For Spring/Summer 2014 Kenzo looked to America’s West Coast and in particular California in the 1960’s. To convey these themes, the brand collaborated with director Hala Matar and actors, Anton Yelchin and Lydia Hearst to create a short-film titled, Automobile Waltz, where we see the protagonists riding around in vintage cars, crashing into orchestras and carrying out stunted conversations, all in a set reminiscent with old Hollywood movies.

The connection between the cars and the collection is that they “both share the timelessness and classic feel,” states Matar. For Carol Lim and Humberto Leon, the wave prints recall an age of visiting the beach during the heyday of 60’s surfers.

kenzo.com

Tags: Carol Lim and Humberto Leon, Kenzo, SS14

Astralis is the 23rd exhibition to be held at Espace Culturel Louis Vuitton in Paris. The exhibit claims to “take visitors on a journey into this strange reality by exploring unfathomable and inaccessible worlds.” Taking it’s name from ‘Astral’, another term for ‘invisible,’ this contemporary exhibition explores the relationship between art and the many forms of the invisible: from astrophysics to cognitive science and alternative knowledge, not to mention unexplained phenomena linked to a variety of visionary or metaphysical dimensions.

Including work from a dozen international artists, l’Espace Culturel Louis Vuitton is also organising a series of unique events to run alongside Astralis. Conversations and performances, youth workshops and weekend family activities are all ways to get involved with the exhibit. Running from now until May 11th, there’s more than enough time to get lost in space.

To find out more and check for activity dates go to louisvuitton-espaceculturel.com

Tags: Astralis, Espace Culturel, Louis Vuitton, Paris

Kendra Morris has a big voice and a soulful heart. In 2011 she received the Holly Prize by ASCAP and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, which recognises new singer/songwriters whose talents honor the legacy of Buddy Holly. Morris releases her album BANSHEE this week, so Twin caught up with the singer to find out a little more about this creative talent.

In your childhood you were constantly surrounded my music as both your parents were in bands. What was your first musical memory?
One of my first musical memories was the late nights when my parents would have friends over and they would have jam sessions or rehearsals with their bands. I would always creep out of my bedroom and secretly listen to them play.

Who did you grow up listening to?
I grew up listening to this oldies station 92.5 that played a lot of different bands from the 50’s and 60’s. I also had a cassette tape called Crusing Classics that I listened to over and over again. On it, it had Buddy Holly, The Shirelles and The Beach Boys, and I would listen to it and dance and sing in front of the mirror.

When was the first time you remember thinking that you wanted to make music?
I can’t remember. I always loved performing and being in front of people. If I couldn’t perform in front of a live audience then it was in front of my toys. I remember Whoopi Goldberg hosting the Oscars one year and when she talked to the TV and said “this could be you kid, ” I was like… Yeah, that’s me!

What was the first song you ever wrote? What was it about?
First song I ever wrote, I think, was when I was around 15 or 16… I can’t remember the title but it was something about believing in love, even though I didn’t know it yet.

When did you decide to leave St Petersburg, Florida and move to New York?
I always dreamt of moving to NYC but was so scared… It took the catalyst of having a strong headed band to link up with and do it. Sometimes you just need a little push.

What’s the weirdest thing that ever inspired you to write a song?
I don’t think anything is really weird to inspire you. You can pull inspiration from anything.

Your album BANSHEE was just released on iTunes. What are your favourite tracks?
That’s tough. It’s like picking a favorite child. I am attached to them all in different ways… I think I love Just One More because it was so difficult to get out and then I love BANSHEE for the story and then If You Didnt Go, I love the melody in the chorus. I could go on and on, each track has a special place.

What tracks have you been listening to recently?
I’m writing again so I’m listening to a lot of the new stuff we are working on.

What do you have planned for 2014? Are you playing in London soon?
I’m in the middle of a European tour in support of BANSHEE right now. We play in London on the 26th and 27th of February and then back home to continue writing and finding inspiration for the new album… I bet I find some inspiration on this tour too!

kendramorrismusic.com

Tags: BANSHEE, Kendra Morris

Bella Freud, the queen of punk knitwear launched her eponymous label in the 90s, and has held a cult status among the cool crowd ever since. The pre-spring line, Close To My Heart is no different, featuring girl crush Adwoa Aboah. For this collection Bella draws from her love of film noir, 70s reggae album covers, graffiti and images of her mother as a 1950’s teenager.

