As Issue 15 hits the shelves, Twin presents ‘Below The Unchanging Heavens’ starring Agnes Nieska who wears 1.61, and directed by Jacob John Harmer.
Below The Unchanging Heavens
Dree Hemingway
How do you define love? Twin presents Dree Hemingway in a film by Nick Dorey to coincide with the ‘Dreeams Can Come True’ feature in Issue 15.
Oh, Chloë
The imitable Chloë Sevigny fronts the new J.W.Anderson‘s SS17 campaign, and it couldn’t be a better fit. Sevigny’s nonchalant cool was captured by photographer Jamie Hawkesworth, appearing alongside images in which Anderson’s clothes are juxtaposed with the natural world.
Known for his hybridism, the look book speaks from core influences of J.W.Anderson’s design– ideas of change and transience in this technological age. Hawkesworth‘s images capture these ideas of movement, contrasting a pensive Sevigny in domestic environments to the free-flowing clothes outdoors and aligning colours to create a sense of energy and depth.
If Chloë Sevigny wasn’t your style crush before, she probably should be now.
![JWA_17-1_AD_PRESENTATION_161212[2]-4](https://www.twinfactory.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/JWA_17-1_AD_PRESENTATION_1612122-4-e1482060524620.jpg)
![JWA_17-1_AD_PRESENTATION_161212[2]-3[2]](https://www.twinfactory.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/JWA_17-1_AD_PRESENTATION_1612122-32-e1482060510536.jpg)
![JWA_17-1_AD_PRESENTATION_161212[2]-5](https://www.twinfactory.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/JWA_17-1_AD_PRESENTATION_1612122-5-e1482060536515.jpg)
Bags That Pop
Make your 2017 pop with these bright, bold handbags from Marco de Vincenzo. With an emphasis on shape and bright colour, the new collection is fun, playful and oh-so-desirable. Designed in the shape of a paw, the design sees tapered techno padding, hand-dyed edges and specially-made hardware combining for a punchy, power accessory.
Available in a range of colour ways, the Griffe bag will quite feasibly seduce you into investing in a few because hey, who could possibly choose between a yellow, cobalt blue, metallic lime or dusty pink calfskin creation?
Lena C. Emery’s ‘Rie 理絵’ Investigates Feminine Truth
Twin contributor Lena C. Emery’s new monograph Rie 理絵 (pr. Rhea) is a product of an continuing exploration of how women are intimately depicted. Rie, both the title and main subject of the book, literally means ‘truth’, a theme that permeates each image. The book depicts Emery’s poetic renderings of women who repeatedly pose, rest and move while in various states of dress – and undress. Playing with ideas of the female gaze, the women in the photographers are both aware and vulnerable; tangible and mysterious. Of the new launch, Emery explained:
“Within Rie 理絵 I wanted to embark on an inherently female dialogue on the subject of revealing. I was interested in understanding at what point when we reveal our bodies as women to a potential other, does the apparent vulnerability cross over into the appreciation of the powerful notion of being naked and being oneself without an inner or outer surveyor present, without being on display. Watching Rie and the other nine women that I photographed, all of which were strangers to me and each other at the time and who had never been photographed in this way before, come to life as they slowly shed each layer of artifice, felt incredibly reassuring.”
Published by Kominek, Rie 理絵 is available from 16th December and can be bought here.
Dior Lady Art Redefines Arm Candy
When it launched in 1995, the Lady Dior bag was created to reflect the contemporary nature of the house, embodying a modern identity while continuing to communicate the refined femininity for which the brand is famed. 11 years later, the architectural silhouette has become a canvas for seven of the most exciting artists working today.
This art project was first launched with British artist Marc Quinn who designed a limited edition collection in June. At Miami Art Basel collaborations with Daniel Gordon, Chris Martin, Ian Davenport, Matt Collishaw, Jason Martin and Matthew Porter were also launched. As is to be expected, each collaboration is unique, reflecting the creative inclinations of the artist. The result is a beautiful, and varied collection of Lady Dior bags that will make you fall in love with this classic design all over again.
Available at international stockists across the globe, these new collaborations give a whole new meaning to the phrase arm candy.
Discover the full collection here.
A little bit of chaos
Meet the latest offering from the Chaos crew: personalisable iPhone cases. Having designed those custom made luxe silk tracksuit bottoms for Cara Delevinge and Margot Robbie, Chaos have nailed personalisation and haven’t looked back.
Founded by fashion editors and stylists Charlotte Stockdale and Katie Lyall, the brand’s line of phone accessories ranges from cases to alphabet charms, emblazoned with statement slogans, to graphic motifs (we love the pills) and initials.
