Fashion
Dior Cruise 2014
Raf Simons took the house of Christian Dior to Monaco for it's cruise 2014 presentation. The collection was a clear example of Raf pushing both himself and the French institute that is Dior. A new take on the Bar suit with exagerated shoulders and narrow waist in bright red set the tone for a quite sporty collection. This athletic influence was opposed with a new material for Raf: lace. Another reinvented classic was a piece that at first looked and moved like a "new look"-skirt but was, in fact, a baggy trouser with pleats on the hip.
www.dior.com
Fashion
Once Upon a Time by Karl Lagerfeld
Imagine the French village of Deauville in the year 1913. It is also the same year that Coco Chanel opened her first boutique on the Rue Gontaut Biron, marking a milestone in fashion history. Those years before the first world war were years of glory and glamour, in its purest form.
To promote the Chanel Cruise 2013/14 collection, Karl Lagerfeld takes us back to those days. He created a black and white film starring Keira Knightley and Clotilde Hesme as curly-haired salesgirls in the back then brand new store of Gabrielle Chanel. Topmodel Lindsey Wixson also makes an appearance as the all-admired beauty from the city. The movie will be released on the 8th of May on the Chanel News website at the exact same time the Cruise collection will premiere at Loewen Cluster in Singapore on May 9th.
chanel-news.chanel.com
Art
ACQUA #3 by Giorgio Armani and Jim Goldberg
The international photography fair Paris Photo is returning to L.A. this weekend. For the first time in its history the event will be held inside the space of the Paramount studios. It will last from the 26th until the 28th of April.
It's the third year that Giorgio Armani is one of the official supporters of the photography fair, showcasing his exclusive exhibition ACQUA #3. The exhibition is made up of colour and black and white photography by Jim Goldberg, capturing life in Haiti. The exhibition does not only portray the social life of people, but also focuses on the beauty of water admidst the rubble left behind by the earthquake in 2010. Be it in form of springs, rivers or the ocean, it's one of the most dominant forces in Haiti's nature. To the people, the flowing water is a source of eternal hope.
The Acqua for Life project initiated by Giorgio Armani started its activities in 2011, providing 95 million litres of drinking water for countries such as Ghana and Bolivia. This year the organization will continue to better the world by working together with Sean Penn's non-profit organization called the J/P Haitian Relief Organization. A few of the charity's goals are to improve medical care, developing housing and education facilities as well as providing food and systems to purify water, which Acqua for Life will now help to do.
www.parisphoto.com
www.armani.com
jphro.org
Music
Overgrown by James Blake
James Blake is back with another record that might shine even brighter than his eponymous 2011 release. On the new album soft and humming vocals or spoken phrases are paired with minimal bass and piano sounds. Overgrown has the same quiet minimalist approach as the genuine debut album. It's as much true to Blake's style as it is an evolution of his music.
The 24-year old only recently admitted to Theresa Wayman of the Los Angeles based band Warpaint being his girlfriend and how being in a relationship has made him grow as well as change his music.
In total there are ten new tracks with the album's first single being Retrograde. Collaborations with American rapper and the Wu Tang Clan's RZA as well as British musician Brian Eno make the record even more worth listening to.
jamesblakemusic.com
Fashion
Skies and Beyond by Bottega Veneta and Nancy Lorenz
Something very special was presented by Bottega Veneta at their Milan store during Salone de Mobile. The luxury fashion house revealed an exclusive line of 25 boxes created in collaboration with the artist Nancy Lorenz. After launching the “Lunar Landscapes“ box collection in 2003 and the “Botanical“ collection in 2002, ten years later the new collection seems to be a worthy follow-up. Its name is “Skies and Beyond“.
Each box is made out of wood and is covered in leather or suede. Rare and valuable materials such as white gold, leaf gold and mother of pearl are used for the lid. Every lid looks different and no box is the same, making each box a unique. Those 25 boxes are the perfect storage space for precious things, while they serve as fancy decoration in any room they are placed in.
Nancy Lorenz, who also lived in Tokyo for five years, found inspiration in the handicrafts and use of unusual materials in traditional Asian arts. She is the perfect fit for such a collection, which is all about detailed hand work. All the boxes are numbered and are available to preview on the official website, where one can also order them with the help of personal shoppers via a phone.
skiesandbeyond.bottegaveneta.com
Art
Finding Balthus in the Fog by Hisaji Hara
One day in 2005 the Japanese artist Hisaji Hara was inspired by the paintings of Balthus and slowly the idea of recreating his portraits of young girls came to her mind. Instead of painting she would use photography as a medium, but try to recreate the same atmosphere that characterizes Balthus's images. This hotography series entitles Finding Balthus in the Fog currently showing at the Reflex New Art Gallery in Amsterdam.
Impressed by the authenticity of Balthus' paintings, Hara strived to create the same authentic feel in her photography. Using fog to emphasize aerial perspectives and shifts in focus during multiple exposures made her achieve a sense of depth and interpretive perspectives. Working with two models only, the Japanese artist recreated all the familiar and unnatural poses in the space of a vacant sanatorium.
Hara cast young Japanese models as the subject of the photographs and dressed them up in school uniforms. They reminded of school girls characters in anime or lolicon cartoons and reflect upon the way Balthus' portraiture of young girls had sexual connontations to them.
The exhibition is viewable until the 11th of May at the Reflex New Art Gallery located at Weteringschans 83 in Amsterdam. The gallery is open Tuesdays till Saturdays from 10-18 hrs each day.
www.reflex-art.nl
Fashion
Nicola Formichetti joins Diesel
It has barely been 48 hours since Nicola Formichetti annouced via his Twitter account that he will be leaving the French fashion house of Thierry Mugler. As everything changes at lightening speed in the fashion industry, his next move has already been revealed: Formichetti will be the new artistic director of Diesel, joining Renzo Rosso's legacy.
As an influential social media star, Formichetti plans to gain a following and create a new Diesel community via the online platform of TUMBLR®. They call it the DIESELREBOOT, the project will go live these days.
It is expected that Formichetti will bring fresh energy to the Italian label and reinvent the brand, just as he did with Mugler. The world is still left to wonder how this change will look like.
www.dieselreboot.tumblr.com
www.diesel.com
www.nicolaformichetti.com
Cinema
André Gregory: Before and After Dinner
To celebrate the life and work of director and actor André Gregory, the Film Forum releases the documentary André Gegory: Before and After Dinner. Since decades the artist has already been an influential and important personality within the film and theatre scene.
From directing arthouse movies to unconventional plays Gregory has never been afraid of breaking conventions. In Before and After Dinner he will discuss his role in the classic My Dinner with André from 1981 as well as his close relationship with Wallace Shawn and their collaboration for Vanya on 42nd Street. He also reflects on his upbringing and family ties, giving an intimate insight into his mindset and what made him into the person he is today.
The director of the documentary is Cindy Kleine, who conveniently is also the wife of Gregory. On the April 3rd the film will be released at the Film Forum on 209 West Houston Street, New York. Until the 16th of April audiences can enjoy daily screenings. After the screening at 19:50 hrs on the 3rd and 5th of April as well as at 15.15 hrs on the 7th of April, André Gregory himself and director Cindy Kleine will attend the event and answer the audiences' questions.
www.beforeandafterdinner.com
www.filmforum.com
Cinema
Jenseits der Mauern German Release
The French movie Hors Les Murs already came out in France last year, but only now the drama celebrates its release in German cinemas under the title Jenseits der Mauern. It's a moving and heartbreaking portrait of a love relationship between two men.
One drunk night Paulo meets bass-player Ilir in a bar and their fun night soon turns into a one night stand. The two men share intimate moments they will never be able to forget. Not long after and without even getting to know each other more closely Paulo decides to leave his old life behind and move in with Ilir. Then suddenly Ilir disappears. The only thing left behind are shards of what once used to be a loving romance.
The director of the film is David Lambert. Matila Malliarakis and Guillaume Gouix star in the main roles as Paulo and Ilir.
Fashion
Candy L'Eau by Prada
There's a new girl in town – Candy. Prada's newest l'eau is hitting stores in April 2013 and it is much more than just a fragrance. It envisions the kind of girl that could be the next It-Girl. Independent and questioning the world, witty and intelligent, but also dreamy and sweet. The wearer gets to embody these qualities by just putting on a few drops of Candy – ultimately becoming Candy.
Along with the elegant cylinder shaped flacon in a rosé colour with the gilded Prada script, ZOO Magazine received a special book describing the Candy girl in detail. 'Candy from A to Z' finds matching attributes for every letter of the alphabet referring o the sweet fragrance itself or the kind of person it embodies. A like Armour, C like Caramel, J like Joie de Vivre, P like Party, U like Unpredictable.
It also hints the star of the ad campaign – L like Léa Seydoux. For the l'eau of Candy the French actress reprises as the coquettish woman with the even blonde fringe. The short film about Candy being torn between her two lovers Gene and Julius was shot by Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola.
www.prada.com
Art
David Bowie at V&A
Just in sync with the release date of David Bowie’s new album “The Next Day“, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London is opening their exhibition entitled “David Bowie is“ about the music legend. It will explore the Bowie as an influential musical innovator as well as a cultural icon. The opening of the exhibition is on the 23rd of March and it will stay open until the 11th of August.
In total the V&A’s Theatre and Performance curators, Victoria Broackes and Geoffrey Marsh, have chosen over 300 objects from the David Bowie Archive to make up the exhibition. They include fashion, photography, film, music videos, set designs, even some of Bowie’s own instruments. It is the first international retrospective of the unique career of David Bowie and will surely attract people form all around the world.
The visitors of the V&A get an exclusive insight into the work process of the artist through his never-before-seen storyboards, handwritten set lists and lyrics. Private possessions such as sketches, musical scores, diary entries reveal where his inspirationa and his creative ideas come from. Various collaborations with other artists are a main part of the exhibition as well, such as the Ziggy Stardust bodysuits designed by Freddie Burretti in 1972 or album sleeve artwork by Guy Peellaert and Edward Bell.
The V&A is located at Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL. It is open every day from 10-17.45 hrs, on Fridays even until 22 hrs.
www.vam.ac.uk
Fashion
The new Crash by Chanel
by Rachel Marie Walsh
No, this timepiece isn’t a cut-out from Dali’s The Persistence of Memory. This is Cartier’s re-edition of the 'Crash' watch, a design originally produced for the brand’s UK boutiques in 1967. Cartier London was an independent company at the time and the melted-looking bezel is as reminiscent of Carnaby Street hipsters as it is surrealist art. In fact, the design was inspired by the broken watch of a Cartier London customer who’d been in a car accident. In the heat of the wreckage, his oval-shaped Cartier Bagnoire Alongée had stretched and warped, yet managed to remain elegant.
Company head Jean-Jacques Cartier was so intrigued by this “survivor” that he put it into production. Cartier liked the irreverence of the shape, especially contrasted against the technical perfection and precise construction of what lay beneath. Over the years, Crash watches from the 60s and 70 - all signed “London” unlike the signature "Paris" for modern watches - have increased significantly in value. One can see the appeal: something that is both luxurious yet which has endured the extreme.
This season, the Crash is available as a ladies dress watch in four models, each with bracelets comprised of drops of white or pink gold and gem-set bezels. One particularly exquisite style has a bracelet covered with brilliant-cut diamonds. In reference to the year it was created, only 267 Crash watches have been produced. An underground classic for true connoisseurs of Cartier.
www.chanel.com
Art
Mario Testino at Prism
These are the last days to visit the Mario Testino exhibition held at the Prism in L.A. The gallery is showing the work of the photographer until the 30th of March. Over the years Testino’s photography has made a name for itself.
He has an eye for capturing motion and depicting his subjects in a way that they never look still. The lively photograps range from classic black and white photography to bright coloured gloss prints and find their inspiration in various sources. This variety can be seen in the Prism’s current exhibition, where the most different photographs share one space. Lovers getting cozy in the shades of a mighty tree, Kate Moss in a bright yellow swimsuit with the sunlit sea as a backdrop, the silhouette of Marco Garcia against the sky, beaches with sandy shores, palm trees and unnaturally blue water – these are only a few examples for the diversity of Testino’s work, which is definitely impressive to look at.
The Prism is located at 8746 W. Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90069. The gallery is open Tuesday til Saturday from 11-18 hrs.
www.prismla.com
Art
Made in Mind by Marta Gnyp
Earlier this year the Dutch art historian Marta Gnyp published her book Made in Mind – Myths and Realities of the Contemporary Artist. The book is made up of a collection of interviews with important personalities of the contemporary art scene and gives an insight into the minds and ways of thinking of a number of artists.