The new word jumpers of the season include: Hey, Psychoanalysis and Power, with the range also consisting of the Lion Star Tee, the instant hit Lion Stripe Jumper and the Distressed Dog Tee (a la the Bella Freud logo). These tees and fine wool sweaters come in a palette of Gitane Blue, Dirty Pink, Grasshopper Green, Grey Marl and of course the classic BF Black and White.

‘The reason for making anything, from a garment to a film, is because it excites me and because I like it’ – Bella Freud.

bellafreud.co.uk

Tags: Bella Freud, SS14

We can never get enough of angry young women at Pamflet, so happily we have two righteous books to recommend this month. They also happen to be about the politics behind our two major obsessions (music and clothes) too.

Words Will Break Cement: The Passion of Pussy Riot (Granta Books) by Moscow-based journalist Masha Gessen (brought forward from its March publication date because of Nadya Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina ‘early’ release) is the story of Russia’s most famous ex-political prisoners. In the past couple of years their iconic balaclava-ed images have inspired rebel-artists across the world, adorned greeting cards and been referenced by the masked cast in the poster for last year’s all-women Julius Caesar at the Donmar.

Gessen investigates the young women behind the cultural phenomenon, spending time with Nadya’s husband and father and corresponding with them incarcerated women in their respective prisons. If you saw the Punk Prayer film and got the Let’s Start a Pussy Riot art-book (which featured contributions from Meadham Kirchhoff and Yoko Ono amongst many others), then you really need to read this in-depth look at what it means be young, fearless and angry in the new Russia.

Stitched Up: The Anti-Capitalist Book of Fashion (Pluto Press) by writer and activist Tansy E. Hoskins and wonderfully illustrated by Jade Pilgrom will be launched on London Fashion Week Eve (next Thursday 13 February). Hoskins manages to convincingly bring the two Karls (Marx and Lagerfeld) into this passionate and radical critique of the fashion industry. Writing from the perspective of an outsider who believes it ‘truly is glorious and enthralling as well as exasperating and terrible,’ her stance will be familiar to anyone who’s been tempted by the quick fix rush of a high street bargain only to sink into shameful remorse immediately afterwards. In Stitched Up Hoskins might be dazzled by fashion, but that doesn’t stop her from asking critical questions around the provenance and manufacture of clothing and the exploitation of fashion workers from the factory floor to the catwalk. Luckily she has plenty of answers to suggest too, and in this theoretical, but enjoyably journalistic text, she confidently picks up the campaigning baton from her fash-critic foremothers such as Elizabeth Wilson and looks optimistically towards the future.

ALSO OUT THIS MONTH: Costume historian Amber Jane Butchart’s Fashion Miscellany is a darling collection of short essays and asides on style, tailoring and taste. On and off the page Amber lives her craft and here she always wears her expert knowledge lightly, packing this neat volume full of treasures. Reading it is like digging through a junk shop jewellery box: lots of fun.

Tags: Books, Pamflet, Pussy Riot

Fashion stylist’s are not the enigmatic creatures they used to be. Social media has created the era of the celebrity stylist, yet there are still some who’s work comes first. Aurelia Donaldson is the Deputy Style Editor at The Telegraph Magazine, a self-confessed tomboy and an insider to look out for. Trinity Ellis photographs Donaldson in Notting Hill where she lives.

Was a career in fashion always on the cards for you?
My father is a photographer, one grandfather an artist and the other an art deco dealer, with the rest of my family also in creative industries so I grew up surrounded by a very creative family and knew from an early age that I didnt want a 9-5 job.

As a stylist, what do you like to use as references?
I use everything as a reference- movies, art, books, things I see everyday and people I am around.

You’ve created fashion films for The Telegraph and NOWNESS in the past, are you working on any at the moment?
I am working on a short film for a British brand at the moment and am in talks to do another series of films for the Telegraph Fashion site. In the past I have co-directed a short for Markus Lupfer, styled films for Louis Vuitton, and have worked on films for NOWNESS with Zebra Katz, Alice Dellal and Lily Donaldson.

How would you describe your personal style? Does this reflect your work?
My personal style is pretty relaxed, I’m a tomboy. My uniform is normally black jeans and cashmere jumpers- I often end up wearing black, navy and grey but shoes is a weak spot. Girly shoes, ugly shoes, sexy shoes. I’m sure my personal style reflects somewhere in my work- I always like a little bit of androgyny.

