Entre Chien et Loup is a new online exhibition from French photographer Maxime Ballesteros. Named after that special time of day, just before night, where things start to melt together, where the familiar becomes unknown and the lines between domestic and wild, comfort and fear blur together.

Known for his provocative images, Maxime likes to capture the most intense and beautiful aspects of life – the climax of a party, sex, and a fair amount of high heels and leather. This online collection is no different.

Entre Chien et Loup is available to view until 5th October 2014 at hauserandhauser.com. 

Tags: Art, Maxime Ballesteros, photography

Yves Saint Laurent will be celebrated in a photography tome set for release in October. The latest photography book, published by Thames & Hudson, paints a dazzling portrait of the famed designer and his world of fashion, captured by legendary backstage fashion photographer Roxanne Lowit.

As the pioneer of ready-to-wear and ‘Le Smoking’, Saint Laurent was, and still remains, one of the most influential designers of all time. Some of his haute couture collections won raves, while others sparked controversy, but they never failed to stir conversation, inspire trends, and point to the future. This publication gives us a look into the backstage world of YSL with contributions from his muses and admirers, including Catherine Deneuve, Lucie de la Falaise, Betty Catroux, Jacqueline de Ribes, André Leon Talley and Valerie Steele, as well as an introduction from Pierre Bergé.

Yves Saint Laurent will be released October 27th. 

thamesandhudson.com

Tags: Roxanne Lowit, Thames & Hudson, Yves Saint Laurent

We’ve entered the dog days of summer, and with that comes the realisation that it’s time to start trans-seasonal dressing. One item that finds itself in every girls wardrobe is the black ankle boot. A fashion staple perfect for the changing weather, one that will help you stomp your way into the depths of winter. So if you can’t bare to look at those last season booties, here are four ankle styles to help you start the new fashion season off with your best foot forward.

Jil Sander Ankle Boots, £570, thecorner.com & Yang Li Platform Chelsea Boots, £825, ln-cc.com

Block Heel Leather Boots, £135, cosstores.com & Miista Roberta Perplex Heeled Boots, £90, coggles.com

Featured image from ln-cc.com

Tags: Ankle Boots, Black Boots, Cos, Jil Sander, Miista, Twin Picks, Yang Li

New York-based label BLK DNM is hosting a six week, Autumn/Winter womenswear Pop-Up store at Harrods lauching Monday 1st September. Started in 2011 as a creative project by Johan Lindeberg, BLK DNM reflects his true taste and lifestyle: “I wanted to build a brand with a voice, to build the BLK DNM culture through images and to work contrarian to certain industry standards, using streets as the runway.”

Having photographed all the BLK DNM campain’s, Lindeberg’s imagery will decorate the space at Harrods. Muses such as Caroline de Maigret, Gisele Bundchen, Anja Rubik and Arizona Muse amongst others, have fronted the brands’ Wild Poster campaigns. “With Harrods, we can reach an international audience, and showing my own photographs among the product in the pop-up, we can explain who we are, reflecting the BLK DNM culture and lifestyle,” says Johan Lindeberg.

BLK DNM is available in select global retailers in more than 30 countries, in addition to a BLK DNM store in NYC and Stockholm. BLK DNM e-commerce will launch in Fall 2014.

blkdnmcloseup.com

Tags: Daphne Guinness, David LaChapelle

Say Lou Lou have announced the release date for their debut album, Lucid Dreaming. Out February 2nd 2015, the Australian/Sweedish Twins are keeping us in suspense, but in the meantime their new single Games For Girls is now available to stream online. Produced by fellow-Scandi Lindstrøm, the track is a seductive electro-disco number, following on from previously released songs Maybe You, Julian, Better in the Dark and Everything We Touch. 

After a summer of festival appearances, Say Lou Lou will be performing in London at a headline show at Heaven on December 4th 2014. Tickets go on sale today, August 15th and are available from livenation.co.uk.

sayloulou.com

Tags: Lindstrøm, Say Lou Lou

EDIT started off as a contemporary consept store in Hong Kong. However, inspired by their clientele, the founders decided to start a ready-to-wear brand to match their style and fashion perspective, launching just in time for Pre SS15. With an eclectic mix of feminine and street-wear, EDIT’s first collection is full of wardrobe staples, day-to-night go betweens and bold statement pieces, all in reasonable price-points (everything retails at under £250), giving us the perfect addition to any modern girl’s wardrobe.