Marta is regularly contributing interesting stories to ZOO Magazine and in fact many of the interviews featured in the book have previously pubished in ZOO Magazine. Marta Gnyp talked to Ai WeiWei in issue #26 about his ways of inspiring Chinese culture, to Valérie Favre in #27 about the representation of suicide in her art, to Boris Mikhailov in #34 about him working in the Soviet Union, to the Scandinavian duo Elmgreen & Draghurst in #36 about working together after breaking up and to Ulay in #37 about his upbringing that shaped him as the person he is now. Among the other artists she interviewed for ZOO Magazine were Berlinde de Bruychere, Urs Fischer, Subodh Gupta, Terence Koh, Michael Kunze, Eoin McHugh, Matthew Monahan, Robin Rhode, Pascale Marthine Tayou, Thomas Schütte and Arthur Zmijewski.
ZOO Magazine #29, Berlinde de Bruyckere
Gnyp discovers private motivations and ambitions in the artists’ work and analyses the context in which artworks are produced and presented. It’s an insight into the mechanics of relationships of artists and art institutions, collectors and the art market as well as a peek into how these relationships have shifted and continue to change in the globalized and fast-paced world of today. The book is released by the Swedish publisher Art and Theory.
www.martagnyp.com
www.artandtheory.org
ZOO Magazine #36, Elmgreen & Dragset
ZOO Magazine #34, Boris Mikhailov
ZOO Magazine #32, Pascale Marthine Tayou
ZOO Magazine #30, Subodh Gupta
ZOO Magazine #30, Artur Zmijewski
ZOO Magazine #30, Michael Kunze
ZOO Magazine #28, Matthew Monahan
ZOO Magazine #27, Valérie Favre
ZOO Magazine #27, Thomas Schütte
Fashion
Marc Stone Fall/Winter 2013-14
Stone grey is the essential colour of the Marc Stone Fall/Winter 2013-14 collection, which just showed at the Mode Suisse Edition 3 in Zürich. The bi-annual Swiss fashion event is all about presenting established and young Swiss fashion brands in a simple and elegant way.
The runway show of Marc Stone was dominated by minimalist designs and clear shapes. Classic dress shirts in dark green, checkered wool jumpers, long open cardigans and simple, yet elegant blazers were some of the designs. Quilted cotton piqué for cowl neck jumpers and soft pants explores new shapes and use of material. Fine tailoring and high quality fabrics define the garments.
Large grey and black weekend bags as well as backpacks of luxurious leather are the accessories for winter time and will protect anything inside from snow and rain. Classic, yet modern the collection shows versatility and is worthy of being part of any man’s wardrobe.
www.marc-stone.ch
Fashion
Saint Laurent Fall/Winter 2013-14
It was the second season designed by Hedi Slimane for Saint Laurent. His Fall/Winter 2013-14 collection spread a youthful vibe and grunge feel inside the Grand Palais and continued where the runway show of his menswear collection had left off. In a way it was a surprise how he went through with his idea of bringing back 90s grunge yet again, but the designs themselves looked familiar and were all the less shocking.
It was like going back and searching through a punk teen’s closet. The collection displayed what the find of that search could look like – oversized vintage cardigans, plaid men’s shirts, sequined sweater dresses, duffle coats, cut off jeans skirts, floaty flowery dresses, biker leather jackets, black lace slip dresses, furry coats with leopard patterns and rebellious leather bustiers bearing it all.
The list could go on and on. The collection’s variety of garments was remarkable, but nothing looked quite new. The garments were all worn with fishnet tights and bulky leather boots. The show almost left the audience in puzzled disbelief, when the light darkened after the last dress on the runway had been an unusual girly peter pan collar dress with a flowery pattern. However, the show still got a strong finish with a mass of models in tight leather dresses walking down the runway like a mob of punk rock chicks.
www.ysl.eu
Fashion
Wunderkind Fall/Winter 2013-14
Wolfgang Joop’s Wunderkind Fall/Winter 2013-14 collection pairs classic fits with playful details and from girly dresses with pockets to elegant gowns to wear on a night out, it has it all. While the collection started off with white garments making the models look like youthful ice princesses, the final dresses out of flowy fabrics had a more grown up feel to them.
A lot of pleats were seen throughout the whole collection. Whether on sleeveless shirt dresses, on jackets or blouses, it was all in the details. Among the variety of coats the highlight was without doubt the final piece – a wide furry parka in white, grey and black with a big hood, paired with a dress featuring an graphic black and white print of large tulips. The petals and stalks remind of spring time and bring back the memories of sunshine to the winter days.
Black, snow white and icy grey with a touch of a silverish shine were the neutral colours of the collection, while a warm brown as well as splashes of cornflower blue, bright pink and fiery red added more colour. Quilted leather jackets, furry collars, a button through skirt with fringes ending just above the knee as well as fringy hemlines on jackets and coats were essential to the collection.
www.wunderkind.com
Art
C/O Berlin Goodbye Party in Mitte
The C/O Berlin – International Forum For Visual Dialogues, one of the city's most established and popular photography galleries is moving space. The Postfuhramt has been its location since the C/O was founded in 2000 and its unfurnished and rough charm has given a special atmosphere to all of the C/O's previous photo exhibitions. The place certainly conveys a historic feel, as if it was filled with memories from the past. Those dimly lit rooms with high ceilings and impressive old wooden door frames have been the home to exhibitions of photographers from Annie Leibovitz to Robert Mapplethorpe.
The last day to see the current exhibitions of Christer Strömholm and Ulrich Seidl is the 8th of March with the latest admission time being 19.30 hrs. To celebrate the past years of exhibitions, inspiring talks and cultural activity in the Postfuhramt, the C/O is throwing a final goodbye party on Saturday, the 9th of March. The building will be completely empty to emphazise the beautiful space even more and be host to two dancefloors, three bars and many interesting screenings. DJs of the Berlin scene will mix music live and provide the right vibes.
The party starts at 21 hrs and the entrance fee is three euros. C/O Berlin is located in the Postfuhramt at Oranienburger Straße 35/36, 10117 Berlin. In Fall 2013 the C/O is relocating to the Amerika Haus in Berlin-Charlottenburg.
www.co-berlin.info
Fashion
Jil Sander Fall/Winter 2013-14
A unique simplicity has always been one of the essential element of Jil Sander's designs. Her new Fall/Winter 2013-14 collection stays true to her minimalist approach to fashion and clear cuts structure her garments.
Overknee length skirts of flowy light fabrics are part of this year's Fall/Winter collection as are sleeveless dresses with pleat details and deep v-necks. Other tops feature a neckline that resembles a cross between a boat neck and a v-neck. Coats with large pockets and an oversize fit, either worn open or with a belt to accentuate waist and hips, are the highlight of this collection. Their colours vary from a range of blues including navy and azure blue to a bright orange and yellow.
The collection's finale is made up of a number of simple black bandeau dresses with minimalist golden stripes and elegant coats of thick wool and fur. It is the epitome of pure and simple elegance. The signature minimalist design of Jil Sander at its best once again.
www.jilsander.com
Fashion
Prada Fall/Winter 2013-14
With this Prada Fall/Winter 2013-14 collection Miuccia Prada paid tribute to designs she personally liked. Unusual to Prada, it was a very personal approach to creating fashion. Flared coats with round buttons and knee-length skirts with asymmetric cuts were key pieces of the collection. Essential was also the accentuation of sleeves and their puffy look with either pleats or furry details.
The theme of gingham check of Prada's menswear was continued in the womenswear collection. Playful coats in white, light pink and soft blue as well as colourful weekend bags and shoppers were made out of checkered fabrics. Yet the feel of this collection was more mysterious than its menswear counterpart. Dresses and coats were slightly unbuttoned, zippers of jackets and skirts slightly unzipped. Necklines from shoulder free to V-neck were revealing a layered styling and the tender skin of the models. Fine brown crocodile leather as well as shiny gold and silver patent leather added a little more glamour to the collection, as if the dresses covered in black sequins and the luxurious fur coats were not enough.
The models with wet hair look walked their choreographed path accross the runway with sophistication and silhouettes of seducing women and straying cats were projected onto the walls. The inspiration to this Prada collection might have been more emotional than usual, but it still displayed perfection in every garment.
www.prada.com
Fashion
Machine-A Store Opening
13 Brewer Street just became the new London home of fashion store Machine-A. After months of preparation store owner Stavros Karelis and stylist Anna Trevelyan finally celebrated their store opening. “We're open! Come say hi!” says Machine-A's facebook page in all caps and invites new visitors to come and have a look at the new shop.
It's the store's aim to promote skilled designers and to support the uprising talents of tomorrow from the London as well as the international design scene. Besides the garments of designers such as Raf Simons, Agi & Sam, Chalayan, Louise Grey and Nashir Mazhar, the store will also offer a variety of accessories. One of the store's current treasures is the Fred Butler X Swatch watch. With many more interesting pieces to be offered by the store, a bright future lies ahead for Machine-A.
www.machine-a.com
Fashion
Calvin Klein Fall/Winter 2013-14
Determined and with a confident walk the models at the Calvin Klein Fall/Winter 2013-14 fashion show present the garments for the cold seasons to come. It was Francisco Coasta's goal to bring back the coat with this collection, and so he did.
His original inspiration came from a coat worn by the leading lady in the Russian movie Ivan's Childhood, which looked feminine and very tailored at the same time. The coats of this Calvin Klein collection have broad collars and reinforced shoulders, while at the same time waist belts and pleats keep the shape feminine.
The square golden buckles of the belts reappear on the toe-caps of the chic pumps, which are worn as an alternative to black patent leather boots. While thick twill fabric is used a lot, so is shiny leather for coats, dresses as well as tops with boat necks and cut-out backs. The look of a bandeau top is combined with a high waisted skirt to form a dress that reveals a little more skin than it should in winter time. However, black, creme, deep greens and blues are the ideal colours for the frosty season.
www.calvinklein.com
Fashion
Jason Wu Fall/Winter 2013-14
Extreme Feminity is the theme of Jason Wu's Fall/Winter 2013-14 collection. The idea behind it was to dress independent women instead of adolescent girls. Judging from the colours alone, they were more grown up than any of his collections before. The main colours ranged from black over silverish grey with black lace prints to white, while some garments were a warm caramel brown and bright red, just like the Jason Wu gown Michelle Obama donned for her husband's inauguration ball.
Wide collars competed against high buttoned up ones, furry details against feathery dresses. A clear feature of the outerwear were big pockets and lines of black buttons. A variation of black leather belts were worn around the waist of almost model, keeping the serious look together.
The styling was simple yet grown up – evenly parted hair and eyeliner-heavy make up. The scenerey of the runway show had an elegant look to it as well. A massive chandelier was hanging from the ceiling and shiny black tiles marked the path for the models to walk on. However, some garments undeniably retained a playful look with their see-through polka dot patterns and flying pleated skirts.
www.jasonwustudio.com
Fashion
Diesel Black Gold Fall/Winter 2013-14
Leather-look, all in black and white – these are the leitmotifs of the new Diesel Black Gold Fall/Winter 2013-14 womenswear collection shown at the New York Fashion Week. Of course there are other fabrics such as dark denim as well, but anything leather-looking is surely a fabric of the collection. The new creative director Andreas Melbostad is bringing a rebellious rock chic back.
Zipper details appear on the side of biker jackets or diagonally on extremely short mini skirts. Studs out of dark grey metal cover jackets and dresses, while wide belts with square metal buckles and square hand-held clutches are an accessories to jeans and coats. Never have stand-up collars and tight fitted woolen pants looked more defiant. Wide boyfriend shirts made out of thin fabrics add a casual dimension to the otherwise so slim-looking silhouette of the models.
Determined and strong are the looks Melbostad is going for with his new collection. The models wear black eyeliner, stare coolly into the photographers lenses and their wet hair is combed back sleekly. It's the discovery of the new Diesel Black Gold woman.
www.dieselblackgold.com
Fashion
Celebrating the 140th anniversary of the Levi's 501
The night before the Grammy Awards the party already started – with a special anniversary celebration. The Ace Museum hosted the 140th birthday party of the much-loved Levi's 501 model, which was first designed and worn in 1873.
The exclusive event featured intimate performances by M83 and Frank Ocean, who won two of the esteemed awards the night after. Among the 600 guests were Alan Cumming, Michael K. Williams, Zoe Saldana, Solange Knowles, Rumer Willis and many more.
Saldana and Knowles were spotted wearing polka-dotted looks, while quite a few of the stars resorted to wearing their own pais of the celebrated Levi's model. Whether it was a new pair or a torn version as seen on Rumer Willis, L.A.'s celebrities rocked denim.