What photographers and stylists do you like to collaborate with? 
I shot a story in November with Perry Ogden (which is coming out in March) in the west of Ireland. I have always loved his photographs and I had this story in my mind for so long and he just got it straight away. Jeff Hahn is another photographer I like working with, his shoots always leave me excited to see the images. For me if I book a photographer, model, hairstylist, makeup artist etc its because I love their work so I want their opinion and the same for the rest of the team- it has to be a real collaboration to make it work.

Tags: Aurelia Donaldson, Trinity Ellis

Renowned British artist Patrick Thomas returns to the UK for the first time since 2008 to showcase a collection of silkscreened bold heart diagrams in his latest exhibition titled 100 BPM. Just in the nick of time for the Feast of Saint Valentine, Thomas’ show approaches the romantic hallmark holiday through the use of free-form screenprinting and collage, a technique, which the graphic artist has been honing for the past 18 months in trending European cities Berlin and Barcelona.

Currently on display at Stoke Newington’s Hang-Up Gallery until 16th March, the graphic artist’s show consists mostly of fresh new work and limited edition pieces, with a small number of perforated prints that mimic arrow shots alongside further pieces that feature arrows installed into the walls of the gallery. Titling his first solo-exhibition after an accelerated heartbeat and the number of beats per minute of someone who is ‘in love’, the exhibition also includes prevailing and clichéd slogans such as ‘I Love My Baby’, ‘True Love’ and ‘LUV U 24/7’.

Having showcased his work on an international scale, from Florida’s Salvador Dali Museum to Tokyo’s Ginza Graphic Gallery, Thomas has released over 150 editions of work and is also featured in Studio laVista’s publications Black & White and Protest Stencil Toolkit.

100 BPM is by far one of Thomas’ strongest pieces of work and takes us on an amourous and lively graphic journey that is bound to make your heart flutter.

hanguppictures.com

Tags: Hang-Up Gallery, Patrick Thomas

It’s time to start buying into Spring/Summer 2014. One key piece, seen on the catwalks of Carven, Dries Van Noten, Christopher Kane and Givenchy, is the pleated knee length skirt. This versatile garmet is set to be a wardrobe staple come spring, worn with everything from luxury tee’s and logo sweats, so why not start wearing them now. This week we pick Twin‘s top pleated skirts, so you can get ahead of the game.

Asymetric Two-Tone Pleated Skirt, £39, zara.com & J.W. Anderson Pleated Crepe Wool Skirt, £495, brownsfashion.com

Proenza Schouler Pleated Skirt, £709, farfetch.com & Givenchy Pleated Silk Jersey Skirt, £575, brownsfashion.com

Tags: Givenchy, JW Anderson, Pleated Skirts, Proenza Schouler, SS14, Zara

Trevor Undi is a British/Canadian video and film director and photographer, who has previously worked with Balenciaga, Acne Studios, Alexander Mcqueen, Burberry and Chanel, to name but a few. This season, his attention focuses on Erdem, shooting backstage at the SS14 show to create this cinematic piece that captures the true beauty of the designs.

trevorundi.com

Tags: Erdem, Fashion Film, SS14, Trevor Undi

Meadham Kirchhoff’s London Fashion Week shows are a favourite among press and fashion enthusiasts alike. For the past nine seasons their shows have been scented by Penhaligon’s and this April they are taking the collaboration further with a new scent, Tralala. The London frangrance house sent Master Perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour to Meadham Kirchhoff’s East London studio to immerse himself in their world and capture the essence of their brand – the outcome, an opulent, hedonistic blend of saffron and whiskey, layered over soft and supple leather, resins and balsams, then enfused with musk and vanilla.

“We do not have a signature but rather a handwriting. We like to tell stories in different ways.” – Meadham Kirchhoff

Tralala will launch on 21st April exclusively at Harvey Nichols.

meadhamkirchhoff.com

penhaligons.com

Tags: Frangrance, meadham kichhoff, Penhaligons

“You can totally do it, nothing should be stopping you.” This is the message Jillian Mercado wishes to spread to anybody with a disability through the new Diesel campaign. As the Executive Editorial Director at We Are Urban magazine, Mercado first met Formichetti through a shoot they were working on. The ad features a line up of 23 creatives, who were picked to represent all aspects of current youth culture. In an interview with Women’s Wear Daily, Formichetti said of Miss Mercado, “It’s never easy for her to move from point A to point B, but she’s totally fearless and has really been an inspiration to me. You don’t have to be a conventional model type to represent a brand.”