Available from their site: shop.chaos.club, as well as Dover Street Market, Selfridges and matchesfashion.com. Order before the 15th December to receive in time for Christmas.
Nick Knight Films The Fashion Awards
To commemorate the Fashion Awards 2016, photographer Nick Knight has released two new fashion films that reflect on contemporary fashion today. Featuring Molly Goddard, Nasir Mazhar, Hood By Air, Givenchy and Balenciaga, Up and 90210 were edited by SHOWstudio’s Raquel Couceiro, and explore tensions between strength and delicacy and intimacy and discordance. With a soundtrack by rapper Travis Scott, this pair of films celebrate the creative spirit that Knight consistently promotes through his work.
Twin Issue XV
For Issue 15 it’s all about the pursuit of the personal, and deconstructing the concept of perfection. Photographer Thomas Giddings turns his lens on the kids of Amsterdam in homage to the Dutch Masters, while fearless artist Rachel Maclean presents the unashamed power of pink. We see Dree Hemingway cavorting with Chanel’s Cruise 2017 collection in Upstate New York, and explore the fluidity of gender in modern-day Tel Aviv. Yves Saint Laurent presents a study in beauty through the ages, artfully reworked to be the very definition of now, and we meet LA-based model-turned-musician Kacy Hill, who has recently caught the eye of Kanye West. In addition to this, Francesca Gavin takes us on a visceral MDMA trip with artist Geoffrey Farmer, and we sit down with Jane Moseley, the sex-boot wearing model who piqued Demna Gvasalia’s interest.
BUY
BUY
Farfetch and AQUAZZURA Unveil Exclusive Capsule Collection
Four beautiful and talented women from around the globe have teamed up with AQUAZZURA to create a new capsule collection. Launching exclusively on Farfetch, Holli Rogers, Claire Distenfeld, Pascaline Smets and Princess Deena Al-Juhani Abdulaziz – all owners of luxury boutiques – have lent their unique eyes to the designs, creating 7 new styles with founder of AQUAZZURA, Edgardo Osorio.
Osorio commented: “Over the years I have developed a very special relationship with each of the collaborators – some of them have been wearing AQUAZZURA since the very start of the brand. They each have a truly unique and personal style, and it was very interesting for me to work together to create something special that felt very much like them. I also love that these four have completely different personalities and tastes, yet they all have strong characters and an amazing fashion sense.”
Styles include statement suede boots, gold platforms and staple stilettos with multi-coloured detail. Available online now, the collection drops just in time for party season.
Austra’s Utopia
The third album from Canadian electronic band Austra, Future Politics, is a record for now. Using rich visuals throughout which lend an aesthetic sensibility to the album, Austra (led by by Katie Stelmanis) explores the themes of future: dystopia vs utopia, creativity through individualism and injustice in a closed world. Written, produced, and engineered by Stelmanis, her mellifluous vocals ride over a catchy synth beats to create a songs that are designed to inspire listeners to get involved and take control of their future. Twin caught up with Katie Stelmanis to talk musical influences, the challenges of a third album and Trump.
Why was it important for you to create this album?
I saw Massive Attack play a show a few years ago in Belgium and having not really listened to them previously, I was totally blown away by the show. I loved how they fused politics and music together in such a way that that felt emotional, rather than being lectured. I think when you receive political commentary through music it allows you to more easily welcome what you are hearing as it seems more genuine and compassionate. I wanted to try to do something similar with my new album; rather than speak about the sadness surrounding a personal breakup, I wanted to communicate the collective sadness felt by our generation and myself concerning the terrifying state of our world atm.
How has the social and political climate shaped the final product?
I actually completed this record months before Trump won the presidency, and started it years before he was even a candidate. So in a way the album wasn’t even intended to be a commentary on what we are currently going through though the themes fit pretty well. I was more obsessed with this idea of the future as being something mutable and controllable and something that we need to tackle with radical ideas, and I think this message is more important than ever.
How did living in Mexico City and Montreal influence and inspire the album?
I lived in Montreal during the winter when it was cold and dark and I hibernated for a few months. The songs that came out of that time are definitely the darker ones, I was feeling quite hopeless personally and also with the state of our world. When I move to Mexico I was immediately inspired and re-awaked, it is visually the complete opposite of Mexico with colour and light everywhere, and the energy of that city if reflected in the songs on the record.
This is your third album, how did you feel your sound developed on the record?
I actually feel like I reverted to old techniques in making this record being that I made the whole thing on my laptop, just like Feel It Break. I wanted to do that so I could maintain control of the whole process again. I did however learn a lot about production while making it, which is part of the reason I wanted to do it myself, to gain that knowledge and experience.
