With London’s rising reputation as a hub for independent film, it’s no surprise that it also hosts its own London Feminist Film Festival, which this year is take place from 20-23 August. The Rio Cinema, Dalston, and the Tricycle Theatre, Kilburn, are opening their doors for 15 film screenings over four days.
Subjects range from Jewish feminism to hip hop, views on gender from the young generation and an animation about a Welsh suffragette. The Feminist Classic section will this year feature Cynthia Scott’s The Company of Strangers, a multi-award-winning film about older women from 1990. Each film is followed by a panel discussion.
European capitals have long been considered to be temples of art, with a roster of household names to bolster their reputations – Madrid has Picasso, Florence has Leonardo da Vinci, Paris has Monet. Copenhagen, however, is current cool kid on the block when it comes to the art scene, and Chart Art Fair might just be the place to discover a corresponding famous face. From 21 -23 August, the fair will be holding a unique exhibition of contemporary Scandinavian artists from 28 countries at The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts Kunsthal Charlottenborg. Its unique presentation will propel the viewer through a unique and distinctive experience of the many different facets of contemporary Nordic art.
One of these facets is performance, and as such the fair will feature Spectrum, a programme created by Twin’s own art editor, Francesca Gavin. Intended to demonstrate how performance can be relevant, engaging and complex, Gavin’s programme will focus on Nordic artists who work in different areas such as architecture, sound and textiles.
Friday will see Tori Wrånes create dramatic aural audio works, while on Saturday, Sirra Sigrún Sigurōardóttir will focus on spectrum and movement through interactive spaces and David Mullett will leverage a psychedelic virtual reality. For the final day, Nadine Byrne and collaborators Julie Verhoeven and Peter Jensen will channel a variety of mediums including sound, sculpture and textiles.
Gavin has also created series of special projects: Video Video presents a series of video works from artists such as Joe Winograd, Katarina Löfström, Martin Erik Andersen, Rhys Coren, Samuel Levack and Jennifer Lewandowksi, and Sara Ludy, with the films being shown on designated screens in shop windows around Copenhagen.
Elsewhere, Carsten Höller’s graphic works (pictured) are a highlight, as are pieces by Franz West, John Kørner and Jaume Plensa, to name but a few. With accompanying events covering architecture and gastronomy, the fair looks set to chart a stylish voyage of discovery into Scandinavian culture.
Many brands have attempted to fuse fashion with technology, almost always resulting in clumpy items that feel redundant. However, when we were introduced to the recently launched handbag label, Gianoi, we knew we had something truly different on our hands.
Design duo Enrico and Raffaele Caroli, have taken their respective skills – one in design and one in technology – and created a line of luxury bags that fit into our modern lives in a way no other accessory has to date. The main feature not only allows us to charge our phones, a struggle of contemporary life, but by using the Gianoi app, the bag acts as one big notification center, alerting us when we have an email, phone call and even an Instagram comment, like or message. Each bag features a gold-plated logo which discreetly lights up and gently pulsates to keep you connected in a chic and colourful way. Through the app you are able to allocate different shades for every social media channel, making it effortless to use and understand.
The current collection is available to pre-order now, however, Twin was lucky enough to road test one of their prototypes for a week. Not only did the elegant design and flawless finish complement each outfit daily, but the lifestyle element became something we found hard to part with. Being able to charge our phones on the go was a commodity we became very accustomed to. We were able to fully charge our phones twice before the bag itself ran out of juice. To keep the bag functionality, we simply placed the bag on a thin, flat branded unit that magnetically attached to the bottom and charges wirelessly, making the whole process seamless. Having a bag that told us when we had an incoming phone call or email, made keeping up with modern life that much easier. We’d even go as far to say our Nadia (pictured above), aided our productivity that week.
When speaking to Raffaele Caroli, the former Design Director for Jean Paul Gaultier, he stated “Our offering is very unique because we have combined fashion and technology, creating high quality beautiful accessories that are also functional without compromising on the aesthetics. We are different from wearable technology companies because we have been focusing on designing pieces that women want to wear and use and look good with, rather than an item that just serves a technology purpose.”
The word Gianoi itself, as well as the logo, was inspired by Janus, the ancient Roman God of transitions, referenced in history with two faces – looking to the past and the future. The designers “believe that in the future wearable technology will become part of our every day lives, integrated into almost every aspect of the way we live.” Gianoi is just the beginning.
Protein Journal has been known for its observations of consumer culture since 1997; its global daily inspiration feed, monthly events, printed quarterly Journal and regular Insight Reports have since become authoritative platforms for the promotion of the people and topics driving cultural revolution in today’s society.
Its most recent publication is the Age Report, which challenges our understanding of ‘age appropriate’ and re-examines age-based stereotypes. The filmHaving So Much Fun At The Beachforms part of this portfolio, exploring the effect of the Internet on the new youth generation.
