Earlier this year, the Fondation Louis Vuitton (FLV) – an art museum and cultural centre sponsored by LVMH and its subsidies – in celebration of its fourth anniversary launched an architecture photographer contest inspired by the Parisian building’s exceptional construction and design. The museum, which was inspired by abstract structures of glass was designed by renowned Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry.
The competition, titled #MyFLV, launched on May 3rd and welcomed photographers of all calibre, both amateur and professional who were required to post original photographs of the buildings to their Instagram accounts accompanied by the respective hashtag and Fondation account tag.
After concluding on June 5th, the FLV gathers several representatives from its board along with French photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand who formed a jury to select the top 7 photographs. Their picks were announced earlier this week which included a mix of photographers from several corners of the world. Namely Pierre Châtel-Innocenti, Mathieu Collart, Roseline Diemer, Yi-Hsien Lee, Boshiang Lin, Jean-Guy Perlès & Jérémy Thomas.
The winners will have their photos used in an upcoming digital and print poster campaign, a boost of publicity via the foundation’s social account, a Collector’s Pass for FLV valid for one year, along with a chèque of 2,000 euros.
Dedicated to plants in contemporary art, the latest of the Strange Plants series celebrates the diverse range of flowers, succulents and foliage and examines their power within the creative space. From large-scale paintings to granular photographs, the book captures the nuances and weirdness of the natural world.
Divided into themes, the 164 page book encompasses the work of 50 artists, across a range of media. Each section examines a different aspect of how plants inspire or function in contemporary art. Featured artists include Caitlin Keogh, Chloe Wise, Robin F. Williams, Louise Bonnet, Marius Bercea and the photography duo Synchrodogs.
This most recent release in the award-winning series also features a special section dedicated to the late photographer Ren Hang. Hang’s images of his friends floating in lily-pad filled ponds were a highlight of the previous book. “Regrowth”– section of Strange Plants III – is “a modest attempt to pay tribute to his life and art.”
Published by independent publisher zioxla, Strange Plants III is an ongoing tribute to, and meditation on, the harmony, inspiration and provocation that plant life offers artists in the modern world.
This season Saint Laurent’s creative director Anthony Vaccarello taps supermodel Kate Moss for the leading role of Part 1 of their Winter 2018 campaign. The campaign, shot by husband and wife duo Inez and VInoodh, features Moss on the shores of a beach, as she gives us a lesson in the modern art of seduction with sleek hair and plunging necklines. Vaccarello previously opted for the supermodel to face the YSL brand back in 2017 when he was freshly appointed as creative director so might we say that this campaign is well-deserved and definitely worth its wait.
Damien Hirst’s most recent exhibition True Colours at his private museum, Newport Street Gallery, shines a light on three female artists Boo Saville, Sadie Laska and Helen Beard as it examines each of their unique explorations into the possibility of colour, form and subject. Twin Factory had the opportunity to speak with Helen Beard on her inclusion in the show.
Hirst initially commissioned Beard to make a selection of large works last summer, she explains; “It wasn’t until he asked me to make some more works recently that I realised he wanted to show them at Newport Street Gallery.” Hirst’s generous offering of his Peckham and Gloucester studio’s allowed Beard to make her largest pieces to date;
“I have really enjoyed working at a bigger scale, it adds something to the work, gives it a power. I do really like working at a smaller scale too though. ‘’Each, Peach, Pear, Plum’ (2017)’ is one of the smallest works in the show but it is one of my favourites. I will need a bigger studio if I continue to make big works though, I am running out of space!”
Helen Beard ‘Blue Valentine’, 2016 | courtesy of Newport Street Gallery
Situated partly between representation and abstraction, Beard makes it clear she doesn’t like to chose between either when it comes to discussing her work; “I like both. I started with abstraction because it was less direct, less revealing.” Centred around themes that examine gender, sexual psychology and eroticism. Her vivid rainbow palette of primary colours have in fact been taken from explicit found imagery. The bright, bold colours of Beard’s works lure you in, like a moth to a flame, until it becomes apparent, rather abruptly, that the abstract patterns are in fact cropped and edited pornographic images. As well as the internet, Beard often uses magazines and photographs as part of her process when sourcing material for her practice;
“I draw and work out the composition in small studies and then I also work out the colours at small scale, it saves the paint becoming too thick and the colour losing its vibrancy, but I am not always true to the study if I mix a better colour with the oils I am happy to change them and I often change the drawing with the paint too.”