Does it get easier to put out an album with experience, or do you feel that you’re still learning?
I think it gets harder in a way. The more you know, the more critical you are. There is something so wonderful about naivety and what can come out of that, I often miss being in that place, although I feel that from where I am now I just have to keep learning in order to be able to make music that sounds like what I hear in my head.
Where there any challenges of creating a soundtrack that reflected and embodied your beliefs?
It is challenging to try to make your ideas come across as concise and sensical. When I was writing these songs there was like a million things I wanted to talk about and I had to work really hard to narrow it all down to a few key points. That was very hard!
Musically speaking, who are you influenced by?
This record was influenced by Massive Attack, Miles Davis, Alice Coltrane, Chancha Via Circuito, Grimes.
What are your goals with the album? And how will you be spending the rest of 2016?
My goal with this album is to get people really invigorated by the idea that the future is in their control – that we can start spreading ideas we want to become reality in the underworld and that those ideas will eventually make it through to the mainstream.
Future Politics is released Jan 20th 2017, you can pre-order it here.
Photo credit: Renata Raksha General
On Safari With Louis Vuitton
Those looking for a December boost should head over to Selfridges to check out the latest Louis Vuitton Menswear Pop-up at the iconic London department store, Selfridges.
The new pop-up has been illustrated by The Chapman Brothers, who were commissioned by Men’s Style Director Kim Jones to create a space inspired by his time in Africa. Expect to see giraffes looming large over the collection, while rhinos and jaguars roam wild across the wallpaper.
Launching in two waves, the visually impressive space plays host to a denim bar as well as an exciting array of exclusive products across ready-to-wear, accessories, shoes and leather goods. The Pre- SS17 collection is available in store now, and will be followed by the SS17 show preview from the 15th December.
No Strings Attached
A casual, transient and less committed mindset typically pervades the actions of the millennial generation. And it’s a theme that has formed the basis of the latest issue of STEREOSCOPE, a St Andrews based photography magazine. Under the title No Strings Attached the magazine explores how this flippant and laissez faire attitude within youth culture has translated into the relationship with the camera. Throughout the issue, the tensions of trying to develop a serious dialogue with photography as a medium in an age where everybody has access to a camera are explored, and subjects range from hot new Brooklyn band ‘The Britanys’ to off-kilter self portraits and stylised tableaus.
Jake, Lallie
Greece, Lauren Santucci
Entering its sixth year as a publication, STEREOSCOPE was founded as a means to celebrate the history of photography in St. Andrews by aligning the famous Special Collections of Photography and current St. Andrews photographer’s work. In a post-depression era where creative drive has become stunted by mounting student loans, the magazine has provided a platform for students in St. Andrews to showcase their work and discuss the current nature of photography.
Days and nights in Kolkata, Meleah Moore
STEREOSCOPE are guest curating the London Photography Diary’s new exhibition, No Strings Attached on December 15th.
First photograph: Sunken City, Kate Englemen
Tameka Jenean Norris: Cut From the Same Cloth
At a time of gross political uncertainty, American artist Tameka Jenean Norris’s new exhibition at the Ronchini Gallery is timely. Opening today, the exhibition sees Norris employ an expansive range of mediums, from video installations to painting and photography, to explore vital themes of black, female identity and self-image in today’s society.
Having grown up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Norris later moved to L.A., a transition that influences her new exhibition, in which the artist uses portraits to reconnect with distant relatives. The new collection of work illustrates the pivotal role of history in informing a sense of self, exploring the tension between discovering and owning one’s image and how identity is inherently linked to the past. Throughout, the work forms an engaging critique of contemporary social issues surrounding the appropriation of black culture and female-identity.
Tameka Jenean Norris, Marilyn No Matter What He Do, work in progress, 2016, courtesy the artist and Ronchini Gallery.
Speaking to Twin about the influences behind the exhibition and her work, Tameka told us:
The exhibition is a continuation of my first show at Ronchini Gallery ‘Almost Acquaintances’, and the works were mostly created at the MacDowell Colony in summer ’16, Peterborough, New Hampshire, and during this fall at The Grant Wood Fellowship, University of Iowa, where I am a Visiting Assistant Professor. Both the residency and the fellowship offered an opportunity for me to concentrate on a new body of work and have some space from the larger, more complicated world. During these periods of isolation, I spent some time contemplating about success in general, ‘black striving’ and missing my ‘family’ on the Gulf Coast and the surrounding areas.
