Swedish singer Lykke Li is to make her acting debut in a new crime drama titled Tommy, set for release in March. Directed by Tarik Saleh, Li plays Estelle, a woman living on the run after her small-time gangster husband is involved in one of the biggest robberies in Swedish criminal history. Saleh has directed a number of Li’s videos in the past, including I Follow Rivers and Sadness Is A Blessing.
Lykke Li in Tommy
Can’t Rely On You
Paloma Faith has released the video to her latest track Can’t Rely On You, that will feature on her third album A perfect Contradition which follows later this year. The soulful song was written especially for Paloma by Pharrell Williams, who also produces the single and appears as a backing vocalist. Meeting at the infamous Met Ball, Pharrell walked over to the British singer and sang a rendition of her own track New York, before taking her phone, adding his details and saying he wanted to work with her. The song, which is released February 23rd, is the outcome of that random encounter. The album is set to be the most upbeat Paloma has ever made, going back to her soul-girl roots with diverse influences such as 1960’s girl groups, ‘70’s disco and early 1980’s soul.
Pre-order the album at amazon.co.uk
Danielle Romeril Q&A
London has cemeneted itself as home to some of the most interesting and talented emerging designers. Danielle Romeril is one of those names. If you didn’t hear about her eponymous label last year, you certainly will in 2014. Twin caught up with the young designer to talk fashion memories, first jobs and future collections.
Was fashion always on the cards for you?
The short answer is no. I started studying Psychology, Politics and History of Art at university. After my first year, I took my exams and decided I needed to try something else – that university experience was just too dull and vacuous, and generally an inspiration void zone. I had always had an interest in fashion and can remember at aged nine having these design competitions with my nemesis in school. Both of us would draw and colour up designs and our friends would judge them – I usually killed it. It was my amazing camo-combos of neon colours and black that did it. When I was 16, in school we had this year that they call Transition Year in Ireland, you are supposed to spend the year doing subjects less focused on academic results and more focused on what you might like to do after school, before you start into the senior cycle and take your final exams. People study subjects not typically on the curriculum, they learn to drive or they help out in the community. We had to do this tome of a project, completely self led on anything you wanted. A scary idea for most 16 year olds. In Transition Year I partied a lot so I decided to teach myself to pattern cut, from a book I bought and I designed and made a coat from scratch. It was a huge undertaking but I loved it. The purpose of the coat was to make me look old enough to get into pubs and clubs while also looking cool – it worked, I got served and an A in my project. I should have applied for a place in an art university straight from school but I didn’t have the courage. I come from an academic family and I didn’t excel in art in school so I chickened out and hence ended up in the wrong university, studying the wrong thing.
Who were your early fashion influences?
I guess as a young teenager I would have been a bit unaware of fashion in terms of the fashion system. My education came from my mother who shopped in a beautiful store in Dublin called Havana. She was wearing Yohji and Jil Sander but in a really unselfconscious way – she bought the pieces because she loved them as garments, she didn’t read the press, she didn’t care what name was on the label, she just knew what was beautiful and special. At that time I dressed as I still do now, arranging my appearance based on my gut instinct. I remember a silver puffa jacket worn with a velvet A-line mini and rubber soled, lace up platform canvas trainers that I loved, until people started shouting spaceman at me in the street! That infamous Levi’s ad and Dublin being a sort of conservative place in the mid 90’s probably didn’t help. I always stuck out a bit, I was a very headstrong teenager, if I wanted to do something, I did it. When I started to study fashion I became a bit obsessed with Rick Owens – that obsession lasted a long time. I loved his raw but beautiful fabrics and tough leathers, the tough girl attitude with the sublime drape and fabric that just swept around a woman’s curves. You can’t see any of that influence in my designs now. I have lost my desire to design tough, heavy clothes for scowly but beautiful girls. I don’t try as hard now and I think I am happier, which I think you can see in my work. Oh and how could I not mention Cristobal Balenciaga and Miuccia Prada – as a woman and as a designer.
Your debut collection launched for SS13. How have you grown as a brand and as a designer since then?