Beard chooses to work with sexual imagery as a way of subverting the male gaze, somethingshe has focused on since becoming an artist and studying Graphics at Bournemouth and Poole college of design (1990-1992);
I have always painted sex, it has always fascinated me how closed people are when it comes to talking about it. I think it is important for women to express themselves. Sex is such a fundamental in our psyche after all, and art always comes back to those big ideas like sex and death.
As we see in True Colours, Beard’s practice is multidisciplinary, as she works across a selection of mediums that include painting, collage and tapestry. She explains that this is a conscious choice; “It is so exciting to work with various materials all the time, I collect a lot of stuff in my studio, like most artists do and then wait for an idea of how to use it.”
Installation View, ‘True Colours’, Helen Beard | courtesy of Newport Street Gallery
Her use of needlework is striking and unique, as seen in the mid-sized tapestry ‘Can we Conceive of Humanity if it did not Know the Flowers?’ (2014) with its pretty pink stitches that brilliantly contrast with the subversive subject matter. Beard explains that she began to use needlework because of her grandmothers lessons in the technique rather than for its strong associations with the feminine and domesticity;
I don’t think it was a conscious thing to use needlepoint because of it being a female pastime, but I was very conscious that I didn’t want to make the traditional images associated with embroidery or needlepoint, the chocolate box, kittens in a basket, type stuff. So I just used the imagery I was painting.
Since it’s opening, True Colour’s has been praised for its strong aesthetic and positive representation of female painters, with impressive reviews that includes fours stars from Time Out. As an artist who openly wants to celebrate sex from her point of view and strongly advocates that there is no shame in doing so, Beard is pleased with the positive reaction shown by the general public; “its been so well received and so well covered in the press, I am actually quite surprised by how much people love it.”
True Colour’s is on show at Newport Street Gallery until Sunday September 9th
Earlier this year, after a few weeks of teasing at the claim of having a “new job,” French designer Simone Porte Jacquemus announced the forthcoming launch of a menswear line. Three months later, the artisan revealed the details of his first menswear collection via instagram with a campaign/editorial shot with a robust model — French union international rugby player Yoann Maestri. The title – “ Les Gadje”— which translates to a name given by men who are not of their world — and the location was set for a popular beach in Marsielle, France — a delightful variation to the buzz of Paris which his audience had gotten used to.
Simone Jacquemus is the designer who has been rumoured to be one of the brightest stars amongst the alliance of new French designers. He has been giving facelifts to the imagery of female fashion and sexuality with the flair and personality of his last few collections. Le Souk, La Bomba, L’Amour D’un Gitan – all previous shows which embodied the liberated, unconstrained spirits of wanderers that were manifested in the forms of a rejuvenated version of the modern day woman. The aura of the brand itself has been described by many as fashion’s breath of fresh air. So when Simone declared the launch of menswear, the assumption by many was that the Jacquemus man would be a parallel personification of the liberal bohemian-like spirit used to inspire its female counterpart.
Only a few days before the launch of his show the designer revealed that the inspiration for menswear in an interview with American Vogue. It was based on the connection that he had built between himself and his now estranged/ex boyfriend Fashion Director Gordon Von Steiner.
“It was more a feeling.. I was obsessed with the way he was dressing. I think Gordon has a particular taste….really simple but particular.”
The day of the show, the designer set the tone. Preview shots of the location on his Instagram, — the shores of the Calanque de Sormiou — a popular beach off the coast of Marsielle, lined with rows of beach towels as the seating arrangement. A few minutes later entered the beautiful bevy of “healthy men,” as he mentioned in his earlier interview with AV. They were not too skinny, not too muscular, just perfect. They were all of diverse complexions.
At first glance, the bright colours and well-casted handsome faces might have fooled one into believing it was a collection worth it’s ballyhoo, but after only a second glimpse, it was evident that these were pieces one could easily acquire at a thrift shop or even at a local Zara franchise. In fact in his interview with AV, he gives insight that the prices for this collection would be lowered, “We wont sell an 800 euros shirts, but one at 270 euros we will.”
For Jacquemus womens’ we were given oversized straw hats, asymmetrically draped skirts, plunging tops, uniquely proportioned low heels — pieces which defined and distinguished his brand in the brimful pool of french designers.