The campaign, shot by Inez and Vinoodh, will begin running in the March issues as well as being displayed in Diesel stores worldwide.

diesel.com

Tags: Ad Campaign, diesel

Black White Denim, voted one of the best boutiques outside of London has launched its own range of luxury basics. These include super cool wearable tees, vests, long sleeved tops, cardigans and leggings. Already a big hit, they have out-sold the Wang and Victoria Beckham basic lines in their Cheshire based store.

“The collection is designed with the woman’s body in mind,” states Jo Davies, Founder and Buyer for the store. “I have spent time getting under the skin of what my customers really want and expect from an essential basic piece. They are made from the highest quality cotton and modal fabric, meaning that the tees and leggings not only offer a softer and smoother feel to the skin, but are also colour fast and resistant to shrinkage. They act as the foundation blocks of every woman’s wardrobe and give women a base to style their looks from that will never let them down.”

These luxe basics are made entirely in England, and prices start at a very reasonable £50.

blackwhitedenim.com

Tags: Basics, Black White Denim

Miu Miu turned to Inez and Vinoodh to shoot their Spring/Summer 2014 campaign staring Elle Fanning, Bella Heathcote, Lupita Nyong’o, Elizabeth Olsen. They also asked the photographers and collaborators to create a fashion film for the collection, showcasing a techno interpretation that is both colourful and playful, highlighting the key motifs from the line. Featuring the same four Hollywood talents as the print campaign, the film shows the four actresses in their imaginary bedrooms with music by Porter Robinson.

miumiu.com/en

Tags: Bella Heathcote, Elizabeth Olsen, Elle Fanning, Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, Lupita Nyong’o, Miu Miu, SS14

Talent really does seem to be manifesting itself through youth these days. Last year’s break through pop act Lorde, who is up for four Grammy nominations at the age of 17, has an equally talented younger sister. India Yelich-O’Connor posted her debut vocal track on Soundcloud over the weekend, covering A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera’s Say Something. Stating that she put the track up as simply a bit of fun, it seems she has no interest in following in her older sister’s footsteps. Describing herself on her blog as a ’15 y/o with a fresh sense of mind’, it’s a safe bet that this won’t be the last we hear of Indy.

genresofindia.com

Tags: India Yelich-O'Connor, Lorde

This Sunday if you happen to be in New York and looking for something to do, head to MoMA PS1 for Wolf Moon Gathering, an afternoon of performance hosted by Girls Against God Magazine and its editors Bianca Casady and Anne Sherwood Pundyk. The event is to be a true celebration of the wild pokies online female soul with guided mediation lead by Bryn McKay, a dance ritual evoking the Goddess will be performed by Johanna Constantine and J.Z.araA, as well as music by singers Diane Cluck and Yasmine Hamdan. The first hour will take the form of an informal ritual of initiation, where there will be healings of sound, hand washing, and many forms of feathered-smoke blessings. They suggest that you bring an item of personal significance and to be in the moment fully, meaning all phones must be switched off upon arrival to make sure you experience it with your heart and mind.

momaps1.org

Image: Minka Sicklinger. get.your.rat.out.

Tags: Girls Against God, MoMA PS1

The chilly winter months are not kind to our skin. The wind can cause you to feel dry and without much lustre, so if there was ever a time to invest in your beauty products, it’s now. The best ingredients to look out for at this time of year are Vitamin C, glycolic acid and fruit acids – they help renew and bring back that healthy glow. Whether you’re a product junkie or someone with a simple daily routine, Twin has picked four skin saviours that will help you regain a brighter complexion. These nourishing products with revitalising ingredients will protect and hydrate, leaving your skin with a new lease of life to see you through till spring.

