring collections.

At his show at London Fashion Week there was a sporty edge to the clothes, accessorised by trainers designed by Nike; often it’s difficult to make trainers look inspiring, but somehow Thomas Tait managed it. The models’ make up were minimal, complimenting the fresh, sporty look, and their hair was simply loosely pulled back. The only other accessories were strange, slightly drooping sunglasses, and the models walked down a catwalk lit up with bright neon lights.

Thomas Tait isn’t a decadent, in-yourface kind of designer; there were no extravagant frills, large buttons or over-the-top headdresses. This collection is detailed and evidently well thought-out, but in a subtle way.

The glistening, sequinned-looking fabric that was illuminated by the bright lights was in fact intricate pleating, and if you looked closely you could see the faint pinks, greens and blues in what first appears to be plain white material. The careful crafting in his work shows that this designer knows exactly what he is doing, and he does it well.

Thomas Tait successfully mixed couture with sportswear. His latest collection included sexy racer back dresses, tight leather jackets in black and white, loose fitting shorts, a glittering boxy t-shirt, a shimmering pink shift dress and carefully structured A-line coats. The clothes had retained the volume and structure of Tait’s previous collections but were a lot more lightweight and suited to spring and summer clothes. It’s clear that a large amount of thought went into every single item.

He’s already been compared to lots of established designers and it’s true that Thomas Tait’s designs do have a minimalistic, Azzedine Alaïa aesthetic to them. However, it’s clear that despite being young, Thomas Tait is constantly refining his own style and undoubtedly will continue to do so.

There’s definitely a lot more to come from this fascinating new designer.

Hannah Beth Fincham.

INTERVIEW // HBF

Everyone’s seen a studded leather jacket, but have you seen a studded motorcycle jacket featuring Disney Princesses? Hannah Beth Fincham makes some and we are definitely digging them!

I chat with Hannah about her line and whats next in 2012.

XO:Your line originally started out as accessories, from what we can tell by your Facebook page how has expanding into clothes been for you?

HBF: My first designs were leather handbags, It's something I've been working really hard on getting right and I'm so excited to have them finished and get them in people’s hands. I started designing and making jewellery as a side line to my bags, really just having fun and seeing what I could come up with, not taking it too seriously.!Then one day randomly I decided to make a studded jacket for myself - I have always loved Tommy Lee Jones’ studded jacket in “Under Siege” and it inspired me to design my own. I loved making it and enjoyed wearing it even more. The reaction was really positive too.! I decided it was time to! put my

jewellery aside and started making the jackets.

XO: Was there a defining moment that made you decide to start your own label?

HBF: I wanted to be a designer!from an early age.!I can't imagine doing anything else so!I've never deviated from that path. I would love to have a clothing range one day, side by side with my handbags and customised clothing.!

XO: Who is the Hannah Beth Fincham girl?

HBF: Anyone that has the desire to stand out and own something original XO: Can you tell us about your upcoming collection?

HBF: I have included denim wear, customising sleeveless jackets and shorts. These aren't your run of the mill shorts with a few studs scattered on the

pocket. My creations are embellished to the max and I love them! My bags will hopefully be launched later this year. If you like statement clutches and handbags of the highest quality, keep a watchful eye out...

evening party dresses or scruffy jeans, they are very versatile.!As for my bags, they range from statement clutches that you notice, to easy to wear handbags that still manage to have an edge without over doing it. I wouldn't put HBF in a genre. It stands for effortless style that makes a statement. I always wear my own jackets and bags.

XO: Is there any place you get a huge sense of inspiration from?

XO:What’s next for 2012?

HBF: London... I love the diversity of fashion that you can see on any street. Brick HBF:To make an impression on the fashion industry, and develop further as a fashion lane's my particular favourite. designer !

If you want to know more about HBF then XO: Do you!listen to music when you are designing, working etc? Who is on you can look at HBF's facebook page www.facebook.com/HBF.Ltd and the your playlist? website will be out this year..

HBF: I have quite an eclectic choice of www.hannahbethfincham.com! music. I don't know where to start! I have ! always been a fan of No Doubt. I love Sia and XX. I love my dance music too Swedish House Mafia and pretty much everything that Annie Mac plays!!

I don’t like silence, I like having my music loud.

XO:Would you say your personal style is very much like your label or not so much?

HBF: Yes I would say it is. My style is very diverse - it goes through different styles Rocky/ Preppy / surfer! !I would never put my style in one category. If I like it I buy it.

It is always difficult for people to know my likes and dislikes! I will never stick with one style -variety is the key.

If I feel that I look boring, I can just throw on a studded jacket and it changes my look completely. You can wear my jackets with

MESHIT.

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Meshit was started in 2010 by two firends Ida & Lena. After studying at the fashion insitute of Vienna, they made the transition from graduates to enrteprenuers thus Meshit was born.

XO chats with the team about their brand, starting young and handling it all.

XO: What inspired you guys to start Meshit?

M: We met during our education at the fashion school of vienna "Hetzendorf" where we realized that we work together really well... !

We wanted to start a label that makes fashionable but also affordable clothes also for a younger audience - so we started "meshit" right after graduation.

XO: Your A/W collection is full of blacks,greys and streamline cuts, was their a specific inspiration for the collection?

M: The AW11/12 collection is inspired by dark, ambient influences: Swedish electronic art meets Norwegian Metal and meshes with Voodoo rituals. To emphasize this mystic theme we decided to keep to shades of grey and black.

XO: You guys are based in Vienna, is there a difference between working in vienna than say another fashion capital?