Award-winning filmmaker Lucy Luscombe speaks to nine young girls and boys, ranging from pre-teen to young adult, about their experiences of social media. They tell of bizarre scenarios, from a ‘catfish’ (when someone creates a false identity using Facebook, Instagram and so on, particularly with a view to pursuing a deceptive romance) to online revenge between two friends. Perhaps the most poignant conclusion is uttered by the youngest interviewee: ‘I feel like, when you’re on the beach, you should take a picture and the caption should be, “Having so much fun at the beach,” […] even if it’s not fun.”
What do you know about queer history? It’s not exactly on the school syllabus, which means we tend to be woefully uninformed.
That’s what Never Apart hopes to rectify with its LGBT Historic Colouring book, Colour by Icons, which celebrates some of queer history’s most colourful trailblazers: legends and heroic symbols of queer struggles, talents, and achievements.
The book costs $20, with 50% going to Rainbow Railroad and 50% to going directly into funding youth-focused programming at Never Apart. There are 25 iconic images found inside and bound in the 1980’s Colouring Book style.
It will be accompanied by an art exhibition at the Never Apart Gallery – its first – which will showcase works from a number of artists who took on the task of colouring a page in in the book. These will be auctioned off in aid of the same cause later in the year, and you will also be able to buy 3 different “Colour by Icons” t-shirts.
Never Apart is a non-profit organization in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, determined to bring about social change and spiritual awareness through programming with global reach and impact.
Never Apart seeks to educate on equality, the environment, and conscious living, while celebrating both established and emerging artists. The platform is geared towards igniting change through gatherings, music, art exhibitions, panel discussions, workshops, and special events.
Talking to Mayan Toledano and Julia Baylis, the best friends behind Me and You
What started as two design students connecting over their love of everything girly, and their dislike of the elitism and limits imposed by fashion school, led to the creation of Me and You—a fashion label with a cult following. Mayan Toledano and Julia Baylis are the best friends behind the label known for its beautifully simple underwear emblazoned with ‘feminist’ in pastel pink lettering, floaty tulle dresses, and fitted T-shirts covered in lipstick kisses.
Me and You began while Baylis and Toledano were studying at Parsons School of Design in New York. “We started collaborating on art pieces because we really liked the print studio at our school and it was a good getaway for us from regular class—because we hated it,” says Toledano. “It was very business oriented,” adds Baylis. “It was either become an assistant designer or become the next big thing, but we really wanted to design stuff that is accessible.”
“We always say that Me and You is about going to that place when you’re a young girl and you’re sitting in your room, where you feel safe and comfortable and creative.”
Snatching time between classes and assignments, their collaboration continued to develop. But it was the response they received on social media that really pushed the best friends to take it from escapist pastime to an actual business. “We didn’t sit down and decide to start a clothing label together, it was very organic,” says Baylis. “We began to print pieces and then our friend Petra [Collins] photographed some of our stuff, we put some of it on Instagram and people were commenting on our work and getting excited about it.”
The internet has been a critical space for the fourth wave of feminism, and Me and You has found a dedicated fanbase among young females who aren’t afraid to call themselves part of the movement. While some brands have tried to use feminism in cynical, attention-seeking ways at a time when it’s getting renewed interest, for Toledano and Baylis it is instinctive. “The idea of feminism was always so natural to me, I don’t even remember first becoming aware of the word,” says Baylis. “The perception of the word has changed so much, it has and morphed through each wave of feminism.” This is what lead the duo to incorporate the word ‘feminist’ into their designs in the way that they have. “We decided to take that word, which is so loaded, and use it in a fun, accessible way, in a pretty way, making it something that girls can relate to,” says Toledano.
Those tired of homogenous fashion imagery so far from a representation of themselves are turning to a new era of creatives unafraid to offer up a different vision—like Baylis, Toledano and their collaborators, who include Barbara Ferreira, Petra Collins, Arvida Byström. The imagery created for Me and You, which is as much a part of the brand as the clothing, stands out for the diversity of girls—and occasional boy—featured. “Who we photograph is never calculated, it’s just people we see in real life or on Instagram,” says Toledano, “We would never airbrush our images, we show cellulite and whatever.” They have no qualms about body hair either, but point out that they see shaving as just as valid—what’s important is knowing that it’s a choice.
‘The idea of feminism was always so natural to me, I don’t even remember first becoming aware of the word.”
With Me and You, Baylis and Toledano have created a world of comfort, vulnerability and the freedom that comes with having total support from a community of like-minded individuals. That is perfectly encompassed by how they describe their label: “We always say that Me and You is about going to that place when you’re a young girl and you’re sitting in your room, where you feel safe and comfortable and creative. We always reference that place because we think that exists within everyone. It’s that place where you feel uninhibited, you feel yourself.”