The setting of the party was an installation tracing back the history of the Levi's 501 in all its variations leading up from the very first version to the new coloured 501 in fierce red. Photos of famous personalities from various decades wearing Levi's jeans accompany the denims dangling from the wooden beams of the installation and it is already certain that this is not the 501's last birthday, but that there will be many more to come.
www.levi.com
Fashion
Alexander McQueen Fall/Winter 2013-14 Preview
While it’s not even summer yet, Alexander McQueen is already realeasing a much sought after preview of their Fall/Winter 2013-14 collection. Once again Sarah Burton has created a gorgeous collection, which will surely be a highlight of next winter’s fashion shows.
No matter if the look is elegant or playful, the cuts of the stunning floor length dresses or short dresses with skater skirts are to rave about. Crochet details, golden embellishments around necklines and delicate frills are only the cherry on top. As outerwear long white coats with furry details around the neck and sleeves as well as black leather coats with laser cut outs keep the wearer warm on snowy days. Apart from black, grey and white, frequently used colours of the collection are luscious reds and blues.
They contrast the pale skin of the model, who looks as fair as Snow White from a fairy tale book. It’s as if the whole collection is telling a story. Puffy white sleeves remind of tops worn during the reign of King Herny and his numerous wives. Others garments however remind of religious and priestly robes. The black leather boots can be seen in either an ankle or overknee version with white pleats peaking out. They remind a lot of musketeer boots with a broad strap and a great golden buckle. But even if some of the garments look otherworldly it never overshadows how beautiful they are.
www.alexandermcqueen.eu
Fashion
Calvin Klein Spring/Summer 2013 Campaign
Provocations is the title of Calvin Klein’s Spring 2013 ad campaign and its star is Alexander Skarsgard. The Swedish actor most known for his role as1000-year old vampire in HBO’s True Blood appears alongside the Finnish model Suvi Koponen.
The Scandinavian couple is hot and sweaty wearing tight jeans in one scene, staring coldly at each other dressed in chic suits in the next. The entire campaign contains contrasting elements: Roaring fire in contrast to still black water surfaces. Modern symmetric architecture as the complete opposite of a shabby room furnished with an old TV set. Slow motion effects are used throughout the whole 10-minute clip, making fire explosions and the shattering of glass walls even more spectacular. The tiniest turquois glass splinters seem to be floating weightlessly through the air.
Each segment of the ad campaign has a different title: Part III. is entitled Wasting Time with Koponen daydreaming and chilling on the floor in a pair of skinny jeans. End Game is the name of another part with Skarsgard wearing a white suit and slowly lighting a match while staring at Koponen across the room. The campaign promotes garments, jeans and accessories by Calvin Klein all at the same time. The director of the film is Fabien Baron.
www.calvinklein.com
Fashion
BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund 2013
2013 is the fourth year the British Fashion Council/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund is being awarded. This year’s winner is British shoe designer Nicholas “Nick” Kirkwood, featured in ZOO Magazine #21 for his unconventional footwear designs. Five different designers were shortlisted, but Nick Kirkwood was chosen by the jury to receive the fund doted 200,000 pounds.
The professional business plan he had drawn up with his business partner Christopher Suarez vowed the judges and of course also Kirkwood’s unique designs and ability to create a modern line of accessories.
The prize includes a mentoring programme developed by the BFC to help Kirkwood to make the transition from a developing creative business to a global fashion brand. Kirkwood is graduate of the renowned Central Saint Martins design school and his first collection was launched in Spring 2005.
www.nicholaskirkwood.com
Fashion
G-Star RAW Fall/Winter 2013-14
Acoustic guitar sounds and a blue backlight fill the dark room when a ballerina enters with tiny steps on pointe shoes. After performing some steps of the Dying Swan solo, she throws away her belted coat revealing a tight bodysuit and trying to break conventions. One sentence is glaring from the screen behind her: The Art of Raw.
The G-Star Raw Fall/Winter 2013-14 runway show in Berlin integrated various art forms in making it a unique performance. The new icon of G-Star Raw is film star Michael Madsen, ending the show by reading a poem with his raspy voice and roaring into the microphone.
A huge variety of outerwear is presented by the models: quilted coats, hooded capes, belted and double breasted jackets. Denim is used in a lot of varied ways – for example as the lining of a jacket. Camouflage patterns, utility shorts, aviator sunglasses and caps as well as badges covering the boys’ jackets give the collection a military feel.
www.g-star.com
Fashion
Philipp Plein Spring/Summer 2013 Campaign
For the second time designer Philipp Plein works together with the renowned photographer Terry Richardson. Their aim was to produce an ad campaign showing sophisticated and strong protagonists reflecting on the brand’s one-of-a-kind identity. It’s also a tribute to contemporary women.
The backdrop is a modern version of the inside of Versailles. Dark wood panelling and bright neon light instead of candle light are the setting. The stars of the campaign are Brazilian transgender model Lea T, British model Poppy Delevingne and none other than Mr. Richardson himself. With their different looks and personalities, the two models show strength and sensuality in their own individual way.
From heavy jewellery, studs and black leather to delicate lace and silk the looks of the campaign are rebellious, seductive and luxurious at the same time. More pictures can be seen on the official Philipp Plein website.
www.philipp-plein.com
Fashion
Dolce & Gabbana Fall/Winter 2013-14
Prints of little bikes, colourful flowers, the Virgin Mary and other religious symbols cover Dolce & Gabbana's delicate fabrics in their Fall/Winter 2013-14 menswear collection. The two Italian designers devote their collection to “devotion” itself. Whether it being religion, family or love, all of those were the inspiration for the new collection.
Fine black suits, jackets covered in white lace or flowery embroidery look chic and romantic. The romantic feeling is reflected in the setting of the show, with roses on the walls and chandelier shedding a dim light over the catwalk. The simple shirt of light fabrics like poplin with crew necks and wide sleeves can be seen as a key piece. Its appearance on the runway is continuous, but in all thinkable variations with handworked details.
Street casting very young to middle-aged Sicilian men was the right way to achieve a sense of authenticity. The difference of not only age, but also body type and ways of walking didn't matter. Instead it left an impact and stayed with the viewer long after the show.
www.dolcegabbana.com
Fashion
Diesel Black Gold Fall/Winter 2013-14
“The Cosmic Tour” is the title of the Diesel Black Gold menswear F/W 2013-14 collection, which showed in Milan earlier this month. It is taking major inspiration from the psychedelic style of guitar legend Jimi Hendrix and anything to do with interplanetary travel. The models remind of rock gods in eccentric dress and look like they are on a music tour – through the whole universe.
Geometric hexagon prints meet organic paisley patterns and give a clear contrast between structure and softness. From chic to casual, the collection has it all: Shiny chic suits for the night, sporty jackets for the day.
Bright reds, blues and greens are the dominant colours. Unique pieces such as big furry coats and waistcoats reflect the individual looks of the models: They range from long blonde hair over tousled full brown beards to tattoo covered necks like real rock stars.
www.dieselblackgold.com
Fashion
Dior Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2013
This was the second Haute Couture collection for Christian Dior by Raf Simons. The collection started with references to the New Look Dior himself created in the fifties, but only in a more spontaneous and thus more modern way. This was also a chance for Raf SIMONS to show the house's magnificent techniques by the atelier. Even if the pleats on the dresses looked rather whimsical, it was done with so much care and savoir-faire, Fresh colors were used on lucious silks as they draped fluidly over the models' bodies.
Raf SIMONS chose a garden as the scenery of the collection, a strong notion for the house, considering its love for flowers. Flower motifs and petals were used decorating a couple of dresses. Some parts were rather sensual, with figure-hugging shapes and slits on provocative places. The whole collection can be considered as a meeting of the graphic and the feminine, with sharp suits and color-blocking on the one side and airy dresses on the other.
There was more then one reference to the past in this collection. Sometimes it looked a little bit sixties, sometimes it veered into the fifties.
www.dior.com
Fashion
Rick Owens' angels of the street
Rick Owens returned to the street for his fall/winter 2013-2014 collection after some time spent in the couture-area. The balance he found this season was exceptional, starting with the way the hair of the models was styled. Long-haired boys had frizzed hair creating a romantic image as they passed with red or blond clouds flowing around them. The collection started with an A-line silhouette and big sleeves, making it at some point hard to tell they were soldiers or angels, or maybe both. Last season there was no trouser to be found, with the models only wearing floor-length skirts, but this season the skinny trouser made a comeback, tucked into big and chunky boots. Obviously, graphic forms are a staple in Owens' work, this time created by shrugs tightened around the shoulder and reveresed colars, pointing upward. Two oversized tanktops, one in stiff cotton and the other in black fur, made for exciting silhouettes, reminding of the collections back in the nineties that promised nothing but good to come for menswear.
www.rickowens.eu
Fashion
John Varvatos Fall/Winter 2013
John Varvatos is the go-to brand for Rock and Roll guys with sartorial wit. This fall the Varvatos-man was more of a dandy than ever with slim-cut clothes in dark hues. Subtle plaids were combined with cozy mohair sweaters and slick tailoring. Varvatos re-introduced flared trousers for men to give that seventies aura. This al ended in a finale of lucious velvet suits, ready to be worn for the 21th century dandy.
www.johnvarvatos.com
Art
Pornographia by Studio Minailo
On the 14th, 15th, and 16th of December, Studio Minailo will present Pornographia during the Babelfestival 2012 in Amsterdam. Pornographia is an experimental opera about the collective desire for direct, fast and effective fulfilment of our needs and the first part of a trilogy that reflects on modern society. In 2013, the project continues with Megalomania and Nostalgia.
The show is Created by Elena Vink, Sophie Maczewski, Burkhard Korner, Krystian Lada and Sjaron Minailo. Upstream Gallery will host two performances a day, one at 19:30 and the other at 22:00.
Below: the porn production Out in Africa that inspired Studio Minailo to create this show.
Upstream Gallery
Van Ostadestraat 294
Amsterdam
Check out the website!
Art
Yoox launches online art shop
Our friends at www.yoox.com were already known for selling the best of designer fashion and accessories. Now they opened a new department in their online departement store; an elaborate art shop.
At www.yoox.com/art you'll find works from the likes of Damien Hirst, Marc Quinn, Thomas Hoepker and Grayson Perry. As online entrepreneurs, YOOX, did online exclusives with Damien Hirst and Grayson Perry. The first made two small versions of the Anatomy of an Angel sculpture (first picture) and Grayson Perry made a boxed set of table mats The Vanity of Small Differences (bottom picture).
Art
Antoine d'Agata Exhibition
The Kahmann Gallery in Amsterdam will host an exhibition about the work of Antoine d'Agata, known for his dark and broody photo's that are both beautiful and disturbing. d'Agata will not only showcase his recent photographs, but also iconic pictures from his earlier work. The artist himself will be present at the opening of 'Odysseia' on September 7th and his work will be sold during the exhibition.
Antoine d'Agata 'Odysseia'
8 September - 27 October 2012
Kahmann Gallery | Lindengracht 35 | 1015 KB Amsterdam | www.kahmanngallery.com
Art
A matter of act – sustainability in contemporary jewellery
Sustainability in contemporary jewellery is a topic that has been touched upon from time to time however few jewellers know the environmental and social impacts of the materials and techniques they often use.
In the exhibition “A Matter of Act – Sustainability in Contemporary Jewellery” the works of Gitte Nygaard, Julia Manheim, Karin Roy Andersson and Nicolas Cheng will be presented. The focus of the exhibition is to show how these four artists deal with sustainability in their art works. Concepts relating to preservation, recycling, fairly traded and ethically sourced materials run through the jewellery pieces.
Opening Friday 1 June Friday 1 June 16:00 - 19:00 Saturday 2 June and Sunday 3 June 11:00 - 18:00 www.steinbeisser.org
Art
James Franco: Dangerous book for boys
Oscar-nominated actor, writer, and visual artist James Franco presents his latest publication, Dangerous Book Four Boys, published in conjunction with his solo show at the Clocktower Gallery curated by Alanna Heiss. The book explores themes of childhood and nostalgia, games and destruction. This dense and often diaristic survey reflects Franco's interest in the contemporary American landscape of adolescence and young adulthood.
www.momaps1.org
www.artbook.com
Travel
A smart Guide to Utopia
Barcelona publishing company LECOOL brought out a travel to a better city: A smart Guide to Utopia. The book, inspired by automotive company smart, the expert in urban mobility, presents 111 projects from across Europet hat have made a positive, sustainable change to life in our cities. The projects range from urban farming to pop-up restaurants to sustainable design. The LECOOL network includes nine European cities from London to Istanbul.
The books focus on the authentic rather than the trendy and are presented in five separate chapters: “Live”, “Eat & Drink”, “Buy”, “Play” and “Work”. In the “open your mind” rubric at the start of each chapter, one visionary shares his or her ideas for the future of the city. The smart Guide to Utopia thus takes readers on a unique urban voyage of discovery.
