J.W.Anderson doesn’t intend on going out of style any time soon. After showing fabulous mens and womenswear AW16 collections in London (the first of which was live streamed on Grindr, a PR triumph) for his eponymous label, alongside an acclaimed Loewe show in Paris, the designer has the world smitten.
Limited Edition books curated by J.W.Anderson will be on sale
Off the catwalk, his flair for innovation is similarly newsworthy. Unlike contemporaries such as Christopher Kane and Erdem, Anderson has spurned the traditional flagship store vibe, opting instead to run creative workshops at an intimate venue in Shoreditch. His most recent collaboration with image-maker Ian David Baker is the latest treat.
In this collection, the youthful, culturally poignant images from Baker’s canon are married with a range of staple items. From 23rd March, attendees will have the chance to browse scarves, T-shirts, hoodies, knitwear, tote bags, and a blanket, all with a variety of raw-edged cotton appliqué Ian David Baker photographs.
T-shirts bearing Ian David Baker prints are for sale
Additional print material by Baker, such as his Candyfloss Boy poster will also be available, as well as a limited edition book of images curated by J.W.Anderson.
J.W.Anderson Workshops, 100 Shoreditch High Street, London, E1 6JQ
You don’t have to be ‘Gregory’s Girl’ or ‘Bend It Like Beckham’ to make timeless sports classics work for you. In fact, there’s no need to reference any men at all. With the Women’s Super League preparing to embark on another astounding season – and players such as Marie Hourihan, Beth Mead, Jemma Rose and Jade Bailey fast becoming ones to watch – a kick about has never looked so good.
In another of our online stories, we bring you the work of photographer Josh Shinner, with the shoot ‘Match Day’. Working with stylist Siobhan Lyons, they spent a hectic Saturday at North London’s Emirates Stadium and produced, what we think you’ll agree, is quite a lovely study in focus, fashion and football.
Shooting outside the ground before the Tottenham vs Arsenal match – billed as the ‘biggest north London derby in a decade’ – certainly had it’s challenges. For example getting caught up in a scrum with smoke bombs and riot police was maybe a tad more than I’d anticipated… – Josh Shinner
White Wool Poloneck Jumper, Lacoste at Tick Tock Vintage
Creme Harrington Jacket, Beyond Retro
Tracksuit Bottoms, Tick Tock Vintage
Argyle Wool V-Neck Jumper, Fred Perry Archive
Tracksuit top worn underneath
Vest, Vintage Nike
Shorts, Vintage Sergio Tachini at Tick Tock Vintage
Socks, Topshop
Champion Hoodie and all Jewellery, Stylist’s Own
Hooded Anorak, Fila
Yellow Polo-Shirt, Fred Perry Archive
Anorak, Vintage Fila at Tick Tock Vintage
Blue Shirt, Vintage Burberry at Tick Tock Vintage
Scarf, Burberry at Rokit
Beanie, Fila
Tracksuit Bottoms, Ron Dorrf
Socks (as before), Topshop
Trainers, Adidas
Polo neck, Rokit
Sweatshirt and Shorts both Vintage Adidas at Tick Tock Vintage
Red Windbreaker Jacket, Vintage Adidas at Tick Tock Vintage
Red Jumper, Vintage Tommy Hilfiger at Blitz Vitage
White Wool Poloneck Jumper, Lacoste at Tick Tock Vintage
Creme Harrington Jacket, Beyond Retro
Tracksuit Bottoms, Tick Tock Vintage
Tracksuit Top, Tick Tock Vintage
Photographer: Josh Shinner
Stylist: Siobhan Lyons
Hair: Bjorn Krischker @ Frank Agency using Bumble and bumble
Makeup: Gina Blondell using Bobbi Brown
Photo assistant: Jack Somerset
Styling assistant: Emi Papanikola
Model: Martha Rose Redding @ Select
There’s a new generation of British designers making a splash on the scene with bright, bold and idiosyncratic designs. Amongst these rising stars is knitwear sensation Katie Jones. Graduating fro Central St Martins in 2013, her instantly recognisable aesthetic combines playfulness with artisan craft; breathing fresh life into a British style which has for years been dominated by homogenous items from high street chains. Each piece is hand-made in the UK too, meaning Jones is also carving a path for mainstream, ethical fashion.
Currently a part of Selfridges’ Bright New Things series, we caught up with designer Katie Jones to discuss knitting Elvis, crocheting for Craig Green and spinning yarns.
Did you always know that you wanted to be a designer?
Not really, I always liked to customise things as a kid and the obsession just grew from there.
Can you recall your first serious design? What were you doing and being influenced by at the time?
The first time I actively designed anything was a hand knitted jumper with Elvis on the back. It was supposed to be sexy young Elvis and I messed up the pattern and it became fat old Elvis, it was for a sixth form Project based on ’50s rock & roll.
Your aesthetic is very distinctive, where did it come from? And what was it about knitwear that you were drawn to?
My Gran used to embellish everything and only wore pink or bright prints I think this really influenced me as a child. All my family knitted but I think I then became really drawn to it as you can control the whole make process. As you make the whole fabric from scratch you choose colour, texture everything – that’s amazing as a designer.
You’ve worked for John Galliano, Mark Fast and Diane Von Furstenburg, what made you want to start your own label?