Having impressed the womenswear buyers at Liberty, you will find the tomboy cool meets high-end feminine label in the British store come October. We can wait.

edit-thebrand.com

Tags: EDIT, liberty, Liberty's, SS15

Twin contributor Robert Storey has designed the new Nike womenswear pop-up in New York. The space is broken into distinct areas that include pro bra, train, run and live. Running with the designs within the collections, the space focuses on symmetry and bold colour schemes of blue, green, pink and orange. You’ll also find an all-white gym for lucky visitors to work out whilst trying on the merchandise, as well as a fitting room for bespoke sports bra measuring.

Nike Womenswear Pop-Up – Mulberry Street, New York, NY 10013

nike.com

storeystudio.com

Tags: Nike, NYC, Robert Storey

In collaboration with MyTheresa Calvin Klein Jeans is revisiting nine of the brands iconic 90’s designs. The Re-Issue Project focuses on denim dungarees, logo t-shirts, a denim shirt and hoodie. Fronting the project is Kate Moss’s little sister Lottie. It was the Calvin Klein campaign of the 90’s that secured Kate as a top model, we wonder if this modern day version do the same for Lottie Moss.

Keeping the next generation theme running, Michael Avedon photographed Lottie in the campaign. Michael is the grandson of Richard Avedon, who shot Brooke Shields in the groundbreaking 1981 Calvin Klein Jeans campaign. Avedon has said that, “Lottie truly represents the essence of the Calvin Klein girl. Intriguing innocence with utter beauty – it was wonderful to photograph this beautiful young lady!”

Shop the collection at mytheresa.com

Tags: 90s, Calvin Klein, kate moss, Lottie Moss, MyTheresa

Pamela Costantini is a new name in the footwear industry, one to remember however. Before starting her eponymous line, the Italian born designer worked for the likes of Roberto Cavalli and studied at The European Institute of Design, but a jewellery collection sparked interest in going it alone. The first collection will be released in Spring/Summer 2015, however we couldn’t wait till then to find out more. Here, we chat with Pamela herself.

When did your love affair with shoes begin?
I think it really started when I was young – I used to be a real tomboy and hated wearing shoes at all. My equestrian boots really changed my mind – they were the first pair of shoes I fell in love with and now shoes are everything!

Why did you decide to start your own brand after five years in the industry?
It was all very spontaneous. Two friends of mine – Roberto and Diego – were designing a beautiful collection for their jewellery line called SCHIELD. Then we thought about how we could incorporate their jewels with a shoe line and it really just built on from there. I decided to do a few designs and try it out.

Tell us about the traditional handcrafted Italian techniques used to create your designs?
I’ve been fortunate enough to work with the best tanneries and factories in Tuscany – which all specialise in very high quality leather. Their craftsmen working on my line are artisans which a huge amount of experience in luxury products. It has definitely been a process going back and forth with my designs – the craftsmen have a huge amount of patience, listening to my ideas to develop a collection and make them a reality.

What sparked your thorn themed collection?
I have always been inspired by the 90’s grunge aesthetic and religious iconography. Also Helmut Newton photography – the feeling he is able to evoke through composition, colour and subject. When my friends showed me designs of their new collection with the thorn element – I had a clear vision for my shoes.

Do you design with your own taste in mind?
Yes, definitely. I think it is really the reason I wanted to start my own line. Now I can just design everything I would die to own and wear!

Just one more – heels or flats?
Flats are a trend, heels are forever.

Tags: Footwear, Pamela Constantini, SS15

Devan DuBois may not be a name you’re familiar with, but his music has been long in the making. Perfecting his sound for a long time, his first track is finally released. Long Live is an elegant and folky tune, giving us an insight of what to expect from this enimatic musician with a southern demeanour. Dubois’ debut album, Le Fou, will be released on August 19th.

Watch the video for Long Live directed by Chuck David Willis below.

devandubois.com

Tags: Chuck David Willis, Devan DuBois, Long Live

Christie Fels is the Head Womenswear Buyer at the East London concept store Hostem. Working closely with founder James Brown, Christie quickly became Artistic Director also, and is shaping the way Hostem views luxury, not only in terms of the womenswear collections but for the brand as a whole. Above the well-loved, well-known mens space, Hostem completely renovated the building, adding new floors to cater for their growing business. Twin met with Christie at the recent store expansion to talk about the Hostem aesthetic, personal style and what luxury means to her…

Tell us a little about your background…
I’m originally from South Africa, I was born in Johannesburg and studied in Cape Town. Initially I studied Interior Architecture and that was what I wanted to do. However I moved to Antwerp, around the same time a store called Ra 13 opened. I had wanted to do more art-based projects with them, but in the end fashion was a much bigger part and so that’s where I began.