The English-language book is available worldwide from 16 april 2012 in over 50 selected bookstores and concept stores as well as online. Price €24,-
www.lecoolbook.com
Art
Life Under My Skin
Life Under My Skin - 40 portraits de tatoués by Anna Mazas
Elin's feather by Anonymous/Reykjavik Ink, photography Nicolas Menu, Life Under My Skin
Nicolas' open book by Yann Black / Glamort Tattoo Parlor, photography by Nicolas Menu, Life Under My Skin
Diesel founder Renzo Rosso got his first tattoo at the age of 50. According to his and his company's motto, 'Only the Brave', he dared to have his initials inked onto a very prominent spot on his body – his hand. He said he “liked the idea of 'signing' one's body”, so it doesn't come as a surprise, that Diesel and Conti have collaborated to publish a special art book dedicated to inked skin. With the body as a canvas, Life Under My Skin tells the story of 40 people, 40 lifes and one way of expressing one's true identity. Today tattoos are synonymous with creativity, commitment and self-affirmation and are always a resemblance of the culture and influences that produced them.
Olli's with love by Laura Satana / Exxxotic Tattoo, photography by Anna Mazas, Life Under My Skin
www.editiondeconti.com
www.diesel.com
Art
Helmut Newton Polaroids
The Berlin based Helmut Newton Foundation has been showing 'Helmut Newton Polaroids' since 10th June of last year. The exhibition has been visited by more than 70.000 visitors so far. For this reason, the exhibition will be extended until 20th Mai 2012. With more than 300 photographs, a representative overview of Newton's legendary polaroids is displayed. Since the 1970's he had used this technique excessively, especially during his fashion shoots. The reasoning behind this was, that Newton himself always wanted to know right away, how the situation would be displayed on a picture. The polaroid functions as a sketch and a light meter at the same time.
Helmut Newton, Thierry Mugler, Monte Carlo 1998, Polaroid © Helmut Newton Estate
Helmut Newton, Paris Match, Monte Carlo 1985, Polaroid © Helmut Newton Estate
Helmut Newton, Stern, St. Tropez 1978, Polaroid © Helmut Newton Estate
In 1992, Newton published an extraordinary book, solely showcasing his polaroids. The book was close to his heart, yet highly controversial. Critics had claimed, the photographs were not perfect enough. The photographer himself defended his work, by stating, that he saw the beauty in just that: The imperfection, the spontaneity. He put little handwritten notes on the polaroids - comments regarding the model, the client, the location – which makes the exhibition an intimate view into the sketch book of one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century.
Helmut Newton Foundation, Jebensstraße 2, 10623 Berlin.
www.helmutnewton.com
Fashion
J.W. Anderson for Versus Versace
When it was announced some months back that Jonathan Anderson was invited by Donatella Versace to design a capsule collection for Versace, opinions were both in doubt and in awe. In some ways, the two aesthetics could not be further apart. Jonathan's brand J.W. Anderson is known for it's rigourous and boxy cuts and unisex approach. Versace obviously likes to keep its clothing as close to the body for it's sexually agressive and confident man and woman. But on another level, the brands have a similarity that can not be denied; J.W. Anderson is heavily influenced by the nineties-era and that period was, of course, Gianni Versace's initial heyday.
That tension is clearly visible in the collection presented wednesday in New York. Andersons personal influences were the austere and graphic pieces like cropped tops and skirts with high slits on both legs. J.W. Andersons latest menswear collection was all about ruffles, short hems and knee-high boots. That unisex-feeling returned in this Versus-collection as the clothes didn't change that much for him or her. The Versus-man is as confident in a croped and sliced top as his female counterpart. When the Versace-trademarkt made their appearance in the collection, it added extra depth to the collection with signature gold buttons, lace and safety-pins. The collection, reminiscent of Helmut Lang, Jil Sander and Versace himself, celebrated the nineties. But most of all, it was the result of an balanced joining of forces, in which both parties had an equal voice.
Fashion
MM6 Store Opening Paris
Just a few days ago, Maison Martin Margiela opened its first European store. After the first store was opened in New York in September 2012, it was only a matter of time until the next store in another fashion capital followed. The big white MM6 script over the entrance and the black door frame is visible from far away, attracting the Parisians’ attention. Located at 22 Place du Marché Saint Honoré the store is located in the prestigious first arrondissement.
The design inside the store contrasts dark wood with shining white tiles. The brown parquet floor leads the customers through the shop, along racks displaying the current SS 2013 collection and faceless white mannequins wearing some of the key looks. The furniture design uses clear lines and simplistic shapes. One of the core materials used for the furniture is glass, either in shimmering see-through or or transparent blue colour. Simplicity is the key to making the MM6 shopping experience a special one.
www.maisonmartinmargiela.com
Fashion
Karl Lagerfeld Store Opening Amsterdam
On the 25th of April, forward-thinking fashion brand Karl Lagerfeld opens its new Amsterdam concept store to the public. Selected press including ZOO Magazine and Dutch celebrities already got to take a sneak peek at the store's concept before everybody else.
On 150 square meters and two floors the luxury fashion is combined with the newest digital technology. The womenswear can be found on the ground floor along with matching accessories, footwear and eyewear, while the current men's collection and accessoires are available on the lower ground floor. On iPads the customers can make use of a digital guestbook, where they can view the latest collections, Karl Lagerfeld news and also take pictures of their favourite items. Fitting rooms function as photobooths, enabling customers not only to try on clothes, but also instantly share pictures of new outfits on social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter.
Essential to the store's design is the contrast between elements – shiny and matte, black and white, old and new. The achitecture of the old 18th century house built near the canals is perfectly incorporated into the modern design of the store. Located at Hartenstraat 16 and right in the heart of Amsterdam, the store is surrounded with buzzing cafés, quirky vintage stores and high-end boutiques of the 9 Straatjes. More Karl Lagerfeld store openings are about to follow in other major European cities and the expansion into Asian markets is another goal of the brand to be achieved by the end of 2013.
www.karl.com
Fashion
Mulberry First Berlin Store Opening
To continue the expansion of Mulberry into major European cities, the next store is opening in Berlin. It's the first store of the luxury fashion house in the vibrant German capital, bringing anything from the classic Bayswater to the casual Alexa manufactured in the tradition of dedicated craftsmanship with it. Mulberry, being one of the few fashion brands which still produces their goods in the UK, has always retained a focus on detailed leather craft and thereby guaranteed highest quality of their products.
Never forgetting the rural roots of the British brand, the store's design uses natural materials such as oak wood in warm colours or limestone, reminding of the English countryside. The British architects of Universal Design Studio came up with the store's design located at Kurfürstendamm 184.
A special treat welcoming guests at the opening is a kinetic art installation by the artist Frank Hülsbömmer. Besides the ranges of men’s and women’s leather bags as well as women's ready to wear and shoe collections, the Berlin store is home to the Willow Tote in a shiny brown alligator leather. It's the only one of its
kind in the entire world and available nowhere else.
Fashion
Adidas by Tom Dixon
The first installment of the collaboration between sportswear brand Adidas and industrial designer Tom Dixon was just unveiled at MOST during Salone del Mobile in Milan. A factory installation inside the space of a reconstructed 19th century railway station was the setting for the presentation of the new designs. Sleek sportswear and innovative apparel such as convertible travel bags are the core of the capsule collection.
Inventive garments like a parka that transforms into a sleeping bag or light hoodies to zip up into small pouches are true to Dixon's explorative nature and the forward-thinking technologies employed by Adidas. The highlight of the collection might be a spectacular modular five-in-one overall design that converts to a coat, jacket, pant, skirt, or short at will.
The collection stands out due to its high quality materials and production using British craftmanship. Mid November 2013 adidas by Tom Dixon will hit the stores worldwide.
www.tomdixon.net
www.adidas.com
Fashion
Window Displays at Lanvin Paris
Inspired by the prints of Alber Elbaz’ Lanvin Winter/Fall 2013-14 collection, the window displays at the Lanvin Paris store are currently filled with hundreds of butterflies. Swarms of fluttering creatures are suspended in mid-air surrounding the still mannequins, they seem to defy gravity.
The shapes of the butterflies give a playful notion and their elegant black colour is a contrast to the white skin of the mannequins as well as the Parisian creme stone walls found at 22 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. Flying through doorways, out of fireplaces and old-fashioned record-players the butterflies are attracted to Lanvin garments like bees are attracted to honey. The mannequins seem surprised by the sudden appearance of the butterflies, there’s nothing left to do but to hold on to those gorgeous Lanvin handbags and be careful not to take a tumble in those wonderful heels.
www.lanvin.com
Travel
Light It Up Blue
On April 2nd people all around the world wondered why major landmarks suddenly glowed in a neon blue. Among them were the Empire State Building in New York, the Sydney Opera House, the Great Pyramids in Giza, the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro as well as the Table Mountain near Cape Town.
Lighting up those landmarks in blue was part of the sixth annual World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD). To kick off Autism Awareness Month the mission was to shine a light on autism and raise awareness all around the world about the topic with the help of celebrities such as Yoko Ono. The event is organized by Autism Speaks, North America's largest autism science and advocacy organization. Since 2005 Autism Speaks has already raised $142.5 million for research and developed new resources for affected families. One of the organizations upmost goals is to spread information regarding the importance of early diagnosis and early intervention.
www.lightitupblue.org
www.autismspeaks.org
Fashion
The Surf Shack by Tommy Hilfiger
When surf culture emerged in America in the 60s, it was about much more than just the sport. It created a new direction in music and fashion - in fact, a whole new lifestyle still embraced by surfers around the world today. That surf culture inspired Tommy Hilfiger to create Surf Shack, a limited-edition capsule collection to accompany his spring/summer 2013 collection.
Tommy Hilfiger normally takes a fresh and young approach to classic American apparel. Surf Shack manages to create a crossover between preppy and laid back, resulting in surf sophistication. The 12 womenswear and 16 menswear pieces are made of summery fabrics like chambray and feature bold prints and neon colors. The beach apparel, swimwear, footwear, sunglasses, watches and bags are ideal from sunrise to sunset on a hot summer's day.
Tommy Hilfiger has also collaborated with the Art Production Fund again to invite five contemporary artists to design five unique surfboards. They will be available in selected Tommy Hilfiger stores from April 15, once the in-store installations of sandy beaches are complete.
www.tommy.com
Art
Art Paris Art Fair 2013
From the 28th of March til the 1st of April the Art Paris Art Fair takes over the space of the Grand Palais and brings artists from all over the world together. In 2013 the international dimension of the fair is one of its most important features, as 43% of the participants come from abroad. 20 different countries are represented by 144 exhibitors, giving insight into the cultural and artistic scene of their countries. In total 1,500 artistis are going to be on display.
This year the Art Paris Art Fair puts its focus on the art scenes of the East, from anything from Central and Eastern Europe to the Middle East and Asia. The guest of honour is Russia and a central space of the art fair will host 11 galleries from a number of Russian cities. Many European galleries will present the work of Russian artists, showcasing Russian art from the 1930s til today.
Other sections of the art fair include a space to discover new talents by inviting young galleries, which have been established for less than five years and were never part of the fair before. A special arts book sale and a platform for exploring links between design and art are part of the fair as well.
The Grand Palais and the entrance to the Art Paris Art Fair 2013 are located at Avenue Winston Churchill, 75008 Paris.
www.artparis.fr
Fashion
Human Made X Coca-Cola
The Japanese designer NIGO® launched his new capsule collection inspired by vintage Coca-Cola. The capsule collection is released under his newest label’s name – Human Made. The new line of menswear takes its inspiration from iconic work wear from the 20th century. A wide grey sweater with the old-fashioned Coco-Cola logo in a blazing red, a cap with stripes and simple white T-Shirts with prints of the coke bottles remind of the days, when Coca-Cola was brand new and everybody raved about that new fizzy drink.
Fun fact behind the collection: The designer owns a personal collection of Coca-Cola memorabilia including a red retro leather jacket from his high school days. He was also the Japan Coca-Cola yo-yo champion back in the 80s and awaited this collection for a long time.
The capsule collection is a collaboration with one of Japan’s fanciest boutiques, Beams. The collection is solely available at Beams surrounded by fitting decor like a neon light script of the Coca-Cola logo and a red vintage metal box filled with the classic coke glass bottles.
www.humanmade.jp
www.beams.jp
www.coca-cola.com
Fashion
Soulland Meets Babar
The Danish fashion brand Soulland’s new collaboration has something very unique up its sleeve. The garments are covered in prints of the infamous elephant Babar, the grey big fellow in the dapper green suit. Babar driving a car, Babar trying on suits, Babar having his shoes shined. This elephant has style.