I never set out to run my own label. It was a small portfolio project in between seasonal crochet showpiece work I was doing for Mark Fast at the time; it just snowballed after that.
How would you describe the industry at the moment, is it a good time to be an emerging designer?
It’s exciting, there’s lots of change at the moment and it’s hard to guess how it will affect young designers with this move to instant selling after shows. But on the plus side with the growth of social media and Instagram you can really reach such a big audience as an emerging designer and control so much of your PR- it’s really cool to be able to make your brand more of an experience.
Katie’s window at Selfridges in London
How long does it take to make each piece, what’s the process?
All our pieces are handmade so they are pretty laborious taking between 10-100 hours to make. For me its all about the craftsmanship and detail. We dye our yarns and also source colours from designer surplus. I like it as it makes designing more of a puzzle and pushes our designs forward. I like to work with what is most available at the time while having control of picking and hand dying our colours.
Do you ever get halfway through a collection and wish you’d opted for something simpler, like cotton dresses?
Making a cotton dress sounds more stressful to me! I’m a knitter and crafting the collections as we do feels second nature to my design process.
What has been your most ambitious design to date?
Designing and making our Selfridges window for me was the most ambitious and fun project we have done. It was really amazing to be able to make a world to invite people into. We built it all in my tiny kitchen so it was quite a task. The donkey lived on my dining table for a month.
When you’re working, are you designing as Katie Jones or for a particular element of your personality?
I like to think when I design that it’s for myself. I think this is really great as you understand your target market. I usually create a character and a story each season and the collection embodies what they would wear but I think they are a form of alter ego of myself.
What’re the challenges of having ethical and sustainable fashion at the core of your brand?
For the brand I feel our challenges have just been the same as any new emerging designer: production and growth. The only difference is we are finding ways to grow the brand in London rather than abroad and picking our resources consciously.
What was the inspiration behind your AW16 Highland Fling collection?
It all sparked from an image of John Lennon donning an Afghan and sporran and I loved the combo. Highland Fling then became a celebration of traditional Scottish textiles like Aran and Argyle knits, Tweeds and the 60s. We wanted the pieces to empower the craft and pay homage to the babe power of the icons of the era!
You collaborated with Kit Neale how did that come about, and how was it working with a menswear designer?
Kit got in contact telling me he was a fan of my jewellery and it would work for his upcoming season and it went from there. He’s super fun to work with! I just got to play with his fabric scraps and he let me go off and come back with my creations. It was a really great project – how can dressing boys up in big dangly earrings not be fun. I love working with menswear designers, it’s such an exciting time in menswear. That season was really fun and a bit of a menswear focus for me as I was also working for Craig Green crocheting pieces.
What’s in store for the rest of 2016?
This year we are launching our online range, which I’m really excited about working with our Golden Girls Nana Knit Squad on!
British artist Hayden Kays is about to hold his first solo exhibition of 2016 – Overdrawn – which will take place at Exposure London and opens on 7th April.
By now, Kays is someone that needs little introduction. Not only are Banksy and Jake Chapman fans, but he counts many high profile collectors – Harry Styles, Jude Law, Douglas Booth – among his clients. He was also asked to take part in Art Wars at the Saatchi Gallery during Frieze London 2015, alongside the likes of David Bailey, Damien Hirst and Yinka Shonibare, MBE.
The work of Hayden Kays frequently offers a superbly wry take on the many failings of society, and highlights every day absurdities that we have all become disturbingly numb to. However, it can also be profoundly touching, and sentimental without falling into the territory of trite, as was shown with 2013’s The Hot 100 collection.
This latest series, Overdrawn, is a deliciously sardonic take on both the political and the popular, and features a range of uncirculated one dollar bills which have been overlaid with vivid inkjet prints – a selection of which can be seen here. And, according to Kays himself: money itself is art, since every note is a drawing and every coin a sculpture. Overdrawn is said to offer Kays’ characteristically “acute observations on our fragile and yet compulsive relationship with consumerism and mass culture”.
Here, we discover a little more from the artist himself.
Firstly, where did the idea for this latest exhibition come from? Was it a gradual process or a sudden thought? If the latter, what spurred it?
I’ve been doing the signed notes for a while now so I’ve had notes around me while I’ve been working. I’m constantly seeking to consume as many images as I can, so have been looking at loads of medical books and obviously using Google. It struck me that new meaning could be given to both images with the simple act of combination.
‘You Can’t Eat Money’ by Hayden Kays
Do you like money? Do you see it as a need or a want?
I don’t dislike money. I dislike not having enough. I need and want it. I simply can’t build the art I construct in my mind with money.
Do you think it can bring happiness?
Ask me again when I’ve got some.
‘Money Makes The War Go Round’ by Hayden Kays
Isn’t it a crime to deface money?
Money is used for far more criminal acts than me using it for my Art.
Do you like shocking people?
I genuinely believe I’ve never made a truly shocking image. Everything vaguely shocking I’ve ever made has also contained love, humour. A dead four-year-old boy face down in the sand being scooped up like dog shit littered accross the internet and frontpages is shocking to me.
Is it easy to shock you?
I’m shocked everyday. The world is thoroughly insane. The collective memory is terrifyingly short.
‘You Can’t Sit With Us’ by Hayden Kays
I know comparisons are annoying, but if you had to be compared to someone, who would you like it to be?