I guess when I launched I still had the concerns that permeated the Alberta Ferretti studio ringing in my ears so I was thinking about customer, age, wearability, different fabric groups – all this stuff which sort of mashed in with my own thoughts and feelings and lead to a collection that wasn’t as cohesive as it could have been. By the following season I was just doing what I wanted to do, which always works much better. The label is now stocked in 10 countries across the globe which I am proud of. I think I have learnt the same lessons that you keep re-learning throughout your education and working life as a designer: trust your gut, do what you like and the rest will follow. I collaborate with an old friend and stylist, the very talented Kieran Kilgallon, and besides bringing another angle to the collection with how we shoot it and style it, he is like my cheerleader who helps me keep focused on my gut feelings and is always telling me to never do anything I don’t want to do.
You bring a certain sophistication to street inspired designs. How would you describe your aesthetic?
This is the bit I always fail miserably at, describing my aesthetic; it seems so concrete, like I have to nail my colours to the wall and never change my mind. I also wonder if people can’t just look at what I do and judge it based on what they see, what they touch and feel. Words are so often a clumsy tool to describe visual three dimensional objects. If only I was famous, it would seem mysterious and interesting that I don’t describe my work rather that I just have a poor way with words when it comes to my own designs.
I will try though, here goes. Firstly, I like to change my mind. That is what I love about the fashion system, that one season I can be all about Voodoo and tribal influences and the next season it is bubble wrap and sticky tape. How cool is it that fashion actively encourages us to scrap everything every six months – what liberation! Secondly, the label is vibrant and youthful, the clothes are fun but with plenty of cool attitude. A Danielle Romeril girl is going to stand out. As a designer my real passion is decorative possibilities, I love fabric and surface detail, I like clothes that feel simple, almost utilitarian. I guess that is the street influence you can see. You should be able to just throw on a Danielle Romeril item with a pair of flats and go but these same garments are extraordinary up close. They are clothes that should be seen in real life, garments you want to wear.
You previously worked as a designer for Alberta Ferretti and Amanda Wakeley. Did the experience drive you to set up your own design brand?
Amanda Wakeley was my first job after my BA course, and having nearly killed myself on my graduate collection it was a nice break, basically an easy enough job that allowed me to move to London and make some money but it wasn’t what I got into fashion to do. There was an absence of passion and excitement in the studio so I left it to study for my Masters at the Royal College of Art, which was an enormously positive two years – the years that cemented in me that I would never do anything other than design again. From there I was selected to work in Alberta Ferretti’s studio in Italy and I more or less decided on the spot to go. I needed money and a job; an MA is an expensive business. It was a so-so experience – I hated living in this teeny town in the middle of nowhere in Italy and the design team was miserable but when I left I was at a loss as what to do next. I just couldn’t think of where or for who I wanted to work for. A lot of design studios like you to work in one particular way and I like to combine drawing, draping and fabric manipulation. It took me six months of indecision before I took the plunge to start up the label. Maybe I lacked courage but once I get going on something, I don’t stop. My Dad’s mantra – corny as it may be – is when the going gets tough, the tough gets going. On crappy days I say it over and over to myself.
Your collections feature a lot of lace and leather. Would you describe them as a Danielle Romeril staple or can we expect very different materials in the future?
There is no leather and almost no lace in AW14 so I guess you’ll be seeing something new. I am very excited about one fabric in particular; it has beauty, geekyness and crazy nostalgia all tied up in it.
What is your design process like? What does a typical day look like to you?
It completely varies. Firstly, you are the boss of a company before you are a designer. I know that probably sounds strange to people who think we just sketch all day but there are a lot of emails, press, stores, factories, PRs, fabric suppliers, accountants – all the sexy stuff to deal with first thing in the morning – the buck stops with me for all the serious stuff so you have to juggle a lot of balls. I start at 9, go through the day with my amazing team, I answer questions, we bounce ideas around. I aim to have a really creative work place that keeps people feeling excited and passionate, hopefully I succeed some of the time. Then I get down to design and collection development and as it comes together you see what is looking really beautiful and add similar styles or utilise a successful technique or fabric more often. So I will sketch or get on the machine and work out a new technique or collage fabrics and colours together for new styles. Sometimes in the afternoons we will do fittings, sometimes I will have a meeting. I really love to collaborate with other creative people. For SS14 I collaborated with milliner Laura Kinsella and currently I’m working on a bag collaboration. Fingers crossed for more exciting collaborations in the future.