Tameka Jenean Norris, Joel Want a Hamburger, work in progress, 2016, courtesy the artist and Ronchini Gallery
Although I have been making progress as an artist and academically, I feel that I have become disconnected from my family/community/tribe/village in the southern US, and this show is an attempt at reconciliation and reaching out to them. The reference photos I have worked from are mainly taken from Facebook, and some of the family members are deceased, incarcerated and others I have only ever been able to reach via social media.
The exhibition also displays abstract fabric works created by Tameka, as well as an installation of a large woven braid – both serve as metaphors for the memory. “My goal with this exhibition is to create a family tree of sorts and attempt to untangle the line of systematic oppression that has burdened my family and black American culture at large.”
Tameka Jenean Norris, Meka Jean Too Good For You, 2014, video still, courtesy the artist and Ronchini Gallery
Tameka Jenean Norris: Cut From the Same Cloth, Ronchini Gallery, London, 25 November 2016 – 21 January 2017, ronchinigallery.com.
Smashing The Glass lens: Photo Vogue Celebrates The Next Generation
The inaugural Photo Vogue Festival is celebrating the next generation of talented female fashion photographers, those who have subverted the traditional power male / female dynamic and liberated women from prescribed identities – the madonna, the whore.
Over three exhibitions in Milan, the female body is celebrated and examined in mysterious, alluring and mystical images from names such as Vanessa Beecroft, Petra Collins and Cindy Sherman. Beecroft’s work is exhibited in a stand-alone show that includes work from 1993 – 2016. In ‘The Female Gaze’ a host of dynamic artists are displayed together, creating a powerful rallying cry to a new era of fashion photography that empowers and enables women on both sides of the lens. The third exhibition, PhotoVogue/inFashion showcases the new talent who were brought together as part of the Photo Vogue competition. Conceived and curated by Vogue Italia, the festival also incorporates talks and lectures.
Photo Vogue Festival takes place in Milan, Italy, on November 22-26.
Elliss’ Unconscious Clothing For Natural Women
ELLISS is an exciting new brand that was founded earlier this year by young designer Elliss Solomon. Elliss’ first collection, entitled ‘Unconscious Clothing’, features flattering, contemporary designs, often emblazoned with bold prints, while staying true to the brand’s sustainable ethos. Elliss designs and makes the clothes in the UK to maintain a low carbon footprint, and only uses sustainable organic materials like cotton, hemp and bamboo. We spoke to Elliss about her inspiration behind the brand and the challenges of starting up her own fashion line.
What made you want to become a fashion designer?
I always knew that I wanted to do something creative and decided early that I wanted to study fashion at Central St Martins, which is where I ended up. I used to be very experimental with my outfits. I now dress quite simply and I am more conscious of the small details. That is where the design aesthetic for ELLISS has stemmed from.
Can you tell us a little bit about your vision behind the brand?
I design individual pieces that are beautiful, unusual and easy to wear: clothes that have a story. I am conscious of every step of the process – from how the garment will make you feel, to where it is made and from what materials. The fabrics I use are soft and natural and the garments are made in England to maintain a low carbon footprint. Every item is vegan friendly. The first collection is called ‘unconscious clothing’ which is a play on the idea of the ‘unconscious consumer’. I want the women who buy my clothes to not necessarily be looking for something eco friendly, but to choose a piece because of the design – to unconsciously be conscious.
How do you incorporate political issues into your work?
I am inspired by women who spoke out before others would. This collection incorporates 18th and 19th century portraiture into prints. Each painting or photograph is carefully placed to flatter the female form. The prints are slightly risqué and tongue in cheek. I want the women who wear my clothes to feel confident and empowered.
What materials do you use?
The Jerseys I have chosen for this collection are made from organic cotton, hemp and bamboo. Hemp is the most sustainable fabric. It grows quickly and is so dense it doesn’t allow for weeds. It is also naturally breathable and can be very soft. It hasn’t always had the best reputation but I want to change that. Hemp can be lightweight and delicate!
Which other brands or labels are you inspired by?
I am inspired by small brands that are authentic in their ideas and production. Veja is a footwear brand that has a really interesting supply chain. Although they do use leather, I am still waiting for someone to do something fresh and innovative with sustainable leather alternatives.
How do you choose the names for your designs?
The names come from the different activists that I have referenced in the prints and women in my life who influence me. The Anna body is named after Anna Kingsford, an anti-vivisectionist, vegetarian and women’s rights campaigner who has heavily inspired the prints.
What have been the most challenging aspects of setting up your own clothing line?
There are a lot of challenges but each stage is rewarding when you finally find a solution. I am always looking to my friends and family for feedback. Sourcing everything from fabrics to packaging takes time. When we find a supplier that is great to work with or a fabric that we can continue to use, things become easier. All of our postal packaging is recycled, from the stickers to the mailers. It’s really important to me to waste as little as possible.