Mr Muscle. I’ve heard he loves the jobs you hate. An admirable attitude to have in life.
Who is exciting you among your peers right now?
Far too many to mention. I think now is a great time, everything is quicker, everything is easier, everything is now. You can do more. I feel obliged to take advantage of this.
‘Building Walls And Burning Bridges’ by Hayden Kays
Is there anyone that you wouldn’t want owning any of your work?
I was talking about just this the other day with my sister. We spoke about the strangeness of spending time making something and then often having no idea where it ends up living. I’ve got alot of wonderful collectors that I admire very much, so it’s inevitable that they’ll be some I’m not so fond of.
‘Oil Wells Don’t End Well’ by Hayden Kays
Your work frequently uses humour to brilliant effect, what makes you laugh?
I have a very broad sense of humour, everything makes me laugh. It diminishing as I age is a great fear of mine.
This is your first solo show for 2016 – how would you sum up the year so far in a sentence?
I’ve spent far too much time thinking about money.
Overdrawn opens at 7pm on 7th April, at Exposure London; 22-23 Little Portland Street, London, W1W 8BU
Main image: ‘Pills And Thrills & Dollar Bills’ by Hayden Kays
Paris Fashion Week is not a low key affair. It always has – and remains to be – where a large handful of historically iconic design houses show their respective wares amidst a flurry of theatrics and architectural grandeur. And one of the most memorable of AW16 was Christian Dior.
The fact that the world still awaits the name of a successor to the now departed Raf Simons was momentarily shelved, as the skill of the exemplary design foundations of the house took centre stage. This is a brand with creative and flair at its core, and although an effective ‘lead singer’ of the big fashion band is still yearned for, Serge Ruffieux and Lucie Meier – who worked in Raf’s former team – have more than proved that it’s not necessary for them to have one in place to be able to produce greatness.
This season followed on from the success of January’s couture collection, and was yet another show with a strong focus on the key ‘looks’ of the late Mr Dior, with “black silhouettes as crisp as the sheets of white paper on which they spring to life: dense, textured, embroidered and quilted.”
It also featured “hand-painted dévoré velvets, re-coloured jacquards inspired by one of Monsieur Dior’s iconic sketches” as well as, “fragments of colour, embroidered motifs atop prints, a touch of leopard.” It was a collection in which “everything lies in the mix and the compilation,” according to Dior themselves.
Image by Adrien Dirand for Dior
And the sets? Magnificent. Once again Bureau Batek made made illusion a reality, and used vast mirrors to disorientate in the entrance to the normally so familiar Musee de Louvre. Once you found your way in, it was a journey through spiraling tunnels clad in dulled metallic finishes and burgundy velvet. It’s was both reminiscent – many said it conjured the historic grandeur of a cathedral – and incredibly modern – we suppose, just like the clothes themselves.
International Women’s Day is a tricky thing to illustrate. Is there an image that sums up a gender? Something pink? Something ‘girly’? Would an inspirational quote that fits into a little square, or a depressing statistic about female-specific abuses and injustices be the right thing to go with? How, exactly, do you put a marker on approximately half of the global population?
Reflective of the vastly complex aspects of what being a woman is to most, poetry seemed like a good thing to go with. Poetry built with anger, but also humour, intelligence, common sense and hope for a more enlightened future. Poetry that aims to unify all in one, very basic, experience.
If you don’t know The Period Poem by Dominique Christina, it’s time you learnt it off by heart. If you do know it, watch it again.
Kent-born photographer Laura McCluskey, 29, has been living and working in and around Hackney for the past seven years, enjoying playing with the “feeling of creative freedom it brings.” Her work – which she describes as “honest and relaxed” – is a mixture of conceptual fashion imagery, documentary and pared-back freshness, with a focus on character and personality as opposed to a highly stylised ‘set’.
“I walk a lot and find the clash of cultures inspiring,” she says. “As a visual person, I think it helps to really engage in my surroundings and often ideas are sparked by people and scenarios I see on the street or stories I hear on the bus. I often do street castings for different projects and enjoy shooting portraits of people I find interesting. I enjoy the sense of community, the busy feeling often ignites my imagination.”
Here we asked Laura to chronicle some of her favourite projects to date, and explain how and why they came about.
Bronte
I photographed Bronte at Next models for a story for Pylot magazine. I found a popup restaurant with an Abigail’s Party ’70s themed event, I contacted set designer Alice Hodge who had created the scene. I was working with my stylist friend Issie Gibbons on this and we shot the story within part of the set and surrounding rooms within the community centre it was being held. I loved shooting this story as I am a big fan of finding beauty within the everyday and the location really worked well. Bronte had a really great energy and a real timeless feel that worked so nicely for this story.
Meilyr Jones
I recently shot musician Meilyr Jones. We met at the V&A and took some photos inside on the marble steps. The light was really great that day and we chatted and took some photos. I like these portraits because they feel quite peaceful.
Dreamy Days
A few years ago I was shooting a series of new faces for The Ones 2 Watch. Harry and Leomie were outside in the hallway and I found out they were a couple at the time. We shot some simple portraits of them together and it just worked.