Whether it’s a colourful allover print or a sketch-like black and white drawing, the elephant is everywhere. The collection features simple T-shirts, sweatshirts, shorts as well as button-down collar shirts with short and long sleeves. The colours of the 100% cotton fabrics are kept simple in white, grey and black.
The first time the original art work by Jean de Brunhoff became popular was back in 1931 and has been well-loved all around the world ever since. However, Soulland can prize itself in being the first menswear brand liscensed to make use of the art work. The collection named ‘Soulland Meets Babar’ will launch at Collette on the 3rd of April and will be available in selected concept stores worldwide by mid-April.
www.soulland.eu
Fashion
100 Chairs: L’Arte Ritratto by Marni
The Design Museum London has just announced that the charity project entitled ‘100 Chairs: L'Arte Ritratto‘ by Marni has been nominated in the category 'furniture' of the Designs of the Year 2013 awards. It is the only fashion brand nominated. The winners will be decided by a jury on April 17th.
It's a collection of various chair designs, which were then brought to life and put together by ex-prisoners in Colombia. The aim of the project is to support and re-integrate prisonders into social and working life. The furniture style is common with Colombian families, but Marni took a modern spin on the classic chair designs by creating new woven patterns and colour combinations. The chairs' structure is made out of metal and colourful PVC threads.
Two models of the chairs will be exhibited at the Design Museum located at 28 Shad Thames in London from March 20th until July 7th. The opening times of the museum are daily from 10-5.45 hrs.
www.marni.com
www.designmuseum.org
Fashion
G-Shock X Maison Martin Margiela
Everything is still very secretive around a certain collaboration between the luxury fashion house Maison Martin Margiela and the G-Shock watch. One thing is certain though: To celebrate the 30th birthday of the G-Shock, a new model of the GA-300 will hit the stores in the end of March 2013.
The GA-300MMM will feature a detachable leather band and it has been hinted that the 0-23 numbers of the fashion designer will feature as a pattern. The watch will be a limited edition with a number of 3,000 and only 300 stores all around the world will stock it. The exciting collaboration promises to be a successful one, but for now all one can do is wait and long for more details about the design of the covetable watch.
www.g-shock.eu
www.maisonmartinmargiela.com/
Fashion
Lanvin Summer 2013 Accessories
Not only the good weather is a reason to look forward to summertime, but also Alber Elbaz’ new designs for the Lanvin Summer 2013 accessories collection. The key to the new classic, yet modern designs is a sense of purity and precision, defined by clear and geometrical shapes.
The new shoulder bag Partition features different kinds of leather in graphic shapes and golden metal plates as well as screws. It’s the perfect companion for any occasion. The Stiletto heel reflects traditional craftsmanship and its most innovative part is the mirrored heel. The shoe combines metal pieces with luxurious matte leather. Like the other accessories the jewellery also features a lot of gold. With its large shining surface, the Oracle reflects the beauty of the wearer and is only one piece of jewellery among a series of cuffs, rings, earrings and wide belts reminding of corsets.
www.lanvin.com
Fashion
Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2013-14
For the Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2013-14 show the space of the runway was transformed into the hallway of a large Parisian hotel. The walls were draped with old fashioned tapestry and 50 doors out of dark brown wood surrounded the audience. The show immediately conveyed a voyeuristic atmosphere with the viewers being left to wonder what goes on behind closed doors and the desire to take a peek inside.
Once the light turned on, a few of the doors opened and the models left their rooms one after another. Among them were Kate Moss and Georgia May Jagger, who was previously photographed by Bryan Adams for ZOO's last Spring Issue. The collection was a mix of luxurious outerwear and intimate lingerie. The combined styling of the two gave the notion of the models being interrupted either while dressing for a night out or undressing for their lovers. Elegant dressing gowns were thrown on and spontaneously fastened with waist belts, tailored blazers appeared as stand-alone pieces revealing the models’ long legs and astrakhan fur coats were worn over slip dresses with lacy hemlines and pajama ensembles.
Many of the coats and dresses featured colour gradient application of sequins, making the patterns of dull plaids more glamorous. Fur linings and lapels as well as feathery details added another alluring touch. The colours were all toned down and no bright colours disturbed the eye. Shining satin and silk fabrics with cutesy patterns of tiny flowers, seductive see-through lace, high quality wool and luxurious fur were the main fabrics of the collection. A number of delicate dresses with flowery embroidery made for a perfect finish, before the models retreated to their hotel rooms once again. Marc Jacobs, being the genius creator of this collection, took his well-deserved bow – fittingly in red pajamas of the Louis Vuitton menswear collection.
www.louisvuitton.com
Fashion
Hermès Fall/Winter 2013-14
The atmosphere of the Hermès Fall/Winter 2013-14 show resembled a romantic movie set inside place of the fashion show – the library of the Parisian Lycée Henri IV – with the models as its leading ladies. The French heritage of the Hermès fashion house and of its designer Christophe Lemaire showed in the chic and sophisticated designs of the collection.
Among them were ankle-length skirts, oversized blazers, V-neck jumpsuits, tailored trousers and a number of elegant white blouses. Leather for jackets and skirts was featured in all kinds of variations from croc leather to suede. The long and wide coats with stand-up collars were a highlight of the runway show. The trick of the styling was to casually layer coats, wearing high quality wool coats on top of large furry coats.
Many of the garments were adorned with black leather trims and various looks had black leather belts with classic golden buckles as accessories. The main colours were different tones of brown from dark brown to hazel, many shades of grey and of course black. Some accents of navy and bright red stripes brought a little more colour into the collection of clear shapes, which every woman can be looking forward to for the wintery season.
www.hermes.com
Fashion
Tilda Swinton for Chanel
Tilda Swinton is certainly one of those actresses who always fascinates with her unique personality as well as mysterious aura. ZOO Magazine #17 featured an exclusive interview with the eccentric actress and now Karl Lagerfeld himself chose her as the new face of Chanel's Metiers d'Art Paris-Edinburgh collection.
A perfect fit as her Scottish descent matches the inspiration of the collection. Lagerfeld photographed Swinton with her platinum blonde hair in an all-white ensemble of the luxurious collection. The final versions of the images will gloss the pages of magazines all around the world in early summer 2013.
www.chanel.com
Art
Neck Plus Ultra by Henrik Vibskov
The Danish fashion designer Henrik Vibskov is a true artist and it's hard to pin down his talents on one particular creative field. Apart from creating genius fashion collections every season and regularly presenting them at Paris fashion week as the only Scandinavian designer, Vibskov is also part of the music world as well as the fine art scene.
Internationally touring as the drummer of Trentemøller and exhibiting is art works globally is something Vibskov is passionate about. His first solo exhibition in Paris will be on show until the 4th of May in the Galerie des Galeries and is named Neck Plus Ultra. It gives its viewers an insight into what influences Vibskov and what his personal inspirations are. The title refers to the latin saying 'nec plus ultra', which means 'nothing farther beyond'. By changing the first word to 'neck' it has a double meaning and is reflected in the various neck-like objects the exhibition has to offer. From scultures that look like black long necks of flamingos dangling down the ceiling to live-sized puppeteers in mysterious dark coats a variety of different art objects is shown. Vibskov makes use of the visual, audio and tactile senses of the viewers in many clever ways and fully engages each visitor.
Previously Vibskov has exhibited his art in some of the most renown museums around the world including the PS1 MoMA in New York, the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, the ICA in London, and the Kiyomizu-Dera Temple in Kyoto, Japan. He was also part of Basic Instincts, a collaboration project between ZOO Magazine and Premsela, the Netherlands Institute for Design and Fashion.
Neck Plus Ultra will be on display in the Galerie des Galeries in the Coupole on the first floor of the Galeries Lafayette until the 4th of May. The opening hours are Tuesday to Saturday from 11-19 hrs. The entrance is free. The Galeries Lafayette is located on 40 Boulevard Haussmann, 75009 Paris, France.
www.galeriedesgaleries.com
www.henrikvibskov.com
Fashion
Marni Fall/Winter 2013-14
Images of a forest were the backdrop for the Marni Fall/Winter 2013-14 fashion show, which showed black silhouettes of bald trees and soft light that reminded of a sunrise on a crisp morning in fall. Tall trees towered around the audience's seats and displayed the romantic beauty of nature.
The garments were a symbol for romanticisim stripped down to the very bare essentials. The varied usage of fur was one of the collection's key elements. It was fur of all colours and of all kinds – shiny, fluffy, astrakhan. Furry stoles accompanied bandeau tops and wide pants, fur collars added a finishing touch to coats and even gloves as well as boots' main material was fur. Oversized coats and blazers accentuated clear cuts with diagonal zippers as details. Skirts of dresses were slashed, giving away a view on delicate underlying mesh fabrics. Leather jackets and dresses added a feel of casual coolness, while the romantic theme of nature returned in the collection's prints of trees and abstract flower patterns.
www.marni.com
Fashion
Iceberg Fall/Winter 2013-14
With their Fall/Winter 2013-14 collection Iceberg decided to take a trip to the past. The first look of the runway show included a knitted sweater that re-invented the style of the one that was designed by Jean-Charles de Castelbajac in 1983. However, the creme coloured wool and crisscrossed black leather stripes look more contemporary than ever.
The reoccuring pattern of the whole collection was that of stripes – covering sleeves of sweaters, woven into jumpers wool, spreading diagonally across knee-length pencil skirts. Some pullovers were in a patchwork style mixing various stripey patterns of different colours with leather and furry details. Returning to high quality knitwear from jumpers over fitted cardigans to slouchy knit dresses, a variety of wool was used. While the knitwear featured wide sleeves and soft shapes, the collection also included jackets and blazers with sharp tailoring. Throughout the whole collection the designs had a focus on strong shoulders.
Leather cigarette pants with a slim fit in a bold fuchsia displayed a use of bright colours. Azure blue and lemon yellow were other main colours, beside black and white. The final looks of the collection turned the neat stripes into colourful twirls adorned with numerous sequins. All in all the collection had just the right amount of seriousness, but also a playful touch.
www.iceberg.com
Fashion
Fire Etchings by Karl Lagerfeld
From oil painings to contemporary photography the portait is one particular form of art that artists have been fascinated with ever since. None other than Karl Lagerfeld has created one of the most recent responses to what contemporary portraiture could look like.
In his exhibition “Karl Lagerfeld: Fire Etchings“ at the Galerie Gmurzynska in St. Moritz, the fashion designer and photographer dicovers a whole new medium for portraiture by using backlit glass and etching images into its surface with fire.
The subjects of the glowing blue, yellow and white images are rapper Theophilus London as well as the models Freja Beha Erichsen and Aymeline Valade – Lagerfeld’s current muses. The exhibition is on display at the Galerie Gmurzynska until the 23rd of March and viewable seven days a week from 10-19 hrs. The gallery is located at Via Serlas 22, 7500 St. Moritz, Switzerland.
www.gmurzynska.com
Fashion
Ralph Lauren Fall/Winter 2013-14
The atmosphere of the Ralph Lauren Fall/Winter 2013-14 fashion show reminded of Russia in the beginning of the 20th century. Black caps and furry hats were worn by the models and they looked like they were part of the movie classic Doctor Zhivago.
The collection didn't really settle on one certain look and had many different facettes to it. Another theme that reappeared was that of sailor and navy wear with designs that resembled captain's jackets. The runway show started off with preppy ruffle blouses and bows, cableknit jumpers and turtlenecks, duffle capes and well-fitted coats, wide pants and flared high-waisted trousers, floor-length ruffled skirts and A-line leather ones – all in black and white.
Then came a series of colourful velvet dresses with puffy sleeves and clever details created by gathering of fabric. The velvet garments in red, purple, blue and green were accossorized with tapestry bags and paired with brown, black as well as grey cropped and longtail blazers. But the collection wouldn't be complete if it didn't end with a number of glamorous gowns. From creme tulle to deep red taffets dresses, from black gowns with leather pleats to blue velvet dresses with bejewelled necks, the variety of gowns vowed the audience and got them up their feet to end the show with standing ovations.
www.ralphlauren.com
Fashion
The Unfolder 7 by Alexandre Vauthier
This is it. The Unfolder 7. The first bag ever to be designed by Alexandre Vauthier. While the fashion brand marks its fourth year in existence, this is the first accessory by the French designer. It's the cherry on top accompanying the garments of the current collection.