M: We guess Vienna has its advantages and disadvantages - its not yet a typical fashion capital, which has also positive aspects because its still an ongoing, developing process and we can be part of it, but we think the interest in fashion in general is not that big as in some of the "real" fashion capitals - of course Vienna has a szene, but a small one.But actually we don´t have the direct comparison how it would be to work in another city, because until now we only worked in Vienna and we!plan to keep our base here for longer!because we like it.

XO: Last year you were chosen to be one of the nine designer's for Topshop's emerge project, how was that experience?

M: It was a great opportunity to introduce our label to a bigger audience, and we gained some more attention internationally but also more in Austria.

Moreover it was a big motivation to keep on working hard...

XO: What was the inspiration for your s/s collection? To me it kind of reminds me of US westerns with a 'minimal' twist.

M: For the SS2012 collection we took our inspiration from "Pozuzo", Peru, a tiny remote place in the Andes and allegedly the only Austrian-German colony in the world.

This was the starting point for us, to come up with a collection that is influenced by both - the Peruvian and the Austrian traditional costume mixed with our own style.

XO: Who are some of the designers / labels you guys like to wear?

M: We don´t have a certain favourite - but of course there are a lot of designers and labels we like - for example ACNE, Bless, T by Alexander Wang, Henrik Vibskov, WoodWood, Opening Ceremony and sooo many more... but in reality - we mostly have vintage-clothes mixed with a few new pieces.!

XO: You guys started your career very young, what is your advice to some of our younger readers who want to start up their own labels?

M: Don´t give up too quick even most of the people wont take you serious because of your age...!Be patient - you wont be rich and famous over night!!! ...and not even the night after! haha.!

XO: What do you guys have in store for Meshit in 2012?

M: From end of January on our SS12 collection will be in stores.... and for Autumn/Winter 2012/13 you will see a collection that is inspired by british youth cultures between the 60's an 70’s. Also we will do some side-projects... so watch out!

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WE’RE LISTENING TO....JANUARY 2012 The Big Pink return with their new album Future This. filled with Brit pop gems the album picks up right where A Brief History on Love left off. The first two tracks, ‘Stay Gold’ and ‘Hit the Ground (Superman)’ are some of the albums strongest offerings.Stay Gold starts the album off upbeat, with steady guitars and a killer chorus, while Hit the ground follows up with the signature ‘Big Pink’ sound and is definitely a good choice for the first single, it sets the tone for the rest of the album. Which while being cohesive doesn’t really keep up the momentum that was built up from the first few songs. While some of the song’s melodies resemble the same off the previous effort, we still enjoyed this album.

Into the Wild is definitely one of the standout albums of the year and its just started! The boys have really expanded on their sound, making it “bigger”, which will translate very well in their live performances. Each track stands on its own. From the intro to the closing track ‘Grew Up At Midnight’ , the album takes the listener for a ride. Our standout tracks include Child, Go, Pelican and Grew Up At Midnight.

Lana Del Rey’s debut album Born to Die doesn’t come out until the 30th but we are definitely anticipating it’s release. Her music is like a time machine in which a vintage hollywood starlet mixed in with LA gangsters and participates in espionage of a James Bond level. While no stranger to controversy and criticism, she still has yet to deliver any songs that disappoint. Our favourite songs so far are Born to Die, Off to the Races, Video Games and Thats What Makes Us Girls. Born to Die, the single will be released January 23 and the album will be released a week later on the 30.

January 2012 // Playlist 1.

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Thats What Makes Us Girls - Lana Del Rey Make Me Proud (Feat. Nicki Minaj) - Drake Sunrise, Sunset - We Are trees Pelican - Maccabees Come Back Kid - Sleigh Bells Hit the Ground (Super Man) - The Big Pink You As You Were - Shearwater Golden Sea - French Films I won’t break Your Heart - The Young Friends Mama I’m Gonna Sing - EJ Azari & III - Reckless Montreal - the Weeknd Monster - Meg Myers Heads Vs. Hearts - James Jay Picton Hey Lolita Hey - Lana Del Rey

The Longing.

Photographer Hiro Kimura Styling Ayumi Okada Makeup Hazuki Matushita Hair Taka Tokuyama Lighting Koki Takezawa Model Kim Clouter @ Ford

THE WIND BLOWS, THE SUN SHINES. KEEP LOOKING FORWARD NOT BEHIND. Photographer Claire Huish Model Selma @ M&P Stylist Dinta Jakile Makeup Sinead Lonergan Assistant Louis Eguchi

Twist & Shout.

Photographer Farzam Hosseindoust Hair Jem Lopez using Bumble and bumble Makeup Jem Lopez using Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Stylist Teneika Chantel Model Milda Gecaite

Dress Coco Becky Couture designer Fatima Zain Shoes Steve Madden Earrings Aldo Necklace Aldo Bracelets Armani Exchange Dress Coco Becky Couture Shoes Steve Madden Necklace Forever21 Earrings French Connection Belt H&M Ring Forever21

Inessa Armand.

Photography LCB Studios Model Krista Johnson Makeup Christin Mercer Hair Jessica San Fillipo Styling Benn Pullis

ANGELICA. Photography Zeko Eon Stylist Nicole Wiltshire Hair & Makeup Squalie S. Malone Model Angelica Rivera Photography Assistant Alejandro Rojas

Dress Gracia Clutch Jacques Fath Bangles Urban 1972 Ring Skinny by Jessica Elliot Earrings "Vienna" Guy & Eva

Lingerie Set Seven til Midnight Pants WICCE Earrings AMIClubwear

The JOKER. Photography Saibh Egan Model Tanith Mc Grath Makeup Flora Psarianos

Interested in contributing?

Email us @ infoxomag@gmail.com - XO.

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