This first menswear collection lacked the dexterity and creativity we knew the designer possessed as a protégé of Rei Kawakubo.The “Jacquemus man” wore cargo shorts, knitted shirts and ties (from his collaboration with Woolmark), printed shirts and speedos. Just like any other man. Apart from the colour coded styling and the branded neck wallets, there was nothing special about this collection. It felt like a bit of a mockery of what he has proven to be naturally capable of.
This was only the designer’s first menswear collection. What’s clear is that the Jacquemus the designer has demonstrated his potential for development and growth, and he’ll surely turn this to his menswear line too.
Twin contributor, Gucci collaborator and renowned photographer and artist Coco Capitán opens a new solo exhibition at the Daelim Museum in Seoul this summer.
This is the first time the artist will be shown in Asia and the exhibition offers a broad introduction to Coco’s world. The show will encompass 150 works across painting, photography, handwriting, video and installation.
The show’s title ‘Is it Tomorrow Yet?, reflects Coco Capitán’s interest in being attuned to the present, staying in the moment and not focussing on the unknown that tomorrow brings. It’s a theme that marks an evolution from her previous work which includes the now iconic statement she put out with Gucci: ‘What are we going to do with all this future?’
Her scrawling notes and manifestos may be amongst the most Instagrammed parts of her work, but this major exhibition offers a chance for viewers to engage with the full scope of her canon. Interrogative, thoughtful, provocative and existential: just a glimpse of what’s on offer confirms what we already knew. Coco Capitán is one of the most exciting artists of her time.
Twin contributor Jordan Anderson considers the impact of Virgil Abloh’s first collection for Louis Vuitton.
Earlier today, Ghanian-American fashion designer Virgil Abloh presented his first collection as creative director of Louis Vuitton Menswear in the gardens of the Palais Royale for Paris Fashion Week.
Since his appointment in March, the news of a black man at the helm of one of fashion’s most prestigious French houses has of course caused some stir and split opinions between fans and fashion critics. This was not just any black man, but specifically Virgil Abloh.
I, particularly as man of colour, was on the fence about the decision. Only two men of colour had ever held such positions, Ozwald Boateng at Givenchy and Olivier Rousteing at Balmain. On one BLACK hand, I was overflown with joy, and completely elated that another man that looked like me had finally landed such a position. The story of an immigrant, arriving to the US, starting his journey in fashion and being so successful in his efforts to the point where he now sits at the head table of one oldest fashion labels in history is undeniably inspiring. This would be a monumental moment, not just for black people, but for anyone of colour who has ever felt excluded from a conversation in the walls of fashion as a result of skin colour, culture or heritage.
On the other hand, as a detester of the ranks of fashion as a popularity contest, I was torn. Abloh and his label Off-White for me and many represent a millennial-friendly fast-selling branch of fashion which often sacrifice quality and ingenuity for mass sales/trendiness. Prior to this appointment, Virgil to me was but a DJ and a businessman. I assumed his label was a business he would pick up every season to use his influence to create a few stirs among millennials to make some extra bucks. Which in this case would be fine. We’re all hustlers, and you definitely don’t have to go to fashion school to be a designer. However where was I to be left when I found out that one of fashion’s “influencers” was taking over an historic French fashion house. Was this like Kendall Jenner becoming photo editor for Vogue?
I had no idea what to expect. As I tuned in to Louis Vuitton’s live Instagram stream and got a glimpse of the location, goose bumps grew on my skin. I was excited. My heart started racing as I witnessed an army of computed men in white, opening the multi-coloured runway. This was Virgil’s moment: it was his peak, and I was extremely excited for the masterpiece which he seemed to have created. LVMH may have hired him for his savvy business approach but regardless, I saw this as a win for us.
After the emotions faded and the show ended I then went back and had a look at the collection. The hints of his brand Off-White were evident. There was not much innovation but it was better than I expected. This was a luxury version of his own brand and a deconstructed version of the Louis Vuitton we had been used to. It was relatively safe ground: double breasted blazers, two pleated trousers paired with holsters and harnesses. Nothing too new for fashion, but definitely new for the French fashion house.
LVMH were certainly ahead of the curve hiring a designer that brings streetwear to the luxury space. Virgil Abloh might not be an innovator, or to some, not even a designer, but he sure is a hell of a showman.
Joost Vandebrug’s debut documentary racked up huge hype when it premiered at Sheffield Film Festival this year, and rightly so.