As the daughter of Sting and Trudie Styler, Twin favourite Eliot Sumner has some serious music credentials. Despite being just age 24 (she turns 25 at the end of the month), she has an uncanny knack of creating music that gives you the chills, and her latest track, Firewood, is no exception. It’s out now on iTunes, and her hotly anticipated album is promised later this year – although details are being kept very hush hush. If you’re lucky, you can catch her tonight, playing at the Kings Head Club. Check out her website for more details.
Falling/ Floating/ Drowning/ Dying by Phoebe English
The brilliant designer and Twin favourite Phoebe English debuts her book, Falling/ Floating/ Drowning/ Flying today to accompany the exhibition of the same name, on at Now Gallery on the Greenwich Peninsula.
English is known for her intricate, meticulous creations and the exhibition provides a fascinating insight into her design process, featuring sketches, photos and fragments from her previous collections.
With such painstaking attention to detail, the book is sure to be beautiful—but only 100 copies have been made, so make sure you get your hands on one.
We’ve already declared our love for Matt & Nat’s über chic, eco-friendly designs here on the Twin blog, but the brand is now going one step further and producing bags with a double dose of goodness.
100 % of the purchase price of its limited-edition Hope bag (£50, pictured) will go to a charity of your choice, although Matt & Nat has conveniently curated an extensive selection of environmental, humanitarian, and animal welfare organisations that it feels best represent its values of social responsibility, inclusiveness, integrity and love. Head to their website to find out more.
As ever, the bag is created from an entirely recycled, sustainable material that mimics leather. What’s not to like?
Twin favourites, Lizzy Plapinger and Max Hershenow, known more commonly as MS MR, are soon to release their second LP How Does It Feel, the follow up to their 2013 debut Secondhand Rapture.
So far the new songs, such as Wrong Victory and Painted, have showcased a new sound from the Brooklyn duo, and their latest to be released, the titled track off the album, features an anthem-like chorus that begs to be sung at the top of your lungs. Could this be a step away from the melancholic crooning that caught our attention, when Hurricane came out?
How Does It Feel will be released on July 17 on Columbia Records. Pre order it here and receive the first three songs released as an immediate download.
22-year-old Tabea Weyrauch was born in Hamburg but moved to Northern Ireland at age 6 – she describes herself as slightly culturally confused. Scouted at 17, she appeared on ‘The Model Scouts’ TV show and has never looked back. Photography by Sophia Aerts.
On London
My favourite place is Regent’s Park. But London has so many beautiful parks that it’s hard to choose! I prefer green spaces over concrete; I love how people change their behavior and relax in the presence of nature. I try to walk as much as possible, and will always try to detour through a park.
On style
My style is sporadic. One day I’ll dress like a teenage boy, the next I’ll put on a classy dress. I just follow my mood. I have a beautiful silver ring that my mum gave me that I am never without. I’d feel naked! I usually head to vintage shops or Zara, but the big name designers that I admire the most are Nicolas Ghesquiere and Karl Lagerfeld.
For their AW15 campaign, Kenzo’s creative directors Humberto Leon and Carol Lim called upon independent filmmaker, Gregg Araki, to take a nostalgic trip back to the teenage wastelands he created for his Teenage Apocalypse Trilogy, and the result is a short film entitled Here Now.
In a similar world of 1997’s Nowhere, this film is shot in the same style and frame of mind but features a new cast of young stars, such as Avan Jogia, Grace Victoria Cox, Jacob Artist, Jane Levy and Nicole LaLiberte. The costumes are all from Kenzo’s AW15 menswear and womenswear collections, of course, and are styled to enhance the characters and narrative of Araki’s short. All the signifiers we’ve come to expect from the director are present: overwrought teenage rebellion and angst, rampant sexuality, a nun and yes, the pre-requisite Shoegaze song.
In celebration of summer, Anglo-Swedish watch label, Larsson & Jennings have created four new styles that reinvent their best-selling Läder collection.
The four new colourways were designed with summer wardrobes in mind: the classic 40mm watch face has been teamed with a smooth dove grey, cyan blue, racing green and a grained black strap – all handmade from leather sourced from the Anglo-Swedish brand’s tanneries in Somerset and Sweden’s Tärsnjö – and finished with a gold or silver casing and a white dial.
The new Läder styles are available online or in store at their London location.
1947 was a bleak year for post-war Europe: a lack of adequate housing and poverty were daily struggles. Yet that all changed thanks to Christian Dior. His iconic New Look featured fuller silhouettes, the abundance of material rebelling against the austere, masculine narrow skirts forced by rationing. The collection carried a spirit of rebirth and renewal, and heralded a return to normality.