Liam Hodges
I’ve worked with menswear designer Liam Hodges for a couple of seasons. Most recently for his AW15 campaign for his collection ‘Totally Safe Classics’ which explored the everyday reimagined, taking inspiration from the market stall traders in Walthamstow near Liam’s studio. I did a street casting for this and found Jyrrel in Shoreditch. We worked with stylist Harry Lambert and built a set within the studio with tarps and sandwich boards from the show.
Forever my Dreamland: Troy and Chaos
I’ve been shooting a series ‘Forever my Dreamland’ since 2009 in the places I grew up around Kent. I was in Margate shooting some stuff and was just heading back to the train when I walked past this guy and stopped to asked to shoot his portrait. He was walking his dog and just had a really happy face. I found out he was called Troy and his dog was called Chaos. Pretty amazing names. They had such a great connection between them and as I started shooting the dog jumped up for his portrait.
Teeth magazine: Nothing Fits
This story was a collaboration with my stylist friend Helen McGuckin. We’ve worked together on a few projects and we wanted to shoot a story that explored androgyny, shape and form. I think the starting point for this series was seeing Dilara Findikoglu’s graduate collection, we loved the carpet look. We shot Aggy at Next, she really brought a great spirit to the shoot and definitely conveyed the right feeling.
My favourite picture in the whole world
So many artists inspire me, but if I had to pick one of my photographs, then it’d be from from a series I have been working on for the past few years: My sister Grace. I started out taking some photos whenever I visited my mum and youngest sister Grace at home in Kent. After a while I kept looking at my contact sheets and could see her changing and growing up and the series just came together. I took some portraits of her last year on her 13th birthday. This is one of my most favourite and treasured photos, it says so much about her personality and of growing up.
For those perpetually in search of a little sartorial freshness, Stefanie Biggel is a designer to watch. The 31-year-old, who originally hails from Zurich, spent a year in London before deciding to live and work in Athens, and is in the midst of building a successful brand built on desirable separates that are imbued with the fluidity of youth, gender and contrasting mediums. In essence, it’s the perfect collection for ‘generation Y’ – with references spanning Kurt Cobain and Larry Clark films to political correctness and superstar celebrity; the latter a jumping board for her latest collection, ‘Hysteria’.
Here, we speak to Stefanie and showcase some exclusive, never-before-seen images of her creative process for the new season.
You trained in Basel, Switzerland – how was that? What kind of cultural stimulation does it offer?
The education at my university was really good. Also in terms of handcraft. This was always very important to me. That’s why I still make all the samples myself. It’s part oft he design process for me. On the other hand the town was very small and I wanted to leave at a certain point and move on. I can’t be in the same place for too long. This has changed a bit since last year. It was really good for me to move to Greece and slow down a bit.
Stefanie Biggel
How long did it take you define your own aesthetic? Or is it still evolving?
I feel like it’s constantly evolving in a way. It suits my personality. But after seven collections and reaching a certain age I can express myself a lot better and speak out what I don’t like. I’m more relaxed. When you’re insecure people from the industry always try to push you in a certain corner, try to form you. I know about my insecurities and they belong to me and my work. It’s okay to not be perfect.
Descriptions of your work often include the word ‘boxy’ – what is it about this silhouette that appeals to you? ‘Boxy’ ist just one of many silhouettes. They all interest me. One day I feel like wearing a unisex look, the other day I wanna show my body. It depends on the mood and can change constantly.
An exclusive preview from the ‘Hysteria’ collection
Androgyny is a continuous theme throughout your collections – why is that? And how do you think it contrasts with some of your more feminine details? I like experimenting with contrasts and don’t want to create these categories like what’s ‘feminine’ or not. To be a woman has so many different aspects that can’t be described easily. This is what interests me the most. It’s very intuitive.
Exclusive images of Stefanie’s studio
How many people work on your collections? Are you very hands-on in every aspect of the business?
Yes it’s basically just me. I like collaborating with people and share my ideas with them but when it comes to making the actual sample collection, I’ll do it myself. I used to have interns in the past but I sometimes have a very specific idea of how things should be made. I prefer having an assistant that’s evolving with me but moving cities so many times made this difficult. Since my goal is not to make huge collections it somehow works out for me. I simply love working with my hands. But I definitely need people around me like stylists, photographers, and textile artists to create that vision together.
Of course I know a lot about the proper business part too, but I prefer having a showroom agent than selling the collection myself. They’re just more experienced and the whole networking thing is massive. I wouldn’t be able to do that myself.
The ‘Homesome’ presentation in Paris
Who is the most well-dressed person you know? Basically everyone that is authentic in their wardrobe choice.
Do you wear your own pieces? Yes, a lot.
Have you been inspired by another designer over the years? If so, who and why? I wouldn’t call it inspired but there are of course brands I like a lot. Right now it’s Vetements for that new spirit they brought into the industry. I like people that want to change something and not strictly follow the rules.
The ‘Homesome’ presentation in Paris
Who would you most like to see wearing your pieces? Real women that like to change and evolve and like to have fun, are serious, have to struggle and find their way in life.
How would you describe your customer? My customer likes clothing of good quality that you can wear for any occasion and throughout the year.
Do you think that business acumen is as important as creativity in launching your own label? Yes totally. It’s a proper business in the end and you often can’t afford paying someone to do these things for you in the beginning . But I still think the most important thing is to know the right people from the industry. You also need a bit of luck.