What is it like to be a young designer in London?
It’s amazing as long as you don’t think about the money and I don’t mean the fistful of fifties being shoved through your letter box every morning.
What did it feel like to receive exhibition sponsorship from NEWGEN?
It was a pretty big moment, I guess a career highlight for me. I was just tapping away, doing my thing, building the brand and the Danielle Romeril vision. I applied and then I got to the second stage, which a lot of people get to and then I got to the third stage and then I was in front of an 18 person panel, feeling completely out of my depth and then you wait and see. A week later they send you an email and I suppose it’s like the smallest thing and the biggest thing all in one. It changes nothing – you are still working on your new collection and sorting out production but it changes everything too. This thing, that has been a dream and a massive goal, that you have been busily pretending to yourself is no big deal, just lands on you one day. It’s like fuck yeah, but then you can’t tell anyone for two weeks except your family who don’t really get it – there is nothing worse than trying to explain to someone who doesn’t get it why it is such a big deal. So myself and Kieran Kilgallon (the stylist I work with) and my team basically just patted ourselves on the back, felt smug and went to the pub to celebrate.
What can we expect from Danielle Romeril the brand in 2014?
Hopefully, to be surprised and maybe to hear the name a few more times.
Images from Danielle Romeril SS14
Photographer: Joshua Gordon
Stylist: Kieran Kilgallon
Make-up & Hair: Sarah Lanagan
Hats: A collaboration with milliner Laura Kinsella
Table Of Contents
Siobhan Davies’s collaboration with the ICA, Table Of Contents, is now open until 19 January 2014. Set out to reflect on the concept of archiving dance itself, the project uses Davies own history as a choreographer and dancer as a starting point. Having worked closely with five dance artists Andrea Buckley, Helka Kaski, Rachel Krische, Charlie Morrissey and Matthias Sperling, Table Of Contents looks to find answers in the way this artform creates a lasting memory, or, if indeed it can. The new body of work comes in the form of a kind of live encounter or exchange, celebrating dance as a unique and interesting way to see the world.
“You always have to push yourself beyond the image others have of you and your work otherwise you are always in the past.” Siobhan Davies, 1982
Only One
FEATHERS, the female four-piece from Austin Texas are starting off 2014 by releasing a new EP. Out on Monday 13th January, Only One will feature new tracks Wild Love and The Only One, as well as never heard before remixes of Believe and Familiar So Strange, both of which were originally released on the band’s debut album If All Here Now. A Twin favourite, FEATHERS atmospheric synth sound translates beautifully onstage with front-woman Anastasia Dimou’s mesmerising stage presence. With their European tour, supporting Depeche Mode, they will be heading to the UK at the end of January and have planned a headlinning gig at Birthday’s February 1st, giving you plenty of chances to see them live.
Twin Picks: Killer Pumps
Killer stilettos, now commonly known as pumps have never been so popular. Elegantly proportioned, super sexy and versatile they’re a wardrobe staple that never goes out of fashion. Seen on the runways from Saint Laurent Paris to Fendi and Dolce & Gabbana (an autumn/winter seasonal staple for the Italians), who are we to argue with these fashion houses. We’ve gone through all the styles to give you the top four Twin picks…
Saint Laurent Pais Two-Tone Leather Pumps, £613, MyTheresa.com & Daniel Black Leather Mustio Court Shoes, £149, DanielFootwear.com
Alexander McQueen Suede Pumps, £485, MatchesFashion.com & Charlotte Olympia Fairest Of Them All Pumps, £407, MyTheresa.com
Gareth Pugh x Selfridges
Today sees the opening of the Gareth Pugh Monolith installation at Selfridges. Created with the department store to mark Pugh’s first appearance on the London Collection: Men’s schedule, Monolith takes you on a virtual reality journey, visually immersing you into the world of Pugh’s menswear collections. The two-metre tall chamber is located in Menswear on the store’s first floor, and is ‘part art installation, part futuristic fashion film and part fairground ride’. The project was brought to life by East London creatives Inition, with a soundtrack by Matthew Stone. The installation serves as a preview to the mid-January launch of Selfridges’ first store-wide creative concept of 2014, The Festival of Imagination, which celebrates the world’s most inspiring innovators, creatives and architects.