The Dutch photographer and Twin contributor has a knack for telling stories. His documentary style of photography has often focussed on the hidden human element of lives across Europe. He spent years taking photographs in Bucharest, exploring, to coin his own words, the generation that time forgot in a post-communist era. He also documented the lives of ‘lost boys’ in Transylvania. His photographs observe without judging, portraits devoid of propaganda or manipulation.
In Bruce Lee & The Outlaw the theme of loss and abandonment is present in a compelling documentary film. A rich narrative about the children of Bucharest centres on the story of Nicu, a homeless street child, who is adopted by the notorious Lord of the Underworld ‘Bruce Lee’ and brought up in the subterranean tunnels of Bucharest. The story was filmed over six years, a testament to Vandebrug’s patience and dedication to telling the most honest story he can.
Having been compared to both Larry Clark and Louis Theroux, there’s no doubt that more compelling documentaries are to come.
Watch a trailer for Bruce Lee and the Outlaw below.
For his SS19 collection, N.21 designer Alessandro Dell’Acqua, opted to turn his head away from the fast-selling streetwear direction of the industry and focus on a more sensual side of the brand.
“I’m over streetwear and sportswear at the moment. I started from a desire for light and warmth, to rediscover the body’s natural physicality.”
Sneakers were thrown in for socks and sandals, t-shirts for button ups. There were also raincoats, the brands signature photo inserted shirts, nylon pouch bags and totes.
The collection had a familiar simplicity accompanied by a whiff of femininity which made you want to ask for more. It was a celebration of the sensual man.Was this the brand’s official proclamation towards a more permanentformal aesthetic? And if so, will he then give up the shorts for tailored trousers next season?
Whatever direction chosen the brand should look to exaggerate their inspiration. At times their signature simplicity might be mistaken for indolence and repetition.
A new exhibition at Red Hook Labs celebrates the work of 25 international emerging photographers. Each creative is currently un-represented though by the end of this show we have no doubt that will have changed: the talent is impressive.
Selected by an extensive panel of renowened jurors these rising stars will also receive mentorship from one the jurors for the next. In a fiercely competive world that kind of support is invaluable when starting out.
The photographers exhibiting are truly global hailing from South Africa, Germany, Canada, Australia, the UK and America. Works range from candid portraits to more stylised imagery, with each photographer bringin a unique eye to the exhibition.
Jubilant, pensive, provocative and soulful all at once these are the lenses of the future, and we’re already excited by what they see.
This exhibition follows on from the recent New African Photography III, an event which marked the launch of dynamic new print publication Nataal. These exhibitions and more have established Red Hook Labs as a must-visit gallery in Brooklyn, offering a diverse, inclusive and forward-facing programme that never fails to spark the imagination.
Daniel Jack Lyons
Luis Alberto Rodriguez
Tyler Mitchell
Chris Smith
Antone Dolezal
Labs New Artists II is on until June 24th, 2018 at Red Hook Labs.
Featured image credit: John Francis Peters, ‘California Winter’ courtesy of Red Hook Labs
For MSGM’s SS19 collection designer Massimo Giorgetti incorporated the spirits of the two most important cities in his life: Rimini and Milan.
“Rimini” the designer commented, “is the city where I grew up, it was about the beach, the club, the tourists and the energy while Milan is where I made my home, started my label and made my career. I would like to play with the two and bring them together.”
Giorgetti envisioned both cities to be on the opposite sides of a volleyball net, inviting guests to a high school basketball gym for the show.
The brand’s streetwear aesthetic merged perfectly with the sporty reference. The collection was packed with acid colours, silk shirts printed like multivitamin one-a-day packaging, volleyball tops, track suits,bombers and oversized tees.
Images of famous Japanese volleyball players were also imposed on the garments along with patterns influenced by the works of American photographer Roger Minick, widely known for his photography series documenting tourists.
Giorgetti’s intentions, though presented as a Spring Summer collection, gave strong hints of resort wear which allows for the flexibility to freely dabble between collections.
The show then concluded similarly to last season’s with a series of multi-patterned printed shirts and matching shorts during the final walk. Although a fairly young Milanese brand, the inspiration that Milan gives the designer has become a recurrent theme. Is it time for something new, or is this stilla part of setting his signature in stone?
Designer Dorian Stefano Tarantini took polluted seas as the inspiration for the M1992 SS19 Menswear collection.