The square and slim structure of the bag looks classic, yet modern. The same effect is achieved by its materials of lambskin and crocodile leather as well as the golden metal chain and details. The versatile bag can be worn as a clutch or across the shoulder, just as one pleases. So it's an ideal companion for a night out, but just as much for a relaxed day in town.
www.alexandrevauthier.com
Fashion
Raf Simons and Fred Perry Spring/Summer 2013
After successfully launching his Dior Haute Couture collection earlier in January, Raf Simons’ new collaboration is just around the corner – with Fred Perry. The designer’s vision meets commercial fashion and spices up the traditional tenniswear. The campaign’s first teaser video was just released.
Three young men find themselves in a white spaceless place. In slow motion they are swinging their arms around and bobbing up and down the video’s frame as if they were performing a very slow dance. With their soft hair and pure skin they look like lost boys. Jump cuts harmonize with the choppy electronic music of screeching sounds and cracking noise. Stressed and scared facial expressions give the video a tense atmosphere, which is in a way contrasting the smooth look of the classic Fred Perry polo shirt.
Eccentric leopard patterns in grey and rusty-red as well as bold blue-black houndstooth patterns cover the shirts, while the collars often stay in a classic black. In other frames of the teaser, the shirts are worn in a layered fashion and colourful collars compete with each other. To truly pay tribute to the collaboration even the logo has changed: Not Fred Perry’s name but the one of Raf Simons is written below the brand’s signature laurel wreath.
www.rafsimons.com
www.fredperry.com
Fashion
Tim Coppens Fall/Winter 2013-14
Rebellious black bomber jackets and oversized coats are sported by young looking models with slim physiques and a whiff of coolness lingers in the air around them. Leather sleeves contrast dapper quilted fabrics. Once again Belgian designer Tim Coppens proved how excellent he is at designing versatile outerwear by presenting his Fall/Winter 2013-14 collection at the New York Fashion Week.
But that's not all there is to the collection. Smart white shirts with zipped up pockets and button-down collars or black turtlenecks of fine wool look fine on their own but are just as well combined with any other piece of clothing.
The black and white theme is continued throughout the whole collection with some grey and red accents. Black and white unite in a playful pattern that looks like someone took a spray paint can to white clothes and sprayed them with black paint at will. Tim Coppens creates garments that are true to a boyish spirit, but never stop to look grown-up as well. All in all it is definitely a collection men of all ages will be looking forward to for Fall/Winter 2013-14.
www.timcoppens.com
Art
Magnificent Obsession by Matthias Brunner
Just in time for the start of the 63th Berlinale film festival, the Nolan Judin Gallery in Berlin presents its new exhibition “Magnificent Obsession – The Love Affair between Movies and Literature“. The video installation is a compilation of clips from 36 movie classics. They are selected by Swiss artist Matthias Brunner and all of them display a form of how literature and film unite.
The selected film clips are from the 50s and 60s, back when Hollywood was still more glamorous than it is today. Not only American films were selected though, also a large number of movies from the European film industry. The “Nouvelle Vague“ period is the main object of the exhibition, when scripts delved deep into the subject matters of the actual books. In contrast, films that only deal with stories of books in a superficial way are shown as well. However, the exhibition’s goal is not there to criticise or to compare European and American cinema. Its aim is to show the richness and variety of cross-over between literature and film.
The film stills of Kubrick's Lolita and Truffaut's Fahrenheit 451 are by Reto Guntli.
The opening takes place this Sunday, 10th of February from 11-14.30 hrs. The exhibition will run from the 12th of February until the 6th of April and opening times are 11-18 hrs from Tuesday to Saturday. The Nolan Judin Gallery is located Potsdamer Straße 83, 10785 Berlin.
www.nolan-judin.de
Art
Fatigues by Tacita Dean
The current exhibition at the Marian Goodman Gallery in New York shows recent drawings of the British artist Tacita Dean. The series of chalk drawings entitled Fatigues was originally created for the documenta(13), which took place in Kassel, Germany last year.
It is the artist’s return to using blackboards and chalk. The drawings show the majestic mountain peaks of the Hindu Kush as well as the glacial springs of the Kabul River and its powerful passage. The water is rushing down the stoney surfaces and coming to a rise as it swallows the melting snow. This is what happens during the floods annually making their way to to Kabul. The city’s inhabitant both welcome and fear those floods.
The drawing of the mountain range is taking up the space in the North Gallery and the flooding is in the South. Additionally Dean’s short film “The Friar’s Doodle“ from 2010 is being shown in the North Gallery Viewing Room.
The exhibition is open from 10-18 hrs Monday til Saturday. Tacita Dean’s work will be on display until the 9th of March. The Marian Goodman Gallery is located 24 West 57th Street, New York City.
www.mariangoodman.com
Fashion
Stone Island S/S 2013 Night Glow Jacket
Some garments of the Stone Island Spring/Summer 2013 collection have a special feature: The ability to glow in the dark. Luminescence techniques have always been fascinating and now Stone Island is pushing them forward with their recent inventions.
The key to the glowing fabric is an extraordinary double-layered polyester piqué that captures light and reflects it when worn in complete darkness. A membrane inserted into the fabric prevents water and wind from entering and makes the jacket a perfect garment to wear outside on a dark and stormy night. Twelve items from hooded jackets over cardigans to waistcoats carry the glow in the dark fabric.
www.stoneisland-corporate.com
Fashion
Leandro Cano Fall/Winter 2013-14
A shining addition to Berlin Fashion Week was the collection of newcomer and emerging designer Leandro Cano. He was the winner of the 2012 Designer for Tomorrow competition by Peek&Cloppenburg Düsseldorf, which was hosted by Marc Jacobs. The financing and presentation of Cano’s first collection was a worthy price for winning.
White and creme as well as bordeau are the main colours of the collection. Almost every garment has delicate ceramic pieces attached to them. Sometimes on the shoulders, sometimes on skirts or even on tights and leggings. Unusual for something made out of cloth fabric, the ceramic makes the collection seem fragile.
Some pieces are made out of clear plastic resembling rain capes. The designs as well structured, mostly highlighting hips and sometimes shoulders. Another essential piece is the peplum top. Patterns of flowers entwine around the models’ bodies adding a playful touch. Furry details on the back of the white garments remind of little angels’ wings. The models themselves look more like sinister mermaids with wet hair, who just broke through a surface of water, now wading through fog near the water’s edge.
www.leandrocano.com
Fashion
John Varvatos Spring/Summer 2013 Campaign
In John Varvatos' new campaign two generations of guitar virtuosos meet: For once it features the legendary rock guitarist Jimmy Page from Led Zepplin, undoubtedly one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all times. The 28-year old Gary Clark Jr. is his counterpart, a young emerging musician, who released his debut album last Fall and has already been widely praised for his talents as a guitarist, a singer and a songwriter.
“Having 'The Master' and the 'Young Guitar-Slinger' together in our campaign is a dream come true”, says the designer John Varvatos himself. The brand has ever since had an affinity for stylemakers within the rock'n'roll scene.
Photographer Danny Clinch captures the two musicians in a classic black and white portrait. Its simplicity gives the image even more impact. The scenery of the campaign is the famous 1950's concert venue Rivoli Ballroom in South London, where music legends like Tina Turner used to perform. The video clip was shot there as well and is worth taking a look at.
Fashion
Prada Fall/Winter 2013-14
A domestic setting became the scenery of Prada's menswear Fall/Winter 2013-14 collection. A furnished house with modern designs and pristine clean furniture by the designer team AMO was the setting. Cubic chairs and glass tables were decorated with lonely fruit bowls, electronic gadgets, plants and vases. The "ideal house".
Fittingly the collection seemed familiar and homely. Gingham shirts untucked under compfy, but high quality sweaters and ankle length trousers are the key pieces of the collection. Ruffled shirts are worn underneath short checked jackets and long coats with velvet collars. Shiny brown and black leather brogues with thick spiky soles add the final touch.
The boys with the fringe haircut and their big sunglasses as well as bright coloured leather jackets seem like they just time traveled in from the 70s. Casually they walk from one door frame to the next one, entering one room after another. Miuccia Prada returns to classicism and simplicity with her collection. Less is more it is.
www.prada.com
Fashion
Chanel Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2013
For the Chanel Haute Couture S/S 2013 the Parisian Grand Palais was transformed into a forest: It seemed like tall trees had grown out of the floor surrounding a beautiful amphitheatre overlooking the whole scenery. On a winding path the models made their way through the forest looking stunningly elegant – in thigh high boots out of silver leather or toeless delicate lace.
Through the whole collection an accent on the the neck and the shoulders can be seen. Necklines below the shoulders show a bare neck as a sign of pure and gracile beauty, but square applications on the shoulders and upper arms give the upper body a contrary strong look. Long sequin covered gowns, tulle and lace hems are essential parts of the collection as well. While the show started off with fabrics such as tweed and bouclé, the show finishes of with dresses made of thousands of feathers complementing the feathery hairpieces of the models and the birdsong heard among the trees.
The presentation of the wedding dress makes a clear statement about the ongoing disputes concerning the legalization of gay marriage in France. Only two weeks back hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated near the Eiffel Tower opposing gay marriage, but yesterday two models in the same wedding dress were holding each other's hands while walking down the runway. Lagerfeld's godson accompanied both of them and gave expression to the designer's thoughts on gay marriage and gay parents raising children.
www.chanel.com
Art
David Ebmer and Marina Faust at Ve.Sch
The visual arts association Ve.Sch in Vienna is introducing different works of art this week. First off is a showing of David Ebmer's work at 19:00 hrs tonight, the 22nd of January. The evening is curated by Ludwig Kittinger and shows some of the paintings of the artist, such as remarkable abstract ink drawings.
On the evening of the 24th a 30-minute display of the video artist Marina Faust's work will take place. From 19:00-19:30 hrs selected videoworks from 1995-2003 will be presented to the public, demonstrating how her work changed over that period of time. The viewers will be given an insight into the mindset of the contemporary artist and her way of working.
Ve.Sch is based in Schikanedergasse 11, 1040 Vienna, Austria.
www.vesch.org
Fashion
Dries van Noten Fall/Winter 2013-14
It seems like a lovely idea to wake up one day and realize you're a rock god in the sixties. That was exactly the metamorphose that happened to the Dries van Noten man of fall/winter 2013-14. Like a modern Jim Morrison in Paris, he walks confident in his pyjama-shirt or ethnic robe, wearing it with studded jeans that were made to look like leather. Fuzzy and loosely fitted sweaters added a layer of warmth to a collection showing quite some neck and chest to enhance the nonchalant and louche aura. Silhouettes were sometimes slightly (and sometimes not so slightly) oversized. Some jackets' shoulders extended way beyond the ones of the models but with their striding strut and wit in layering, it only added to his coolness. Dries is a master in mixing patterns and materials, some combinations would have failed completely in the wrong hands, but the way he did it can only be described as emotional and liberating.
www.driesvannoten.be
Fashion
Climbing Mount Everest with Bally
In Milan the menswear fashion week for fall/winter 2013/14 began and Bally outed a collection ready for the coldest of winters. Fur being the material pur sang for keeping warm, this collection had plenty of it. The first look, a leather parka with a fur collar worn with fur hat, mittens and boots, set the tone. The creative duo behind the brand, Graeme Fidler and Michael Herz, took inspiration from the first men who climbed to top of Mount Everest succesfully. One of them, Sherpa Tenzing, was wearing Bally boots at the time. The rugged look of the fur boots and heavy duty outerwear was mixed with heavy knits and sportswear. Colors remained natural with browns, greys, burgundy and touches of yellow.
www.bally.com
Cinema
Michael Shannon by Bryan Adams for ZOO NO. 36
www.bryanadams.com
Art
RESEEN: A TRANSFORMATION OF VISUALISATIONS
If you're in or around Berlin, make sure you visit RESEEN: A TRANSFORMATION OF VISUALISATIONs today or tomorrow. The exposition features 7 Berlin-based artists like Conny Dreher, Ebon Heath and Lukas Feireis who reinterpreted work by American photographer Jonathan Mannion. He photographed a variety of people, from Lance Armstrong to Missy Elliot and Bon Iver. The artists come from different disciplines like photography, fashion, painting, typography and illustration and together they form the MADE Project. See the video here and check out the blog.
RESEEN: A TRANSFORMATION OF VISUALISATIONS
September 4th-22nd, tues.-sat., 4pm- 7pm
Alexanderstrasse 7, 9th floor 10178 Berlin
Art
Hester Scheurwater Shooting Back
Hester Scheurwater is coming out with a limited edtion artist's book. Editor Walter Keller says, 'Scheurwater's work evolves in the tradition of the self-portrait in photography. Think for example of Robert Mapplethorpe's sexually charged isual provacations or Francesca Woodman's erotic mise-en-scene, to name only two artists. Scheurwater's visual self-explorations extend the boundaries of another main topic in art history and photography: the pose. In her pictures model and artist are one. Although it is sexually explicit work, it's even more a curious and smart research about herself, where the artist looks at herself from both sides of the mirror.'