The ‘Homesome’ look book, shot by Amanda Camenisch (and main)
If your collection was a song, what would it be?
For ‘Homesome’ probably a Punk song including some strings and techno. A wild mix of everything.
Which Larry Clark movies in particular inspired the latest collection? It was mostly Kids which transported that feeling of being connected to a group very well. You are looking for this as a teenager. You want to be part of something.
How would you like to take your work to the next level? What does the remainder of 2016 have to offer? I just finished my latest collection ‘Hysteria’ and I am getting ready for Paris Fashion Week. I don’t know yet what will come next. I need some space to let things happen naturally.
Is there anything that we’d never see in a Stefanie Biggel collection? I’m pretty much open to anything. There shouldn’t be too many rules.
The eleventh instalment in Miu Miu’s Women’s Tales series comes from Camera D’Or-winning filmmaker Naomi Kawase, and is called Seed.
To celebrate the premiere of the latest in Miu Miu’s pioneering series of films, the brand held an exclusive screening in New York’s EN Japanese Brasserie on Hudson Street last week.
Guests included actress Emma Greenwell (pictured main – who appears in the latest issue of the Twin book) as well as Miu Miu’s spring campaign girl Julia Garner, Emily Ratajkowski, Harley Viera-Newton and Zosia Mamet.
Miu Miu describe Seed as: “a sentimental portrait of Asian femininity,” adding that Kawase depicts it as “primitive, primal and erotic at the same time”.
The film is a whimsical and poetic journey of Sakura Ando’s character from Japan’s Nara to Tokyo, set to an evocative soundtrack composed by Skanknation.
The film, of course, features Miu Miu’s latest seasonal offering, but as with all of the others in this unique series, focusses on more than that. It is about a strong female narrative. It is at its core, a story told by women, and resoundingly for them.
Photographer and filmmaker Joost Vandebrug does with apparent ease what many struggle with for years: he let’s his intuition guide his art. But not just his art, also his passion, his productivity and ultimately – his success.
He is a man that wears many hats, but each of them seem to fit just fine. A Dutch art director, turned fashion photographer, who then became a documentary photographer and filmmaker, music video director and now kids’ clothing designer – he appears to weave between creative practices seamlessly.
All images from Cinci Lei by Joost Vandebrug
One of Joost’s most successful projects to date – which is still ongoing – is the Lost Boys series. For half a decade he has been following and documenting the lives of a gang of children who call the streets and tunnels of post-communist Bucharest their home. Over 6,000 photographs turned into a book, Cinci Lei, (which he gutsily got off the ground thanks to a Kickstarter campaign) and more than 120 hours of footage is becoming film-shaped as we speak.
Here, we catch up with Joost to find out how – and why – one man makes all that happen.
Firstly, when and why did you realise that you wanted to make pictures and films?
Although my mum and dad are both photographers, I never really considered it as an option while growing up. I was too busy playing in punk bands and wanting to become a rock star. I guess when that failed, I enrolled into art school, but even there I hardy ever worked through the medium of photography and film. It was only after my internship with Erwin Olaf and a year break from Amsterdam (where I lived at the time), that I came back and made a somewhat conscious decision to ‘be a photographer’.
All images from Cinci Lei by Joost Vandebrug
You’re described as both a photographer and filmmaker – how does your approach to each differ, if at all? And if you could only proceed with one of them for the remainder of your career, which would it be and why? My approach in both film and photography is virtually the same, very intuitive. But lets take my Lost Boys series as an example: I have followed this group of street children and their leader Bruce Lee for over five years, and last year I published a book. In the book I have laid out the pictures, carefully of course, protecting the protagonists, and telling the story of how I see the kids, and what it was like for me being with them for all this time. Though choices are predominately made on visual aesthetic.
Now that we are making a feature documentary about the same group, there is much less that I can – and want – to leave to be interpreted by the viewer. I am compelled for it to be an honest, real and correct document of their lives. Although it will still be a poetic film, the choices that I make are not just from a visual perspective but above all they have to drive the story forwards. The devices available to tell the story are also on a completely different level. And although because of my use of small camera’s for example, which resulted in me being an unadulterated part of the story, the film is in the hands of the protagonists. Which is very exciting, but also difficult as I want to protect the protagonists at the same time.
All images from Cinci Lei by Joost Vandebrug
Can you describe your first serious photographic and film projects, respectively? Can you recall what were you trying to convey with them? Quite early on, in 2007, I was offered a solo exhibition in FOAM Amsterdam (the photography museum). The exhibition was during fashion week, so they wanted me to make a fashion connection in the work. This work became my first step to combine fashion and documentary. And still today I love to shoot fashion on real people. This can be a documentary project, but also a portrait series with a great artist or musician.
How do you think your work has progressed over the years? On all levels I got calmer. I used to rush from project to project, making huge leaps from personal work to commercial work. I guess it was important to experiment, so it wasn’t all bad, though nowadays its all come together. My commercial work goes hand in hand with my personal work and I allow myself to dive into my projects much deeper.
All images from Cinci Lei by Joost Vandebrug
What kind of journeys does your work take you on? The Lost Boys project opened a whole new world. I am visiting and documenting the lives of young, aberrant and sometimes lost youths everywhere I go. And also, now that I have set up an NGO for the protagonists of the book and film, I am visiting many befriended charities and organisations. It is like an ongoing research and very inspiring to visit all these places where other NGO’s are dealing with similar issues as I went through with the Lost Boys.