As he noted: “Sea pollution is the beginning of a creative process that draws from the ocean and its post-modern iconography marked by plastic, viscous, black and metallic materials, offshore rigs and oil spills. “
The runway opened with a full black look with the word ‘oil’ printed over a flame. Everything else that followed was an ode to abandoned beaches. Each model’s hair was covered in black liquid, reminiscent of petroleum. Deconstructed tuxedos, shiny gold printed crocodile fabrics and tie-dye tuxes were all part of the designer’s vision.
Hues of red and flashes of denim (produced by the brand’s collaboration with denim production company ISKO) were also added on a separate note which referenced the 90s ready-to-wear influence of Giorgio Armani & Donatella Girombelli.
Details that evoked vines and branches were also added around necklines and trousers were bedazzled by Swarovski crystals. The show closed with an actual functioning diving suit. A different kind of solution should the consequences of marine pollution make themselves further known.
For SS19 Creative Director of Marni Francesco Risso unleashed his imagination into a fantasy of athletics.
Risso welcomed guests to the underground parking lot of Torre Velasca, a residential brutalist tower built in the late ‘50s in Milan’s centre with a seating arrangement of Swiss balls. This was the first introduction to what he referred to as his “Imaginary Olympics.”
“All are admitted to this game: the thin and the chubby, the tall and the short; fatty ultra men and skinny supermen; mini superheroes and maxi anti-heroes; anyone who loves and knows thy body.”Commented the designer, giving insight into his casting which was a mixture of both professional street-casted models of all ages and sizes.
He added that “each team creates its uniform for the game by reassembling all the uniforms of all the sporting events which we have forgotten.” Out came all the team members dressed in pieces that were inspired by an accumulation of vintage sportswear. Each ensemble told an individual story of its wearer/player.High waisted drawstring pants, double T-shirts, windbreakers, tailored sports coats, skater pants, prints blown up from German artist Florian Hetz combined with wrestling robes and sleeping bags made into voluminous bombers and paired with bed slippers. There were references to uniforms pulled from sports such as cricket, football, tennis and swimming.
But Marni’s imaginary olympics was a game of vulnerability, no machos allowed: no mouth guards, no shin guards, no foul play. The silhouettes were soft and clean, creating revised hi-tech versions to sportswear while paying homage to their vintage references.
Ahead of the weekend get excited about music news from Lola Kirke who today announced the launch of her debut full length album, Heart Head West, in August.
The singer also shared a video for her new single for ‘Supposed To’ which she directed herself. The short centres around a woman cutting loose and celebrates the bucking of expectations to an upbeat soundtrack of lusty Americana.
“The song ‘Supposed To’ is really about the intense pressure I feel to be what other people think I should be and what I think I should be,” says Kirke. “How rebellious would you feel if you had spent your life just doing things that you felt that you were supposed to do? That society told you to do?”
A suitcase is one of those adult investments that often alludes us. So many flights are spent shoehorning a tattered carry-on bag into the overhead lockers. But this new collection from FENDI and RIMOWA offers a masterclass in modern, elegant suitcase seduction. It’s time to embrace the luxury of luggage again.
Ahead of the summer season, the collaboration sees its second drop. The new additions in blue and red join the black and yellow model that was introduced in November last year. FENDI brings luxurious leather details to RIMOWA’s classic craftsmanship. The trolley’s also feature the iconic double ‘F’ logo and neoprene black interiors offer a contemporary, energetic feel. Customised options ensure the final unique touches.
Before you begin to think about what to pack, make sure you’ve invested in the only summer essential you’ll need this season.
Fendi x Rimowa
Available online and in selected stores worldwide from 18th June 2018.
A new exhibition at Somerset House in London celebrates the power of print magazines. Through talks and events, as well as the exhibition itself the new show charts the impact of print publications on British culture over the last century.
The expert curation by writer Paul Gorman and Somerset House’s Senior Curator Claire Catterall guides audiences through the evolution of the magazine as a medium for provocation, commentary and satire. Starting with Blast! in 1914 the exhibition takes in the start of the satirical Private Eye in the 1930s, the radical feminist magazines of the 1970s and onto present day, where DIY zines from the likes of Orlandoand Mushpit have harnessed the medium and re-energised print culture.
On Monday 25th June ‘Practitioners and Provocateurs’ brings together a dynamic panel of women including Dr Althea Greenan Special Collections and Archive Curator at Goldsmith’s Women’s Art Library, Shaz Madani Designer and Art Director of Riposte magazine, Sofia Niazi resident Artist at Somerset House Studiosand Editor of OOMK Zine, and Teal Triggs Professor of Graphic Design and Associate Dean of Royal College of Arts School of Communication. The discussion focus on the role each woman has had in regenerating ideas, identities and opportunities for and with their communities and is chaired by Ruth Jamieson, author of Print is Dead Long Live Print.