In a new exhibition running until 1 November, the esteemed fashion house will be showcasing this sartorial revolution. Featuring a selection of haute couture pieces dating from 1947-2015, photographs, documents, memorabilia, manuscripts, original drawings, miniatures of the Barsuit, New Look dolls, patterns and toiles, along with a tribute to the legendary Miss Dior perfume, it will serve as a genealogy of Dior style.
Musée Christian Dior, 1 Rue d’Estouteville 50400 Granville, France
Perhaps one of the most hotly anticipated exhibitions of the year opened at the Phillips gallery in New York a few weeks ago: “Complicities”, by Brigitte Lacombe.
Famed for her photojournalistic approach to cinema, this is the first time in her 40-year career that she has exhibited her work in the Big Apple.
Lacombe is best known for her portraits and reportage in both black and white and colour, capturing private moments on set. These include large format prints of Martin Scorsese, Meryl Streep, Dustin Hoffman, Andy Warhol, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Moss, amongst others.
The late, great, Richard Avedon used to regard her work with envy – a true compliment indeed.
Adding to the occasion is the opportunity to buy some of Lacombe’s original prints, so get yourself down there before it finishes on 30 July.
Monokel & Voo Berlin Team Up With Artist Axel Wannberg
The contemporary Berlin concept store, Voo, has teamed up with Swedish sunglass label Monokel Eyewear to create a limited edition pair of sunglasses, and together they have collaborated with artist Axel Wannberg on a accompanying art installation.
The all-white frames feature silver mirrored lenses, handcrafted in premium acetate with lenses from Carl Zeiss Vision. Wannberg has taken the pair as inspiration to create a mirrored sculpture built on basic geometric shapes to reflect the sunglasses perfectly. The art piece aspect of the project explores the concept of modern narcissism and the idea of self-image in a digital and hyper social society, that utilises the symbolic meaning of mirrors, used in both art and literature.
“The project begun with a discussion between us and Voo about narcissism and how digital tools and social media enables us to fine-tune and present this curated ideal image of ourselves,” states Robert Sandgren, creative director of Monokel Eyewear. “And it seems as if mirrors depict reality, but they rarely do.”
Twin favourites, Kate Boy, have announced the release of their latest track, Midnight Sun. Following on from singles, Self Control and Higher, the new song was written and recorded by the trio in Stockholm last December, drawing inspiration from the endless days of sunlight during Swedish summers: “Midnight Sun is about summer days that never end and also a metaphor for meeting in the middle and accepting each other for who we are,” states the band themselves.
After spending time touring the likes of festivals such as SXSW Festival, Secret Garden Party and The Great Escape, they also played headline shows at Koko, XOYO and The Lexington in London last year. Now, however, the band are focusing on their debut album, One, set for release in November.
To get in the summer mood, the NYC Young Feminist Giving Circle (NYFem) are hosting a festive evening celebrate their patron feminist, Frida Kahlo, at the New York Botanical Garden.
You’ll be able to stroll through Kahlo’s beloved Casa Azul reimagined in the Conservatory, see rare works in the Art Gallery and enjoy live music and performance art, all while enjoying a complimentary Modelo Especial draft beer or a Jose Cuervo Tradicional margarita.
After a self-guided tour, bask under the stars to learn more about NYC Young Feminist Giving Circle and the work they do to fund feminist-led human rights work.
Christian Louboutin astutely commented that “nude is not a colour, it’s concept.”
This remark came as part of the reasons behind the extension of his acclaimed nude collection: it now includes five shades of nude, from fair to a rich chestnut, as well as two new shoe styles.
Louboutin is famously inspired by the female form, and originally created nude shoes to enhance the fluidity, versatility and allure of a woman’s body.
The two new, seasonal shoes styles will be Deepik and Dorissima, the former an open-toe with a waved heel, and the latter a timeless pump with a heart-shaped toe, with a thin heel.
The launch will be accompanied by a user-generated social media campaign – follow it using the tag #NudesForAll.
Prada has been instrumental in helping wooden eyewear break free of its formerly dowdy image. The fashion powerhouse’s new line, Prada Raw, features sought-after smooth curves and top quality, light weight materials, while the grain makes each product unique. The trend reached new heights when Prada stitched leather uppers to its specs for the SS15 catwalk.
Prada continues its innovation with the launch of Prada Raw Avenue this Friday, a virtual catwalk where shoppers can experience Prada’s sunglasses through the eyes of six illustrations. Users can interact with the site in real-time through the different illustrations as they walk the virtual runway.
The artists from around the globe include Carly Kuhn, Megan Hess, Blair Breitenstein (whose illustration features above), Judith van den Hoek, Wong Ping and Vida Vega.
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