Title: Hester Scheurwater Shooting Back
Price: €135,-
The book is exclusively available through info@kellerkunst.com
Art
TOM SACHS SPACE PROGRAM: MARS
SPACE PROGRAM: MARS is a demonstration of all that is necessary for survival, scientific exploration, and colonization in extraterrestrial environs: from food delivery systems and entertainment to agriculture and human waste disposal. The four week mission to Mars repurposes 55,000 square feet of the Wade Thompson Drill Hall at the Park Avenue Armory, New York with an installation of dynamic and meticulously crafted sculptures.
Sachs and his studio team of thirteen wear the Tom Sachs: NIKECraft collection as they man the installation, regularly demonstrating the myriad procedures, rituals, and tasks of their mission. Astronauts must be as fit as an elite athlete to even withstand the rigors of exiting the earth’s atmosphere. As the culmination of sport performance and space travel coming together, this joint venture between Tom and the Nike design team fuses, in several significant ways, the design sensibility Sachs brings to space travel.
Tom Sachs SPACE PROGRAM: MARS will be open to the public at the Park Avenue Armory from May 16th until June 17th. The Tom Sachs: NIKECraft collection will be sold along side signature Sachs memorabilia within a pop installation adjoining the exhibition.
www.nikeinc.com
Travel
LISA Airplanes
LISA Airplanes, a French company created in 2004, produces and distributes upscale airplanes and associated services. The vision of the company, centered on Mankind and its mobility, and a daring team that combines technology and Design, revolutionize aviation and propose new lifestyles. This has given birth to a new way to travel; the AKOYA is the first creation.
www.lisa-airplanes.com
Music
Soul Seek Internet Opera
“Soul Seek orbits around the feeling of loosing oneself in the dark forest of another, when the way back is no longer in sight.”
This fascinating Internet opera was directed by Sjaron Minailo from Amsterdam based Studio Minailo and written and preformed by Anat Spiegel. It is an examination of the emotional textures of self-perception and the desolating process of projecting our own identity onto one another. This musical drama can be seen as a fourth movement in the ongoing artistic dialogue about identity-loss and identity-switch, as it was initiated by August Strindberg with his play The Stronger, then further examined in Ingmar Bergman's Persona, and David Lynch's Mulholland Drive. Resonating with these previous artistic statements about the vulnerability of the self, Soul Seek concentrates on the Sisyphean desire for curing one's own damaged self through random identification and projection.
A must see - www.slsk.nl
Art
Beck’s Green Box Project
VIDEO - Becks Green Box Project
Past December, Soho House Berlin offered only a few wooden seating areas fridges filled with Beck's beer bottles and a green illuminated box with the red logo of the German brewery: Beck's launched its German showcase, presenting its collaboration with artists of various fields. Invisible for the unaided eye but visible with the help of technology, Beck’s sets a benchmark by asking artists, designers and musicians to visualise their ideas with the help of AR, Augmented Reality.
Beck’s therewith showcases art works in a new, avant-garde way: Instead of a physical space that facilitates the work, it is a smartphone’s display that replaces the art space. Passing by a Beck’s Green Box with the Beck’s Key App installed on one's iPhone, iPad or Android, the user will be alerted to stop and take a look on his screen. Key holders Nick Knight and Sam Spiegel chose to collaborate and showcase the work of artists such as Mark Jenkins, Hussein Chalayan, LuckyMe, Sage Vaughn, Shaniqwa Jarvis or Reed + Radar.
The artists Sam and Tury from FriendsWithYou, whose work was also showcased, even made time for a little chat.
Are you beer drinkers?
FWY: Not really... More Scotch when we drink, but we are not big into it....
Your art work for Beck's is momentary shown in Berlin, Germany. Do you have a special connection to the city? Do/Did you spend a lot of time in Berlin?
FWY: We do, we have been going to Berlin from the beginning of our career and we find it to be a magical and inspiring place. It feels free, and the art that comes from there has always been so avant garde, it is just always a bit more hard core than any where else. We love it.
Collaborating with Beck's meant a new challenge for you as your art work is not presented physically but digitally - in which respect did this include a different approach of working?
FWY: Not that much more different actually, we always thought that our art is more idea based than medium restrained. That's exactly what has let us do so many different projects in a wide range of mediums but some how keeping our core ideas intact. Our mission is to re imagine and re introduce a new sense of spirituality into the world that is freed from the baggage of past mistakes and looks into the feature and new generations to keep this basic human need progressing in our post modern times. Every art thing we do is always dealing with this issue and always looking for new ways to introduce those emotions into orbit again.
Do you have a Smartphone or an iPad yourself?
FWY: Both....
If you were able to read art's future - is AR a possible new common way to present art works?
FWY: Yes... We think so very much. technology is moving at a speed that is hard for any one to comprehend, so ruling that out would be just silly. We imagine that there is going to be a new set of tools available very soon that we have not even imagined, and the use of these new technologies is very exiting to us. We are always looking for ways to experiment and move our ideas in these new channels that open up all the time.
Do you think art gets more accessible through AR and eventually activates a new target group?
FWY: Art is accessible to all now, its the most over used new commodity of the post tech era, so yea I think AR is just another one of the new ways. And soon it will grow up into something that is way beyond our own expectations.
One of your main missions is to connect people through your art works. As the Beck's Green Box Project is traveling, gets in touch with people worldwide. Do new media thus depict the transmitter of your aim?
FWY: Yes and no.... just the media itself with disconnected bits of art pushing trough it is not enough. That is exactly what separates artist from crafts or more sporadic marketing attempts. The new media helps in propagating all ideas and that is where it becomes a sticky thing... It is hard to push through the clutter and get something clear out of it... but I think this only is happening to us the slightly older (first computer user) generations. The new generations will not see any of that at all and will only see what is obviously the important thing, the big ideas. The elemental ideas, the things we all know beyond our own intellect.
VIDEO - Becks Green Box Project
Art
Chloe Piene
New York and Berlin based artist Chloe Piene will be displaying her second solo exhibition 'Eiserne Frau' at the Barbara Thumm Gallery.
Piene is well known for her range of materials and subject matter. Taking a deeply philosophical stand in all of her work, she manages to create meaningful as well as extremely energetic pieces. Even by drawing a silhouette on black silk paper, a sense of calmness yet urging is conveyed by Piene's work.
Chloe Piene, © Chloe Piene
Chloe Piene, Octohand Wax, 2011, Wax, 50.8 x 38.1 x 27.9 cm, variable, Photo: Jens Ziehe
Chloe Piene, Nix, 2011, Chalk on Black Silk Paper, 127 x 50,8 cm, Photo: Jens Ziehe
From 14th January - 3rd March 2012 at Galerie Barbara Thumm, Markgrafenstrasse 68, 10969 Berlin.
Opening hours: Tue – Sat 11am to 6pm.
www.bthumm.de
Fashion
Vivienne Westwood to redesign Virgin Atlantic's iconic Red Uniform
After over a decade Virgin Atlantic will redesign its original uniform – and who better to approach than leading British designer, Vivienne Westwood. The collaboration is a 10 year, long-term project which will see a total re-design of the uniform across all areas.
With original design, sustainability and reducing the environmental impact of business being vital factors to both Richard Branson and Vivienne Westwood, this long term design project aims to bring these ideals together in an exciting and innovative collaboration.
For the new uniforms Vivienne Westwood wanted to create a futuristic look which nevertheless referenced her enduring interest in 40’s French couture cutting techniques as well as the Savile Row tailoring heritage.
Alongside the women’s and men’s cabin crew and pilot’s uniforms, which will be unveiled later this year, all Virgin Atlantic uniforms from Clubhouse staff to the Virgin Holidays team will be re-designed by the iconic designer. Passengers will receive a sneak peak of the new uniforms on board from June 2013 ahead of the full launch in 2014
www.viviennewestwood.co.uk
Fashion
Stella McCartney joins Designer for Tomorrow
Peek & Cloppenburg Düsseldorf is proud to announce that Stella McCartney is the new patron for their annual talent award Designer for Tomorrow. Since its initiation in 2009, the fashion award is yearly given away during the Berlin Fashion Week, giving young talent the chance to be discovered and providing them with a creative platform.
With Marc Jacobs as the patron of the project for the last two years, Peek & Cloppenburg found a worthy successor in Stella McCartney. She will be part of the whole process of finding the next winner of the fashion design competition. The first step of the process will be reviewing every application sent in from all over Europe and for McCartney to select her favourite ten designers. Along with an expert jury board, she will view the presentation of the finalists' collections in Berlin in May 2013. Ultimately then they will decide on a winner, who will present his collection at the Berlin Fashion Week and receive the fashion award's grant.
www.designer-for-tomorrow.com www.stellamccartney.com
Art
The Cool, the Classy and the Haunted at Mila Kunstgalerie
This weekend it’s that time of the year again, when gallery owners all around Berlin open their doors to invite art lovers to take a stroll and admire their most recent exhibitions – it’s the Gallery Weekend Berlin 2013. To put the event into numbers, it’s 51 open galleries and 51 openings within three days and three nights, from the 26th till the 28th of April 2013.
One particular exhibition that’s worth seeing is the photography exhibition entitled The Cool, the Classy and the Haunted at the Mila Kunstgalerie. Works from the Mila artists and beyond will be on display. Those include family portraits of the Kennedy family by Mark Shaw from the late 50s, portraits of models dressed up in leather suits taken by London-based photographer Robie Rodriguez, Charlie Anderson’s collage-like recreations of imagery from pop culture as well as Mike Weber’s haunting adaptations of vintage portraits of the long-deceased.
The opening event of The Cool, the Classy and the Haunted is already taking place on Thursday, the 25th of April at 19.00 hrs. The Mila Kunstgalerie is located at Linienstraße 154 in Berlin. Just like the exhibitions in 50 other galleries, it’s on display throughout the whole weekend and the unique collection of images will stay in the Mila Kunstgalerie until the 11th of May.
www.facebook.com/milakunstgalerie
www.gallery-weekend-berlin.de
Fashion
Jimmy Choo at London Collections: Men
It's a first for Jimmy Choo! In previous years the fashion brand always presented their menswear collection in Milan, but in June 2013 the men's collection will make its debut in London for the first time.
The Spring/Summer collection 2014 will surely be a great addition to the third installment of the London Collections: Men, which will take place from the 16th til the 18th of June.
To fully win over the hearts of the fashionable Londoners, Jimmy Choo will also be opening a flagship store in Dover Street in the beginning of May.
Travel
Berlin Concept Store Oukan 71
On 300 square meters and two floors of concept store Oukan 71 a showroom is combined with a restaurant and a tea room – it's a fusion of Japanese fashion, design and culinary culture. With its minimalist interior decoration it's the ideal environment for visitors to relax between trying on garments, while enjoying some traditional Japanese food such as sushi and green tea. In terms of fashion the concept store is all about Japanese and international avant garde. Young brands and designers are selected by their designs fitting into the overall Japanese theme of the shop – kimono jackets with a contemporary twist are only an example for the garments which can be found in Oukan 71.
Oukan 71 was established in 2011 by Japan-born designer Huy-Thong Tran Mai and curator Natalie Viaux after the two of them organized a charity event showcasing the work of Japanese designers work, who were not able to present it in Japan because of the tsunami.
The store's name is inspired by its address: Oukan is the Japanese word for crown as the store is located at Kronenstraße (Engl.: crown street) and the store house number is easy to guess – 71. For all lovers of Japanese culture, but also for anybody else the store is well worth a visit.
www.oukan71.com
Fashion
Laserblast Club Collection by Replay
For Fall/Winter 2013-14 Replay created the Laserblast Club capsule collection. The denim collection has a young feel to it and its goal is to take casual denim to the clubs. Picking up on vibes and atmospheres of a night out, the collection features anything from sexy dresses to smart blazers. For both women and men this capsule collection has the essential garments for having drink at a chic bar or dancing the night away in the most hip clubs.
Plus the laserblast technology is not only cutting-edge, but also very environment friendly. In times, where people all around the world are encouraged to go green, Replay conrtibutes by reducing their water usage by 85% in their laserblast denim production.
replay.it
Art
Burst by Angela de la Cruz
The Lisson Gallery is pleased to announced their latest exhibition featuring the newest works of Angela de la Cruz. From the 4th of April until the 15th of May the exhibition entitled Burst will be on display in the space of the Milan gallery.
The Spanish artist created a number of objects with dynamic and organic shapes. As she has stated herself, the most important goal was to create shapes that look like they are in transition between two other shapes. One of the objects looks like it is going to burst at any moment, while another big white sculpture seems to bloat and inflate itself.