The State of Female Justice in the UK
This Wednesday, the 8th of January, The Southbank Centre has teamed up with V-Day and One Billion Rising to present The State of Female Justice in the UK. The event looks to explore why women experience economic, racial, environmental and cultural violence, and asks ourselves to think about real justice, and what that might look like for women in the UK. Hosted by Southbank Artistic Director Jude Kelly, there will be many inspirational women speakers, such as Sophie Barton-Hawkins (poet and former prisoner), Marissa Begonia (Coordinator- Justice for Domestic Workers in the UK), Baroness Helena Kennedy (Barrister and Labour Member of the House of Lords), Thandie Newton (actress and V-Day board member), and Eve Ensler (V-Day founder and Tony Award Winning playwright), plus more on the panel. So why not start your year off with a great debate, one that’s sure to get you thinking.
The event is free, but to reserve yourself a place RSVP to either monique@vday.org or rossana@onebillionrising.org.
Prada Womenswear Spring/Summer 2014 Campaign
Steven Meisel’s Spring/Summer 2014 campaign for Prada reflects the fierce and independent spirit of the collection. Teams of models hold us in their collective gaze, looking forward in a united vision.
Glowing with independent truth, a youthful idealism and aggressive optimism unites this modern feminine troupe.
Models: Julia Bergshoeff, Dorota Kullova, Ashleigh Good, Gracie Van Gastel, Amanda Murphy, Viktor Van Pelt, Maggie Jablonski, Lieke Van Houten, Maja Salamon, Ola Rudnicka, Sabrina Ioffreda, Magdalena Jasek, Nastya Sten, Cindy Bruna, Anna Ewers, Ophelie Guillermand, Malaike Firth, Lexi Bolling
prince releases new album
Iconic artist Prince is coming out with a new album from 3RDEYEGIRL tentatively titled “Plectrum Electrum,” in the early part of the year.
Last week he performed three consecutive house packed shows for fans at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. Prince, backed by members of both NEW POWER GENERATION and his new rock group 3RDEYEGIRL, ended 2013 with a bang that is still echoing through media and fan responses. 2014 is anticipated to be a big year for Prince.
Check out live performance clips from Sunday here:
Something In The Water (guitar solo) : guitarsolo.youtu.be
Musicology : musicology.youtu.be
paul klee at tate modern
It’s a new year, and why not start it with a visit to Tate Modern? Twin recommends the Paul Klee exhibition, which is on display until March 9.
Paul Klee is a giant of twentieth-century art and one of the great creative innovators of the time. At Tate Modern you can rediscover Klee’s extraordinary body of work and see it in a new light. Paintings, drawings and watercolours from collections around the world are reunited and displayed alongside each other as the artist originally intended.
Phoebe Philo Leads Fashion’s New Year Honours
British designer Phoebe Philo has been awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours List for her services to fashion. She is one of just three people to be honoured on the annual register. She is joined by make-up artist Pat McGrath and Central Saint Martins tutor and textile designer Natalie Gibson, both of whom recieve an MBE.
Joan Fontaine
Oscar winning actress Joan Fontaine died in California a week ago aged 96. The star of several thrillers produced by Alfred Hitchcock, and the sister of fellow Oscar winner Olivia De Havilland, she also had major parts in The Constant Nymph, Jane Eyre and Letter from an Unknown Woman.
She played the lead role opposite Laurence Olivier in Hitchcock’s first Hollywood work, Rebecca. Her and her sister had a notoriously difficult relationship, with Fontaine saying to a reporter in 1978, “I married first, won the Oscar before Olivia did, and if I die first, she’ll undoubtedly be livid because I beat her to it.” The pair remain the only siblings to have both won Academy Awards for acting.
Text by Beccy Hill
Sneakers from MyTheresa.com
We’ve chosen the top 5 sneakers from MyTheresa.com, from the best-selling Marant’s to the Balenciaga marble effect high tops and classic Nike runners.
Sometimes all you need is flats. www.mytheresa.com
Sneakers on picture above; Saint Laurent wolly suede high top.