What’s next for the brand?
Our online shop has just launched, which is really exciting! The first collection is available to buy now. The next step is working on designs for the second release. I am researching new and inspiring prints at the moment. I can’t wait to see it all come together!
ELLISS is available to shop online at www.elliss.co.uk
Miu Miu’s Skater Girls
Skater girls haven’t been this cool since Avril Lavigne: introducing the new MiuMiuOllie Sneakers, a line of skate shoes from the fabled fashion house.
Those looking for a way to spruce up your functional footwear game can revel in the candy coloured pinks and blues. The sneakers are playfully embellished with gems and feathers, mixing a hyper feminine feel with a gurney attitude, embodying the Miu Miu girl we all want to be today.
Sneakers are available in stores across the globe from November, with the feather styles following in January 2017. It’s time to get your skates on.
Eckhaus Latta Are Happy Campers
Eckhaus Latta, the experimental label helmed by Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta; has positioned itself at the vanguard of New York’s new wave and is hailed for injecting the city with a much needed shot of artistic flair.
Season by season they take NYFW by storm and enjoy a band of inspired and devoted followers, some of which have even started their own brands, such as August Vestbo of Bror August or Esther Gauntlett and Jenny Cheng of Gauntlett Cheng.
Eckhaus Latta’s offbeat designs and witty eclecticism has caught the eye of Spanish footwear brand, Camper, who recently invited the duo to collaborate on their project ‘Camper Together’. The result is an exclusive selection of block-heeled sock boots in delectable pastel shades.
The collaboration is a marvellous meeting of minds. Eckhaus Latta’s fascination with knitwear is merged with Camper’s shoemaking expertise, the outcome is captured in a short film set in Camper’s native Mallorca and features Eckhaus Latta muses, Hari Nef and Martine Gutieriez.
The film beautifully blends fashion and performance art, with the two models acting out trance-like sequences in which they attempt to drink out of glasses with the boots on their hands or crush oranges wearing them on their feet.
Speaking about the collaboration, Eckhaus Latta said, “we became very inspired by Camper’s late 90s Walk Don’t Run campaign, which captures Mallorcan and Spanish landscapes with normal people, occasionally in the shoes,” says Latta. “We felt inspired to use that as a jumping off point but our way, with our clothes and our people.”
Charlie Roberts Is Juicy
On the 24th of November, American artist Charlie Roberts will be previewing his highly anticipated solo exhibition Juicy at Marlborough Contemporary in London. Roberts borrows the name Juicy from Notorious B.I.G’s 1994 debut single, merging elements of hip-hop subculture with both classical and contemporary artistic influences – from Byzantine iconography, to comic books and Matisse.
Every facet of the exhibition mirrors Roberts’ playful and innovative artistic approach. He reimagines the gallery as a pop-up shop, hanging approximately 200 paper gouaches salon-style throughout the space. In keeping with his ethos, Roberts invites viewers to purchase the art as they see it. The work is accessible and affordable, and as each piece is removed, it is replaced with another, keeping the exhibition in a continuous state of flux.
Contrasting abstract patterned images with fluid female figures, and bright colours with pastel tones, Charlie Roberts juxtaposes every aspect of his work. His reputation as an innovative and exciting artist is ever expanding, and his work continually incorporates characteristics of both popular culture and highbrow art. Earlier in 2016, Roberts collaborated with Danish menswear brand Soulland, creating a successful limited collection of menswear. In his latest display of work at Marlborough Contemporary, Charlie further asserts himself as an inclusive and progressive contemporary artist.
Charlie Roberts: Juicy will be open to the public from the 25th November 2016 until the 7th January 2017 at Marlborough Contemporary
Acne Studios x Jack Pierson: Leather Dreams
Having always sauntered oh-so-chicly ahead of the pack, the new collaboration between Acne Studios and American artist Jack Pierson should not come as a surprise to fans of the Swedish brand. The new venture sees the label run a limited edition collection of leather goods, which launches today.
The capsule collection consists of one hundred leather pouches embossed with 5 different art works from Pierson’s ‘Caught in the Rain Broken in the Stardust’ exhibition which took place in 1994 in LA. The clutches are available in statement blues, reds and blacks and carry slogans such as ‘Dreams’ and ‘Again Again’.
Accompanying the leather goods will be a limited edition second edition of the original exhibition catalogue.
Visit acnestudios.com or buy in-store
PREVIOUS
Twitter
Tumblr
YouTube
Facebook
Instagram