Where would you love to shoot, that you haven’t already? If I think of a place, I usually try and go pretty quickly. But, apart from those kind of research trips, I always go back for longer times to follow up on the people that I have met. Documenting them over longer periods of time. I have no interest in shooting little stories all over the place for the sake of it.
All images from Cinci Lei by Joost Vandebrug
How did you segue into music videos? Was it something you’d always wanted to do? The great thing about making music videos is to collaborate with great musicians. So its important for me to feel a strong connection with the artist. My work has always had a connection with music, so once i started using video as a technique, it made sense to shoot music videos.
Is there a music video that you wish you’d shot? The first that springs to mind is Pink Floyd, Another Brick In The Wall.
All images from Cinci Lei by Joost Vandebrug
What are you working on right now and in the year ahead? The biggest ongoing project is of course the feature documentary about Bruce lee and the Lost boys. I have found an amazing supporting team at Grain media who are very dedicated to making this a beautiful film. Its in very safe hands with Katie Bryer (she edited the Oscar-nominated documentary Virunga) who is working on the film full time, so I am able to walk in and out the editing room and thus work on my regular photography and film work as well.
Also, my husband [Tom Eerebout] and I have just launched a kids’ wear label, Jumping Dog which is super exciting. All the pieces are inspired on adventure and interactiveness with the wearer, but best of all with the profits we are 100% funding the Cinci Lei project.
To find out more about Cinci Lei, Joost’s documentary or Jumping Dog visit joostvandebrug.com
All images from Cinci Lei by Joost Vandebrug – buy it HERE
Whenever I listen to Adam Green, I imagine him lounging in a martini glass, drinking a Dr Pepper and wearing a party hat. There seems to me no other way that Green could make the music that he does. His witty offbeat lyrics, which include cherished lines such as “everyone’s fucking my princess,” and ”Jessica Simpson, where has your love gone?” (amongst many, many more) twists and turns, rendering listeners bemused and delighted at the same time.
Green, who began in the cult indie group the Moldy Peaches, is the pied piper of the contemporary imagination. Whilst the band garnered mainstream adoration thanks to a flawless Juno soundtrack, Green was already hoarding accolades solo, producing gems such as Dance with Me, Friends of Mine, Emily and That Sounds Like a Pony. With a film already under his belt, it seems only fitting that Green has now turned his mind to a re-imagining of Aladdin, creating the soundtrack and movie, out this spring. Expect quirkiness aplenty and appearances from familiar faces which include Macaulay Culkin and Zoe Kravitz.
Ahead of the release, I caught up with Green to talk presidential castings, papier-mâché and getting pretty weird.
There seems to be quite a lot of edits and changes to this tale, why did you want to adapt the story of Aladdin as opposed to creating something new? I wanted to try reinterpret the Aladdin myth and try to see it through modern eyes. In my version the lamp is a 3-D printer that prints out an analogue version of the internet. And the Princess is sort of like a Kardashian who’s on the Sultan’s Reality show. I really like when directors make their own versions of classic stories, for example Cocteau’s Beauty and the Beast, Pasolini’s Canterbury Tales, or Fellini’s Casanova. In this case the goal is to create something completely new, but you have some basic symbolic framework to anchor the plot a little bit.
You have a lot of great people onboard. How did the film come about?
It began with a Kickstarter campaign where I made enough to rent a warehouse. Then I got together a group of people to help me build all the props and sets out of cardboard and papier-mâché. I wanted the effect of the movie to be that the actors were inside a real life cartoon, so we built 30 rooms and 500 papier-mâché painted objects. The build took four months! I had an amazingly talented group that helped me, some had gone to film or art school, or had worked in the art department of independent films. It was important to me that I painted all the black lines though because I wanted everything to look like my drawings. It was pretty surreal being inside the warehouse once we got going. There’s a “Making Of Aladdin” short film I’m gonna put out.
If you could cast American politicians in the roles, who would play who?
George Washington as Aladdin. Condaleeza Rice as the Princess. Ted Kennedy as the Sultan. Bill Clinton as the genie.
How did you get into film?
I made a movie called The Wrong Ferarri that was shot entirely on my iPhone. I began shooting it over a summer tour and it turned into a whole lifestyle. I liked shooting on the iPhone because it was so fast and that frenzy helped actors feel free to improvise. Also because I was on tour I could shoot scenes in Venice, Stuttgart, Rome, France, Belgium all within a few weeks of each other and I wrote the script in the tourbus as we were rolling along. It was a lot of fun. But I think after that I started thinking in terms of movies. I see movies as a great way to combine my visual art, music, and writing into one alchemical medium. It would be hard to go back to not making movies now!
The Wrong Ferrari is a self-described ketamine inspired surrealist gonzo feature. What were the influences behind Aladdin, from a creative point of view? Aladdin is a reimagining a materialist fairy tale. It’s a movie about technology where everything is made out of paper, glue, and house-paint. The ethos is almost the exact opposite of Dogme 95 rules where filmmakers had to shoot in all pre-existing locations and not bring any props onto the scene. It’s a comedy too, sort of a cross between Jodorowsky and South Park.