I was there for about three and a half years and I loved Antwerp, but I was too young to settle there. I decided to move to London and work for LN-CC. I tried PR and Marketing and thought it was for me, but it wasn’t. At this point, I was relooking at what I wanted out of the industry personally and professionally, and made a decision not to continue down the communications route but to look for a more creative role, this coincided with James [Brown] thinking about growing the business at Hostem. He approached me to join the team and build the brand so it was perfect timing.

What would a typical day be like for you?
I work very closely with James, which enables us to work in tandem on everything from product at the store to Hostem’s brand voice and special projects. I joined Hostem in advance of the opening of womenswear so my role developed quite quickly – I am currently Artistic Director/Head Buyer of Womenswear. This means I split my time between being in the office, on the shop floor, and travelling – no two days look alike.

Was it difficult to translate the Hostem aesthetic to womenswear?
We didn’t want to limit ourselves to a particular aesthetic. We thought about what was relevant to a womenswear customer, whilst staying true to what the blueprint of menswear stands for. There has to be substance and story, this is key to what we do. I don’t think it’s difficult, no – I do think people might be surprised by the way in which we approached womens by bringing in brands such as Thom Browne, Simone Rocha and Dries Van Noten. Saying that, mens has evolved so much since we launched, they’ve happily met in the middle.

Does your personal style reflect your buying choices, and vice versa?
It would be impossible not to have some kind of influence. It’s difficult to separate buying for yourself and buying for a store. I’m lucky that the store is very much me – I would wear everything we sell and I would put most of my wardrobe into it. There’s definitely a cross-synergy but that’s because I really get the brand. I genuinely love the product and that’s why I’m here. However, I do have my weaknesses and there are times when I have to stop myself and say no, that’s a Christie moment.

Who are your go-to brands and designers at the moment?
Well, they haven’t changed in a while. Yang Li is someone who I really respect and have been wearing ever since his first collection. In terms of emerging designers I think he’s one of the most relevant out there. Dries Van Noten is a an old favourite – I respect that as a designer, he’s still so involved with the brand on every level which shows as it’s a complete representation of himself and his passions. Simone Rocha, which is a surprising one for me as it’s more feminine then the things I would normally wear but in terms of London, she’s probably the only stand out designer.

What designers should we have on our radar?
We are about to start working with a brand called Raag who produce and make all of their clothes in India. They are creating an exclusive capsule for Hostem (available in time for Christmas). They don’t wholesale so this will be the first time they’ve worked with a store. CristaSeya is a lifestyle brand incorporating fashion, design and textiles who we’ll be stocking from Spring/Summer. Jeffrey Smith is a London based shirt maker who makes every piece by hand and dyes using natural processes.

What is it you look for when scouting new brands?
There’s supporting a person and their vision and really respecting the brand holistically and what their ethos is and then there’s responding to product without knowing any of the backstory. They both play an equal role.

We are always looking for value in product. That might be a designer who is militant in their approach like Yang Li – he is uncompromising in building his brand and the core values it stands for. Then there are makers who are doing things that hold a lot of meaning. We are constantly looking at the word luxury and what that means – it’s changing all the time. I think now, more than ever, people are looking for inherent value in the pieces they buy. If you look at Toogood, for example, every piece has a little passport with the designer’s initials as well as everyone’s who took part in the making process.

What will you be wearing this Autumn/Winter season?
The Elder Statesman cashmere and a Toogood coat.

hostem.co.uk

Photography by Trinity Ellis

Tags: Christie Fels, Hostem

Every girl interested in chic design deserves to own a luxurious pouch – perfect for late-night dinners, club crawls or those popped-out-for-the-latest-issue-of-vogue moments where only a credit card, Tom Ford lipstick and mobile are needed. To help you pick your hand-held accessory for the autumn/winter 2014 season, we’ve made it super easy, by choosing our top four.

Moschino Logo Clutch, £182.32, farfetch.com & Marni Pony Skin Clutch, £410, thecorner.com

Small Shiny Croc Clutch in White, £40, whistles.com & Sophie Hulme Keyhole Leather Pouch in Black, £175, coggles.com

Tags: AW14, Clutch, Marni, moschino, Pouch, Sophie Hulme, Whistles

To coincide with Frieze London, one of the world’s leading contemporary art fairs, the ICA has announced a week-long free programme of live events to take place at The Old Selfridges Hotel this October. With Isabel Lewis, Korakrit Arunanondchai, NTS Radio, Siobhan Davies Dance and Rhizome all involved in the project, expect a host of performance, music, art, dance and discussion each day.