Print! Tearing it up is on at Somerset House until 22nd August 2018.
This season women were behind the most impactful designs at London Fashion Week Men’s. Such a reputation isn’t new: a fresh generation of women designers have been reshaping the London menswear scene for some seasons. In offering a streetwear, high fashion hybrid that is both romantic and wearable these designers set a precedent for a different kind of maleness. And beyond the clothes, these women have rooted their designs in a sense of community. They offer new menswear tribes that discard archaic notions of masculinity and propose a more complex and engaging modern man. Twin spotlights on the women shaping the London menswear scene.
Bianca Saunders
Bianca Saunders SS19 had everybody talking. This season the designer focussed her attention around the theme ‘Gestures’, exploring poses and body language. Her clothes played with the idea of awkwardness in your own clothes, with in-built creases reflecting the process of wearing in and becoming familiar with your clothes. Using materials such as nylon and cotton the silhouettes were tight and intimate, the tension between the known and the awkward at play here too. This was no doubt a pivotal collection for Saunders but the success was expected too, given the hype the Kingston and Royal College of Art graduate has been garnering since she first showed at Graduate Fashion Week in 2015 . Her exploration of masculine identity, inspired by London and her West-Indian heritage, is necessary and relevant.
Bianca Saunders SS19
Martine Rose
Martine Rose has been revered for her menswear designs since she began in 2007. Her concise vision marries the power of streetwear and logo mania with expert tailoring, the result was to create an aesthetic based on the power of family and clan. There’s not one explicit Martine Rose look but instead a recognisable signature: exaggerated silhouettes, structured tailoring, perfectly off-kilter styling. The everyday twisted just enough to take you by surprise. The sense of community has also been fostered by Rose through the use of off-catwalk shows. These include a market in Tottenham and this season, a catwalk along a street in Camden, complete with overexcited neighbours taking pictures from their front yards. The result: a clear connection between fashion as a medium and fashion as the clothes that people wear in everyday life, without compromising on beauty, romance or vision.
Welsh designer Bethany Williams brings activism and community to the heart of her designs. Collections are based around a zero-waste approach, with sustainable fabrics created in collaboration with partners including Tesco and the San Patrignano drug rehabilitation community in Italy. She also works with TIH modelling agency, a platform which supports young people in London affected by homelessness. In short, her approach is near unparalleled in the London fashion industry – and she’s only just getting started. As Bethany told Twin: “It always starts with the charity or community that I am working with, then it goes to the waste materials that I want to use, then it goes to the fabric and then from the fabric I work out the form: it is initially inspired by the charity I choose to work with from the start.”
Bethany Williams
Grace Wales Bonner
Wales Bonner didn’t show at LFWM this season but her impact on the menswear scene is evident nonetheless. The winner of the 2016 LVMH Prize first made waves with her first collection “Afrique” in 2014 where she was awarded the L’Oréal Professional Talent Award. In this rapid rise to fashion’s heights, Wales Bonner’s vision has always been clear. Her collections draw inspiration both from contemporary life and works by writers such as James Baldwin, Ralph Ellison and Marlon Riggs. Her romantic, 70’s-esque silhouettes are richly rendered with beautiful use of fabric and colour. Her intimate and considered approach has also been reflected in her approach to shows, where historically the designer has opted for smaller, chair-less presentations, shown to perfect soundtracks and accompanied by reading lists to keep editors on their toes.
Having graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2010, Astrid Andersen quickly rose through the fashion ranks. She was a member of Fashion East and was awarded NEWGEN sponsorship, developing her idiosyncratic signature that marries sportswear and luxury. In doing so Andersen set a dynamic precedent for menswear in which boundaries are blurred and style is freely interpreted.
A relatively new addition to the London menswear scene, Paria Farzaneh is a Yorkshire-born, London-based Iranian designer whose collections are inspired by her heritage. Designs offer a combination of Iranian materials and silhouettes threaded through contemporary London style. The result is streetwear printed with traditional patterns, t-shirts and polo shirts printed with ‘Iran’ and adorned with textiles as well as classic suit tailoring. Addressing mis-representation of the Middle East and specifically Iran in the West Farzaneh offers a modern and relevant vision for maleness. A distinct aesthetic which celebrates unique identity and fuses traditional lad culture with delicacy and ornate detail.