Cowshed Raspberry Seed Anti-Oxidant Oil, £36, cowshedonline.com & Guerlain Midnight Secret Late Night Recovery Treatment, £65, selfridges.com

Delarom Revitality Balm, £54, urbanretreat.co.uk & Jurlique Purely Bright Radiance Serum, £48, jurlique.co.uk

Tags: beauty, Cowshed, Delarom, Guerlain, Jurlique, Skin Saviours

Charlie May may be well known for her fashion blog Girl a la Mode, but each season she reminds us that she is a talented designer-to-watch also. When creating her SS14 collection, May focused on childhood nostalgia. “Growing up in the North Devon countryside as a tomboy and farmers daughter, whilst alternatively listening to the Spice Girls and getting mixed up in the questionable late 90’s fashion,” inspired the introduction of metallic pink and turquoise to her usually minimal aesthetic. Not only does May experiment with new colour palettes, textures are also a focus this season, working with mills for the first time to produce exclusive materials such as a woven polyester/silk metallic fabric that demonstrates a growing confidence in her designs. We find interesting shapes and silhouettes  such as flared trousers and cropped tops, which are those 90’s inspired pieces, pulling the line together in a delicately elegant way.

Androgyny is always at play when it comes to Charlie May’s collections and this season that meant a collaboration with Hudson shoes. Creating a white slip on brogue, featuring silver zip detailing – the epitome of a perfect summer shoe, according to May herself. “I was really excited to work with Hudson as I love what they do, and am so keen to move into footwear and accessories myself, but don’t quite have the resources to do that yet.”

The collection, including the limited edition brogues, goes on sale at the beginning of February.

charlie-may.co.uk

Tags: Charlie May, Hudson Shoes, SS14

TASCHEN’s London store will play host to their annual winter SUPER SALE from January 23rd-26th. The four day extravaganza will give you a chance to get your hands on 75% off slightly flawed issues or retired display copies of elegant art volumes, inspiring architecture books, slender design classics and photographic tomes. With limited stock at bargain prices, it’s not one to miss and getting in there early is highly recomended.

TASCHEN’s London store is located at 12 Duke of York Square SW3 4LY. Sale opening hours are 10am-8pm on Thursday-Saturday and 12-6pm on Sunday.

taschen.com

Tags: Books, SUPER SALE, Taschen

The legendary Kate Moss turned 40 last week and to celebrate, journalist-turned-artist Russell Marshall has curated an exhibition at Imitate Modern. 40: A Retrospective features ten photographs from her long-lasting career. The images were then created on ten canvases, in ten different colour combinations to give us a visual tour of Moss’s modelling endeavours. “Celebrity can be so short-lived these days, but not so with Kate,” states Marshall. “While other celebrities have come and gone, Kate has stayed. Kate’s not just a survivor and she’s not hanging onto fame. She grows bigger, brighter and more iconic each year”.

Prints from the show are available from £285 at beautifulcrime.com and canvases are also available from £3600 on the gallery’s website.

Open until February 15th, entrance to 40: A Retrospective is free.

imitatemodern.com

Tags: Intimate Modern, kate moss, Russell Marshall

Today The Photographers’ Gallery opens its doors to three seperate exhibitions that look at the work of three very different artists, all influencial in their own ways. The first exhibition, Taking Shots, coincides with the centenary of William Burroughs’ birth and features over 100 works by the beatnik writer, most of which are never seen before. Featuring vintage photographs, collages and assemblages alongside postcards, magazine and book covers in the first worldwide exhibition to focus on his photographic collections. The name of the show itself, Taking Shots, refers, obviously to photography, but also to Burroughs’ well-known heroin addiction and his obsession with firearms. The second show, running alongside Taking Shots, is the European debut of David Lynch’s The Factory Photographs. The series explores derelict factories from Germany, Poland, New York and England, depicted in his usual cinematic style to capture a bygone industrial era. “I just like going into strange worlds,” said David Lynch. “A lot more happens when you open yourself up to the work and let yourself act and react to it. Every work ‘talks’ to you, and if you listen to it, it will take you places you never dreamed of.”

The third exhibition, Photographs 1976 – 1987, focuses on the last decade of Andy Warhol’s life, featuring over fifty vintage black and white prints alongside a small number of Warhol’s Stitched Works. The show will give a glipse into the daily life of the well-known pop artist as people in the streets, parties, uninhabited interiors, cityscapes, signage, still life, consumer products and miscellaneous objects that surrounded him all come to life in the gallery.

The three exhibitions run from the 17th January – 30th March.

thephotographersgallery.org.uk

Tags: Andy Warhol, David Lynch, The Photographers Gallery, William Burroughs