Launching the programme on Tuesday and Wednesday, Brooklyn-based dance artist and curator Isabel Lewis, will host a series of ‘occasions’ in partnership with Frieze Projects and Liverpool Biennial, which conjure the ancient Greek symposium where philosophizing, drinking and the erotic were inseparable.  On Thursday evening, New York-based artist Korakrit Arunanondchai, who will also be participating in the ICA exhibition ‘Beware Wet Paint’ (24 September – 16 November 2014) will present an evening performance. On Friday night, the focus will be music with a live event presented in collaboration with ICA’s Associate Artists, NTS Radio. Saturday will see Siobhan Davies Dance present the live movement installation Table of Contents.

ICA Off-Site: The Old Selfridges Hotel, Tuesday 14 – Saturday 18 October 2014 at 1 Orchard Street, London, W1H 6JS

ica.org.uk

Tags: Frieze London, ICA, Selfridges

Fashion Sunday is quickly becoming the place to shop, eat and be. Now, the duo behind the initiative have made it the place to think and learn too. In collaboration with Let’s Be Brief, this August edition will host photographer Dean Chalkley and designer Harris Elliot of H by Harris who’ll be talking ‘The Return of the Rudeboy’, their exhibition currently at Somerset House.

This month will focus solely on the talks and next month will see Fashion Sunday’s first edit of menswear designers and brands take center stage. Twin caught up with Tiffany Alwis and Sonia Williams, the two girls making it all happen, to find out more about what they set out to achieve.

“From working on our label [Hellespont] and meeting the designers that we’ve worked with, we’ve realised just how hard it is,” stated Sonia. “It’s the retail issue for a lot of small labels, obviously you can’t get a physical store and some have their own online platform but you don’t get that customer interaction or you do random pop-ups and they’re not geared towards the designers, so we thought there’s a huge opportunity there.” An opportunity there certainly was. Each month Fashion Sunday helps emerging brands by giving them a space filled with their contemporaries where they can not only sell their products, but a place where they can learn from their consumers. Getting that interaction with customers is key when starting out. And with a mix of current and past season stock, as well as sample and archive products, mostly discounted, it makes for a perfect place to do a spot of shopping on a Sunday.

“What we’re trying to do is give these designers a hop on, hop off place to use,” Tiffany explains, “and for the last six months it’s been like building the infrastructure for it.” At the beginning, the two of them would be on the phone, ringing up their favourite brands to get them on board, however now, more and more designers are coming to them, asking to be part of this new family. “We’ve created a little unit, brands that are with us all the time… Paper London, Emma Shipley, Finchittida Finch, Jessie Harris, Marina London. A lot of them are becoming friends, doing swapsies.”

“Really good quality, interesting design and people who put a lot of care and thought into the production,” states Sonia are the elements that they look for in a brand. “A lot of the designers we work with try and produce and manufacture in the UK and most of them have a real story about their manufacture.” With interest growing around where clothes are made and where they come from, Fashion Sunday is addressing the question of mass-produced clothing and is “bridging the gap between people who would love this stuff but don’t know how to find it.”

IN CONVERSATION WITH: Dean Chalkley & Harris Elliott at Fashion Sunday will be at Oval Space’s sister venue The Pickle Factory from midday August 3rd. Hackney comfort food legends Rita’s will be serving a selection of favourites from their restaurant menu along with their famous frozen margaritas next to our beer bar on the sunny patio. Get tickets at eventbrite.co.uk

thisisfashionsunday.com

Tags: Dean Chalkley, Fashion Sunday, Harris Elliot, Lets Be Brief, Return of the Rudeboy, Sonia Williams, Tiffany Alwis

For those with a love of simplistic design, minimal jewels and interesting shapes, take note of emerging jewellery brand Jenny Sweetnam. After graduating from the Edinburgh College of Art, Sweetnam founded her own label, got herself a London based studio and watched the stockists start piling up. With Twin favourites Darkroom and Celestine Eleven among them, we caught up with the young designer to get to know her a little better.

Tell us a little about your background… How did you get into jewellery design?
Whilst training at design school I would obsessively work with metal on a vast scale and always create work connected with the body.  With a love for fashion as sculpture, becoming a jewellery designer was the exact way for me to express my ideas.  I’ve never looked back and am immensely happy designing and running my label.

How would you describe the Jenny Sweetnam design ethos?
I want to innovate through form and create bold jewellery silhouettes to frame the body in unique ways. There will always be a focus on luxury through craftsmanship.

What soundtrack would we find in your studio?
It’s all about FKA twigs right now for me!

Any planned collaborations?
For SS15 I’m thrilled to be collaborating with Pavane London, showcasing at London Fashion Week in September. Watch this space.

Describe the Jenny Sweetnam girl in three words…
Defiant, minimalistic, fun.