Our friends over at It’s Nice That have just launched their SS18 issue, Printed Pages, and it’s a dream summer read.
This issue’s cover star features Cuban-born illustrator Edel Rodriguez who has created some of the most iconic protest imagery against Trump over the last few years. Alongside the Rodriguez interview are graphic design duo Sagmeister & Walsh, the artists Gilbert and George, pioneer of street photography Joel Meyerowitz, the artist Eddie Peake and New Yorker cartoonist Joost Swarte – amongst others.
Importanly this latest It’s Nice That issue also features an interview with four leading women illustrators who discuss their experience of the creative industries. These are Malika Favre, the French illustrator who has created work for Maison Margiela, the New Yorker and Vanity Fair; Ram Han, whose distinct and colourful illustrations have amassed a loyal following; Martina Paukova, the Berlin-based illustrator who contributed to the likes of the Guardian, Sunday Times Magazine and Google; and Miranda Tacchia, the artist and animator whose client list includes Disney, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network.
The moral of Poison Arrow’s hypnotic and addictive debut EP, Pleasure District 007, is don’t mess with a woman’s emotions. The title track ‘If You Don’t Love Me’ continues with the lyrics: I’ll cut your face with a razor blade that I use to shave my legs. Poison Arrow, the alter ego of DJ and producer, Natalia Escobar, talks to Twin about the influence of her native Colombia, women in music and telling stories.
What are feels about how Colombia is presented and how did you want to twist that?
I mean, it’s time that people know Colombia for something else apart of Narcos and Shakira. It is such a beautiful and rich country, naturally and culturally. There are so many talented people doing great projects. I wanted to showcase some of this.
I’ve lived in many different countries and travelled a lot, so my music has a lot of different influences, yet I wanted to do a modern interpretation of Carrilera’s unique cultural heritage musically and visually. For example, I worked with House Of Tupamaras, which is the first Voguing house in Colombia. They are so good and they Vogue to traditional Latin American music. We used Voguing as a tool to tell the story of “La Cuchilla” combined with some folkloric machete dancers and with the Hermanitas themselves – who are the biggest proponents of this genre.
What are your feelings about Colombian concept of female power?
I believe Colombian women have “malicia indigena” which means a positive kind of awareness, intuition and smartness that the indigenous peoples of Colombia possess. This makes us powerful!
The Colombian conflict has affected women in a lot of terrible ways. But the FARC – the oldest armed rebel group – was just disarmed and the country is going through a big transformation. From the guerrilla reintegration into society, to women not seeing themselves as victims but affirming their rights as citizens, things are changing.
The upcoming elections are very important for the future of the peace agreement. It is good to see that almost all the candidates for the vice presidency are very well prepared and strong women. It’s a crucial moment to heal wounds and empower ourselves to rewrite history.
With my narrative in particular, I am trying to put the listener under a spell through personal situations.
I believe music is the most powerful storytelling tool. Whether it’s through the voice or a melody, music is always telling a story. The beauty of it is that we can’t rationalize it but we feel it.
Current inspirations and influences?
Cosey Fanni Tutti’s art and music have always been one of my biggest inspirations. Now that I just finished reading her autobiography, I am more inspired than ever.
Follow @poison.arrow on Instagram and find out more about the record here.
This month sees a new exhibition of Hattie Stewart‘s work open at NOW gallery. The London-based artist and illustrator has garnered hype with her ‘doodle bombing’ technique, bringing a a sense of humour and play to a range of magazine covers such as Vogue, i:D and Playboy.
Alongside these re-imagined covers Stewart’s punchy illustrations are cheeky and playful, using bold colours to offer stand out prints. And she has also created work for clients including MTV, Hunter, House of Holland, Nike, Apple Music, Marc by Marc Jacobs and MAC Cosmetics.
The cultural world is no stranger to Stewart’s maverick approach, which makes the new work on show at this exhibition especially exciting. These new pieces include a large scale, floor-based artwork where visitors can fully escape into Stewart’s world.
This new exhibition at NOW gallery is part of the gallery’s young artist scheme, designed to foster and give a platform to emerging talent with a distinctive aesthetic.
I don’t have time for this by Hattie Stewart is open at NOW Gallery until 25th June 2018.
PREVIOUS
Twitter
Tumblr
YouTube
Facebook
Instagram