You co-wrote the soundtrack for Juno and you’re creating it for Aladdin as well. How does the process compare to making a stand-alone album, if at all? Do you feel more or less attached the music as an entity in itself?
I knew going into Aladdin that I wanted to make all the music in the film. I was writing a bunch of songs at the same time as I was writing the script. Sometimes I’d have a line and it was hard to tell if it would go into a song or into the script, so I’d put it in both. I recorded in LA and recruited some of my favourite people who live out there to be the players: Rodrigo Amarante, who people will know as the singer of Little Joy as well as his amazing solo-work, plays guitar and sings a little bit on the record. Stella Mozgawa, who is the drummer of Warpaint, slays the drums. And Josiah Steinbrick on bass, who I love to play with because he makes all my albums sound really Serge Gainsbourgy.
I think on one hand the Aladdin album is really the next solo-album I was going to make anyway. There’s lots of different moods which is important for a film soundtrack. But more than anything I was looking to make a groovy album that is fitting of a movie where everybody is wearing bellbottoms. I wanted a folk funk bubblegum psychedelic sound. I wanted it to be groovy.
The message of Aladdin is obviously deeply romantic, do you think there’s room for that kind of love in the arts more generally these days, or are people too jaded to engage? Well I found love and I was a pretty jaded nihilistic motherfucker, so I think it’s possible for anyone. Maybe people will find it easier to relate to an album that’s also a movie! I think sometimes it’s difficult to know where music belongs because people listen to playlists that have like a Madonna song and then a Kurt Cobain song right after it. I think it’s nice that the Aladdin album exists inside this fantasy movie world so it’s harder to take it out of context.
When will the film be coming out, and will we catch it in the UK? I’m doing a UK tour that starts in early May, so I think that the movie will come out then. I’m planning a London Premiere at the Prince Charles Theatre. And also I’m planning to bring a projector around with me so I can screen the film each night before my band plays a concert. I also want to paint a backdrop and dress like Aladdin so it can be a bit of a traveling circus. Also I want to screen the movie at various indie movie theaters as I come through town.
The Internet: with or against it?
If I was going to try and romanticise the internet, I’d say that maybe we will build something really great with it that is actually classic and timeless. Maybe people will see the internet like Ancient Rome someday, I dunno.
Last record you listened to? The New Har Mar Superstar album, it rules!
Favorite David Bowie song? I know it’s cooler to say something from the Berlin period, but probably “Life on Mars” or “Man who sold the world.” I love that scene in Christiane F. where he sings “Station to Station” and looks like Vampire James Dean.
Last film you watched? I watched four movies on the flight home from Paris last week and I’ve combined them all in my head. In my mind it’s Woody Allen and Joaquin Phoenix co-directing a Noah Baumbauch movie where Johnny Depp plays a tired old gangster man who’s married to Lola Kirke, who murders Anne Hathaway for being mean to the cast of Entourage.
What’re you looking forward to in 2016? 2016 is gonna be all about going around the world with my band and showing everybody what we made. I’m excited to go to people’s towns and hang out with friends, have some beers and get pretty weird.
There’s been a lot of talk about denim of late: the end of the skinny; the rise of the waist. Be it a kick flare or a crop, top stitch or a drop seam, in 2016 these threads have again moved from staple to statement. But if you find yourself unwilling to forgo your skinnies, or overwhelmed by the choices on offer – then Roger Vivier’s latest collaboration with stylist Camille Seydoux is for you.
Camille Seydoux has reworked Roger Vivier’s iconic Prismick design for SS16
For Spring Summer 2016 Camille, sister of Bond siren Léa, has taken the iconic Prismick design and reimagined accessories solely in patchwork denim. No stranger to wardrobe re-design, Seydoux has applied her red-carpet and couture expertise to the transition piece conundrum. The capsule collection is comprised of platform sandals, ankle boots and evening bags, easy to wear from the start of the day through to darkest night. Timeless and effortlessly chic, give your 501s a rest and sport this denim collection instead.
Available in Roger Vivier stores around the world from mid-Feb 2016.
They say you should never stop learning. Irrespective of age and experience, the theory is: there’s always room to grow, and subsequently, improve. And that seems to be the ethos behind the new Mastered series, which connects some of the creative industry’s biggest names with a network of knowledge-hungry self-starters.
From Tim Blanks to Nick Knight, Val Garlands and Fraser Cooke – who will mentor specific courses in writing, photography, make-up and streetwear, respectively – the Mastered initiative bills itself as an online talent program, which aims to connect those looking to take their career to the next level, with the people capable of doing just that. Thanks to its online platform, it is education on a global scale, and offers access to some of the greatest minds, mentors and all-important contacts books of some of the various industry’s superstars.
One of the most interesting courses on offer, is the aforementioned streetwear program, who recently held a series of panelled-events in London, Berlin (with New York and Tokyo next on the list) – connecting industry experts with those passionate about, and working within, streetwear. It is also one of the only programs still accepting applications for places. So, with that in mind, we had a chat and took some photos with London panelist Carri Munden – in-between her working with Skepta on his new video – to find out what streetwear means to her.
OK firstly, can you tell us exactly what your involvement in the Mastered project is?
Mastered invited me to be on the panel for the London launch alongside influencers from Cottweiler to Gary Aspden. I will also be part of the Streetwear: Mastered programme, giving feedback as an expert to the brands participating.