Where do you source your materials?
All from within the UK.

As a new jewellery brand, how are you finding the London scene?
Exhilarating! I love the momentum in London and opportunities are occurring quickly. The array of independent, design-led stores is amazing here and it’s exciting finding my niche. I’ve just started selling at Celestine Eleven, an alternative luxury concept store in East London – I’m very excited to be represented by such an innovative store. London certainly is the most exciting place to be as an emerging design label.

jennysweetnam.com

After the success of HONORE in Paris, TRACES is now coming to London as part of PUBLISH/CURATE.

Exploring the concepts of technicality and texture, TRACES is a group show at the TJ Boulting Gallery. Each artist involved presents a unique technique, including lithography, etching, collotype, frottage, screen-printing, mono-print, photogram, transfer, etc. The artists – whether they have developed their own process or have kept in line with classical tradition of printing and drawing – have, as a result, created interesting textural works.

Discover work from artists such as Adeline De Monseignat, Akiko Takizawa, Asger Carslen, Augustin Steyer, Ayca Koseogullari, Boo Saville, Charlotte Schnabl, David Noonan, Eloise Van Der Heyden, Hugo Wilson, Ivy Armour, Tamsin Relly, Victoire Thierree, Victoria Ahrens, Whitney Mcveigh and William Roper-Curzon.

Traces will open from the 1st – 23rd of August, 11am-6pm or by appointment.

TJ Boulting Gallery is located at 59 Riding House St, London W1W 7EG. 

www.tjboulting.com

Tags: london, TJ Boulting Gallery

With AW14, Carol Lim and Humberto Leon, Kenzo’s Creative Directors looked to explore the myriad, fractal reflections of art into life and vice versa. Enlisting directors Partel Oliva and web/3D designers Kim Boutin and David Broner, AW14 is celebrated through an interactive 3D and video experience available online that features music by Fatima Al Qadiri and stars Sudanese-American model Grace Bol.

The videos and artworks will be displayed during a dedicated exhibition running from September 24h – 26th at Galerie 12Mail/Red Bull Space, 12 rue du Mail, Paris.

To find out more, experience the video and to also shop the collection, head to kenzo.com/fall2014.

Tags: AW14, Grace Bol, Kenzo

Last Thursday night Kate Boy transported us from The Lexington to a far-away musical land, one where we are all human, all equal, all at one.

The Stockholm based three-piece took to the stage, all wearing matching ensembles of white camouflage printed jackets with the hoods up and black caps peaking out from underneath, while we waited for those catchy electronic beats. Opening the show with their hit In Your Eyes, lead singer Kate Akhurst’s unique style and stage presence conducted the crowd, with everyone singing along. Her moves, sometimes robotic, yet sometimes fluid and eerie were mesmerising, and her voice, hypnotic, even stronger when performed live.

Together, Kate, Hampus Nordgren and Markus Dextegen performed in perfect synchrony, especially when they all came together for a drum crescendo, leading us to the crux of an unheard-before track. Their talent for building up a song and creating an otherworldy atmosphere is unlike any other. With a flawless production, the three of them made switching between instruments and playing heavily electronic melodies live look effortless.

Self Control, another unreleased experimental synth-pop number warned us to “Be yourself/Don’t let nobody else take control.” It was these inspiring lyrics and themes of strong self-belief that the crowd really responded to and by the time they performed their last track, The Way We Are, everyone was in a place of true elation – no static humans in the crowd, we all moved to the beat of Kate Boy’s electric drum.

Set to release new music soon, Kate Boy are worth listening out for.

kateboy.com

Tags: Kate Boy, The Lexington

Fashion’s most famous feline is being celebrating in a new book. Choupette: The Private Life of a High-Flying Fashion Cat gives us an insight into one extrodinary kitty, one used to the finer things in life. Designers such as Goyard and Vuitton have made her dinner service, her handbags, her picnic hampers and the best Parisian chefs create menus for her. Known to travel only by private jet Choupette is a muse, not just for ‘daddy’ (her sapphire blue eyes have provided the inspration for Lagerfeld’s haute couture collections for Chanel).

The book itself is full of observations and precious advice from her vet, Madame Horn, and her housekeeper and maid, Madame Françoise, who keeps her daily diary and so this is Choupette’s complete guide to the art of living. Divided into chapters on diet, beauty, healthcare, fashion tips, secret loves and pet hates, this book also lifts the lid on the jet-setting private life of Mr Karl Lagerfeld too.

Choupette: The Private Life of a High-Flying Fashion Cat is released in September 2014. 

Pre-oder from amazon.co.uk today.

Tags: Chanel, Choupette, Karl Lagerfeld