Adidas by O.C. pro model bball leather high top sneakers with print
Isabel Marant blossom calf hair and suede wedge sneakers
Givenchy leather high tops
Balenciaga leather and suede high tops in marble black, white and grey
Nike roshe run sneakers
Tods x Central Saint Martins
Created in January 2012 with Jefferson Hack, the No_Code collection aims to combine the brand’s technical expertise with Hack’s creativity. Each student offered their own interpretation of Tod’s No_Code in the form of videos, illustrations or photographs, which were then judged by a board of the university’s professors.
The six finalists work can be seen here: www.todsnocode.com and a video diary can be seen here: www.youtube.com/todsnocode
Text by Beccy Hill
BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund Shortlist 2014
The British Fashion Council has announced the shortlist for their 2014 Designer Fashion Fund. This year’s nominated designers are Emilia Wickstead, House of Holland, Mary Katrantzou, Osman, Peter Pilotto and Zoe Jordan.“I am very pleased with the names on this year’s shortlist,” Alexandra Shulman, Editor of British Vogue and Chair of the Fund Committee, said about the shortlist. “They are a group of considerable talent, demonstrating the wealth of ideas and creativity to be found in the fashion industry in the UK.”
The winning designer will recieve a bespoke, high level of mentoring support over a twelve month period, as well as a £200,000 grant to provide necessary infrastructure to take them to the next stage in their business. The program itself is in its fifth year, with previous winners such as Erdem, Christopher Kane, Jonathan Saunders and Nicholas Kirkwood. The 2014 winner will be announced on the 28th January.
www.britishfashioncouncil.co.uk
Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Mary Katrantzou SS14
MEN IN MOTION RETURN AT THE LONDON COLISEUM
January 2014 sees the return of the innovative show – Men In Motion, the brainchild of former Royal Ballet Principal, Ivan Putrov. The show will return for two nights only at the London Coliseum.
Men In Motion boasts a star studded new cast featuring Ivan Putrov, Edward Watson and Vadim Muntagirov who will be joined by a cast of leading international names. Men in Motion showcases and highlights the range, virtuosity and splendour of the male dancer.
Ivan was born in Kyiv, Ukraine to a ballet family, where he trained at The Kyiv State Choreographic Institute and at The Royal Ballet School. He has had a fantastic career and Ivan has performed at special events and charities in front of world leaders and royalties at various occasions and places including Buckingham Palace. 101st birthday of Queen
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Mother.
Pet Shop Boys have written The Most Incredible Thing for Ivan. This ballet was first performed at Sadler’s Wells in 2011 and has been filmed by the BBC.
In 2012 Ivan conceived and produced ‘Men in Motion’ at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London. The show looks in to a century of development of the male dancer in ballet theatre. The show had two successful runs in London, has been shown in Moscow and Italy in 2013.
Don’t mis out on this magical show, which runs from January 30 – 31, and book your tickets here: www.eno.org
Bella Freud: The Jumper
Bella Freud is the much loved, London based knitwear designer. It’s definitely the time for a jumper and we love her range, especially the Psychoanalysis merino wool sweater, in homage to her great grandfather, Sigmund Freud.
Available online at www.bellafreud.co.uk
Winter Cinema at The Berkeley Roof-Top
This winter, The Berkeley Hotel has once again transformed its roof-top terrace that overlooks Hyde Park, into the most beautiful pine-filled forest cinema. Hotel guests and Londoners are treated to winter classics on the big screen, in their very own individual handmade cabin huts draped in fur, and perfect for two people.
To keep cosy there are warm down feather Moncler blankets, hot water bottles and home-made hot chocolate. Berkeley mince pies are also on offer for a very festive atmosphere.
Screenings at The Berkeley’s Winter Cinema will be running until January 31 2014, and winter classics include ‘Miracle on 34th before Christmas”.
Twin Picks: Ripped Denim
The denim maybe faded and distressed, but the trend itself isn’t going anywhere. Look no further than the streets of London to see that this trend has cemented itself and we are seeing new styles popping up in many SS14 collections. It may not be the most practical way to wear your jeans during the winter months but in case your feeling brave, Twin has picked four styles to keep you going until spring.
Frame Denim Le Color Rip in Noir, £217 now £151, matchesfashion.com & Current/Elliott Ankle Skinny Jeans in Borough Destroy, £245, donnaida.com
Rag & Bone Boyfriend Jeans in Moss, £140.11, shopbop.com & Splinter Ripped Jeans By The Ragged Priest, £60, topshop.com
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