How would you describe the other people involved as mentors – and why are they important within the realm of streetwear? Fraser Cooke is someone who has universal respect across streetwear, fashion and creative industries. He is also someone who has been something of a mentor to me. He wisdom is incredible and he’s calm and kind.
What do you think the term streetwear means now? How has it changed – if at all – over the years? For me streetwear is style – it is connected to but not defined by fashion. It is above all connected to culture.
What is your earliest memory of streetwear? As a teenager I never fitted into a particular subculture but I was drawn to brands, whether than was Stussy (cult for me growing up), Kappa or even a Metallica logo. I don’t think I was even conscious that they were brands but I was aware of their differences and what they signified.
What was it that drew you to it? I like graphics so I was always attracted to streetwear. I also love music and streetwear is always connected to music. I didn’t listen to Hip Hop, I only learnt about streetwear’s connection to Hip Hop when I moved to London. I grew up on rave, jungle and metal. Stussy for me was part of rave culture but also connected me to the skater boys I always fancied but who thought I was too weird or too chavvy (lol).
Historically, it was considered perhaps a more democratic way of being able to express yourself – be it politically or socially – through your clothing. Do you think that holds true today?
Yes I agree and disagree. I do not care about fashion I care about human connections and style. Style – what you wear and most importantly how you wear it – will never be erased. Humans will dress themselves in whatever they can access and it will alway be about personal expression, communication and status. What has changed now is how we communicate – i.e. the internet and social media. Clothing is still crucial but is now just a part of a constructed identity of “who you are” or more importantly who you want others to think you are.
Why do you think Mastered chose you to be involved in the project? I hope because I have an individual voice. I think I’m in quite a unique position as a creative who has worked across high fashion, sportswear and streetwear; and I didn’t want to draw focus to it but other people have been mentioning it to me, but yes I am a woman…
Are there more women involved in streetwear than people realise? Or is it still a predominantly male-centric field? There are a lot of women in streetwear actually, but I would change that to there are a lot of women in sportswear, in both Nike or Adidas for example there are incredible woman at all levels right to the very top. I have noticed this less in streetwear and I not sure why but as I mentioned in the panel discussions at the London Mastered event, there is something about the very nature of streetwear that is both very formulaic and very masculine – its obsession with one up man ship, whether that is a limited edition collectable piece or a detail on a jacket or a reference in a graphic that only an insider would recognise.
Streetwear is also a culture that has been inextricably linked with music in the past…again, is it still? And if so, are there any particular artists that you feel inspired by – or can see a lot of inspiration being drawn from – right now? The last year I have been working with Skepta, his style is so British / european and so personal to him, it has been exciting for me seeing the influence of that globally. And absolutely artists like Kanye, A$AP Rocky – to be honest they have unprecedented influence when it comes to streetwear and style. It is powerful. We discussed this a lot at the panel discussion – how streetwear and fashion have changed and how they have and can influence each other. Artists like Kanye or Rocky are crucial in this discussion. But for me a lot of – at least within Hip Hop – artists’ connections with clothing or brands goes back to the one-upmanship I mentioned. I like weirdos – artists for whom style is a pure extension of the music and there are no boundaries or definitions when it comes to creativity.
How do you think something like Mastered benefits the people taking part in it? It’s absolutely unique in that you would never have access to these people outside of this program. It’s also unique in because it is online is accessible to any one in the world. This is powerful to me, as I really think to be progressive we need to think outside of these same cites and centres of culture and industry.
Do you think it still rings true – to an extent – that it’s about who you know not what you know? Yes absolutely your network is key, but it is not everything because if you have access to incredible people or connections it is nothing with out something to bring to them. Hard work and most importantly good, unique work is what will get you success.
What are you currently working on? I am not doing collections or showing seasonly with Cassette Playa – I love designing clothes but it will be for other people or I will do collaborations or limited edition drops. I am enjoying being creative in other ways – I’m currently working on creative direction, styling and graphic projects.
To find out more about Streetwear: Mastered and the other courses on offer, visit mastered.com.
For spring summer 2016, Humberto Leon and Carol Lim – creative directors of Kenzo – have chosen the medium of film to produce their wares, with the 10-minute short: Snowbird. Written and directed by Sean Baker – who is still riding the wave of his critically acclaimed Tangerine, which is described as “a dramatic slapstick slice of life of two Los Angeles trans women” – the entire film was shot in what is becoming his usual style: on an iPhone.
Set in the eclectic expanse of ‘Slab City’, in the Californian Sonoran desert, the short shows Theo (played by Lee) delivering pieces of homemade cake to different residents of the unique community. Described as “a Mecca for eccentrics living off of the grid”, Slab City is touted as “a conglomeration of domestic structures cobbled together with all manner of material.”
As opposed to a glossy, all-star ensemble cast proffering a slick and stylised fashion film, as is so often the case, Kenzo and Sean Baker’s take is an altogether real (many of the cast are genuine residents of Slab City) representation of clothes in situ, which “eschews the glitz and glamour of fashion.”
This is yet another string Abbey Lee can add to her acting bow, after a successful role in Mad Max: Fury Road saw her receive much praise last year. Watch Snowbird in its entirety below, and shop the new season collection when it drops at kenzo.com.
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