However, all of the objects are made out of solid, but delicate aluminium. The main colour of the series of objects is a monochrome white. Minimalism is the key to the work of de la Cruz. The exhibition is dedicated to Victor Vazquez Gundin.
The opening event of Burst takes place on Thurday, the 4th of April at 19 hrs. The Lisson Gallery is located at Via Bernardino Zenale 3 in Milan, Italy. The exhibition is open to visitors Monday to Friday from 9.30-13 hrs and 15-18 hrs.
www.lissongallery.com/
Art
Mannequin - Le Corps de la mode
by Ria de Borja
It was only in recent decades that fashion models had the capacity to be fashion icons and stars, but in the 18th and 19th centuries to the early 1900s, the profession was generally not regarded with esteem. This fact is explained in the exhibit Mannequin - Le corps de la mode showing at Paris’ Les Docks - Cité de la Mode et du Design. The exhibit takes us on a journey through photographs and videos of models, mannequins and model body types from the past. It shows us mannequins from the 1930s, in which the form’s arm-size are sometimes muscular and athletic; and the 1970s in which the mannequins have skinny arms and a smaller waist; the supermodels of the late 1980s and the skinny Kate Moss in the 1990s. What a model’s perfect body should be evolves along with the fame and fortune that modelling has come to embody today.
Via photographs by Horst P. Horst, Inez & Vinoodh, Irving Penn, Helmut Newton, Henri Clarke, Guy Bourdin, Nick Knight, Corinne Day and Juergen Teller and others, we learn the importance of models’ roles within the fashion industry, and their ability to transform clothing and photographs into works of art and commercial viability.
We learn the importance of photograph by Irving Penn in 1946 in which the hem of a skirt is being measured has beocme as important a video of Kate Moss shot by Inez&Vinoodh of Kate Moss for Balmain’s FW ’10-’11 Everglade campaign, in which Moss in lying on a couch with her head thrown back. Unmoving, her face and body are used as a central object while drawings move seemingly through her body and mouth. Both installations are centered on the model and her power to translate the mundane into fashion, and clothing into style. Probing deeper into the role of the model is a video of a fashion show by Thierry Mugler, in which the outrageous attire looks made for their wearers: the models who strut and twirl down the runway and impart that these fashions are made for certain body types and personalities. The model comes alive, transformed from a blank canvas to star. “Wood, wicker or wax before being flesh, the model oscillates with ambiguity between object and subject, mannequin sewing and living,” states the exhibit’s dossier.
The exhibit ends with a look at e-commerce, where models heads and faces are not in photographs; bodies are at a standstill to focus on the fashion. One leaves with a take-away of how models’ roles will continue to evolve and change, even while remaining the same on many levels.
Mannequin - Le corps de la mode runs until May 19 at Les Docks - Cité de la Mode et du Design, 34, quai d'Austerlitz, Paris.
www.paris-docks-en-seine.fr
Fashion
Levi's® Vintage Clothing Exhibition Opening in Berlin
The 14 oz. in Berlin has recently had a special treat for its visitors. Beside the clothes ranges of menswear and womenswear the shoppers are now welcomed by a special exhibition supporting the Levi's® Vintage Clothing Spring/Summer 2013 collection.
The exhibition pays tribute to the early days of the Hot Rod and honours its legends such as Norm Grabowski. Especially after the second world war, the Americans broke out the tradition to tinker with their cars and to make them faster. But not only cars were 'hot-rodded' – suddenly anything from embellished clothes to custom-made guitars appeared.
35 “Kustom Monster Shirts” by Von Franco, a film by Aaron Rose as well as a unique Fender Custom Shop 1957 Stratocaster are part of the exhibition. It's like being taken back to that moment in time, when the trend emerged to make everything better and faster. The exhibition bringing the past to the present is located in the 14 oz. Haus Cumberland at the Kurfürstendamm 193-194 in Berlin.
www.levisvintageclothing.com
Fashion
Woolrich Hiking Blazer by Tokito
The current collections by Woolrich are inspired by the pioneering citizen journalists, who mingled in war journalism in the late 60s. They invented a completely new way of dressing by mixing professional wear with military elements.
One of the highlights derriving from this inspirational theme is the Travel collection – a mini collection taking ideas from the concept of a reporter’s life, always on the move and traveling around. It includes a versatile and easy-to-wear range of garments, combining functionality and comfort. There are coats with inside and outside pockets, pants with waterproof zips and the ergonomic 3-layer Hiking Blazer with pockets and a hood, which was designed by Tokito. These garments will proof useful even on rainy summer days and bring back fashion as well as function at the same time.
www.woolrich.com
Art
Beauty in the 21st Century at MAMM (Dream Women / Dream Men)
The current photography exhibition in the Multimedia Art Museum Moscow is all about beauty and what its definition is in the world we live in today. Who better to reflect on the concept of beauty than fashion photographers from all over the world, who continously work together with the most gorgeous female models and handsome males?
The exhibition is split into two parts – dream women vs. dream men. The part about women explores what defines a muses' power and shares intimate moments as well as unsparing views. The contrast between true beauty and the society'conception of it will be interesting to look at. Will people's obession with skinniness and youth still define the conception of beauty in the future?
The image of what the ideal male should look like has changed a lot over the years. Fashion photography and its representation of male beauty have played a major role in this evolution. The art works exhibited display modern men from varied persepctives – not matter if they appear to be strong or weak, sensual or sexy. The exhibition is a collection of works by a large number of renown photographers from all over the world. Among them are David LaChapelle and Bruce Weber to give their take on female beauty in the 21st century as well as Ellen von Unwerth, Peter Lindbergh and ZOO Magazine’s Sandor Lubbe, who depict male beauty with their photography.
The exhibition is on display until the 4th of April in the Central Exhibition Hall Manege at 1 Manege Square in Moscow. Opening times are Tuesday til Sunday from 12-22 hrs.
www.mamm-mdf.ru
Fashion
John Malkovich for Yoox
John Malkovich’s brand Technobohemian just released an exclusive men’s beachwear capsule collection for the online fashion store yoox.com. From March 2013 – and just in time to prepare for summertime – these versatile garments will join the online shop’s range and will be ready for men to order from over 100 countries all around the world.
The collection features essential pieces needed for summer. Light summer jackets, bermuda shorts, polo-shirts and swimwear make the collection what it is. Timeless and ideal to combine with seasonal pieces this year but also the ones to come, these garments will be a great addition to every men’s wardrobe. From sartorial to casual – it was Malkovich’s goal to create garments, which can be worn to every occasion.
The clothes are Made in Italy. This means a guarantee of highest quality and the use of finest fabrics. Light linen, leather, seersucker and cotton are the most used fabrics of the capsule collection. The comfortable and bright to neutral coloured collection is already available on yoox.com.
www.technobohemian.it
www.yoox.com
Fashion
Dior at Harrods
Inspired by Christian Dior’s love for the British culture, the luxury fashion house just launched their collaboration with Harrods, one of the most renowned British department stores. The windows in Brompton Road display an exclusive collection of accessories, which bring French elegance and British charm together. The traditional Dior colours of white and grey are combined with red leather and tartan pattern for this special occasion. Apart from garments, handbags – including new designs of the ‘Lady Dior’ bag – and jewellery, the range of items also includes little snowglobes displaying the ‘New Look’ and teddy bears with the Dior logo.
The histories of Dior and Harrods are already interlinked. In 1954, Monsieur Dior not only attended a Dior fashion at Harrods, but also inaugurated the Harrods Fashion Theatre. To celebrate this occasion, every customer who visits the legendary department store until April 14th will be able to the enjoy a unique Dior experience. The fourth floor is transformed into a Dior wonderland, where the customers will be reminded of the all-time greatest designs of Dior with the essence of J’Adore wafting through the air. The Café Dior in style of Dior’s favourite 18th century decor caters for some delicious cupcakes and lobster club sandwich to enjoy during well-deserved shopping breaks.
Don’t miss out on your chance to visit the special Dior experience at Harrods! It is located at 87-135 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, London.
www.dior.com
www.harrods.com
Music
Beach House - Wishes Video
The official music video accompanying Beach House’s new release Wishes featured on their Bloom LP just had its premiere. The night has fallen and the video takes the viewer to the scenery of an American baseball game. Bright lights shine onto the pitch and reveal the most surreal images.
The dreamy voice of Victoria Legrand seems to escape the mouth of Ray Wise starring as the football coach. The cheering crowds’ facepainted faces and silent screams display wild enthusiasm for their teams. Everything is in slow motion – the happy dance of the cheerleaders, the daring stunts of the athletes, even the red fireworks bursting in the background. However, the star of the whole clip is presumably the team’s mascot, a white stallion. Director of the music video full of beautiful and bizarre imagery is Eric Wareheim.
www.beachhousebaltimore.com
The dreamy voice of Victoria Legrand seems to escape the mouth of Ray Wise starring as the football coach. The cheering crowds’ facepainted faces and silent screams display wild enthusiasm for their teams. Everything is in slow motion – the happy dance of the cheerleaders, the daring stunts of the athletes, even the red fireworks bursting in the background. However, the star of the whole clip is presumably the team’s mascot, a white stallion. Director of the music video full of beautiful and bizarre imagery is Eric Wareheim.
www.beachhousebaltimore.com
Fashion
Chanel Fall/Winter 2013-14
A massive globe was placed in the middle of the Chanel runway for the Fall/Winter 2013-14 show. Celebrating the opening of the first Chanel store one hundred years ago, the white Chanel logo was pinned onto the globe’s surface marking the location of 300 Chanel stores in cities all around the world. The show and collection displayed the power of the luxury fashion brand and none other than Karl Lagerfeld could phrase its theme better: "It’s a tribute to the global Chanel."
Even the floor of the Grand Palais had a the seven continents on it, so the models in Chanel’s garments were literally on top of the world. The collection had many dark shades to it – black, grey and navy instead of white and bright colours. Mini skirts, stand-up collars and skirts with unzipped zipper details played a huge part into the rebellious feel of the collection as did accessories such as clunky silver bangles, metal chains as necklaces and fingerless mesh gloves. Gold was replaced by silver, from metallic thread to steal chains gracing leather boots. Simple and clear A-line shapes were combined with overknee leather boots looking almost like leather leggings.
There were a variety of fabrics, but as always the classic Chanel bouclé and tweed still found their right place in the shapes of tailored jackets and coats. The double length coats – short in front, but with a below-knee tail – was one of the key designs of this season. The collection looked more contemporary than ever and yet again Karl Lagerfeld reinvented the strong self of the Chanel woman.
www.chanel.com
Fashion
Valentino Fall/Winter 2013-14
Inspired by the simplicity of beauty that was the key to the portraiture of the 17th century, the designers of Valentino created a one of a kind Fall/Winter collection for the cold days of 2013-14. Showing off long braids accessorized with simple black headbands, all models were styled the same, which brought out their individual beauty even more. Their pure porcelain skin and puppet like faces complemented the stunning range of garments.
The collection’s most essential fabric was lace. All kinds of delicate lace were used for floor length dresses, bibs, collars, applications and cuffs, adding subtle details to each design. One of the most prominent designs was a dress with long sleeves and a slightly flared skirt ending above the knee. Their either black, red or blue fabrics were the perfect contrast to the creme coloured lace bibs.
All in all the whole collection was all about skirts and dresses and rarely featured any trousers. Occasionally there were a few pleats as well as colourful dresses featuring scalloped hems and see-through fabric. Use of red and white fur, the later with black spots, reminded of royal ermine coats, while leather gave an edge to the sweet looking dresses. Capes with hoods and coats with clear cuts looked like they were from an enchanted tale. The enchanted feel of the collection was underlined by flowery patterns and glittering sequins. Yet again it was another excellent Valentino collection.
www.valentino.com
Fashion
Camper Spring/Summer 2013
by Rachel Marie Walsh
Nothing was what it seemed on Bernhard Wilhelm’s Spring/Summer catwalk, what with the crazily-patterned grunge-chic and models in futuristic afros and foil masks. Then again, one of the designer’s long-term mantras is “chaos is beautiful.”
The shoes were a perfect match, in a blindingly clashing kind of way. Wilhelm's seasonal collaboration with Camper combines wild animal prints with chunky, unexpected soles and natural materials like cork. Conformity and provocation co-exist with a humorous disdain for the plain, as he pushes the boundaries of conventional footwear to create shocking shapes.
Since Wilhelm set up his brand (together with Jutta Kraus) in 1999, the Ulm, Germany-born designer has refused to be swayed by success. He continues to create an imaginative and wonderfully lunatic world playfully projected onto the Spanish brand’s footwear.
The stand-out shoes for women were zebra-print sandals with wildly outsized soles. With ankle-high upper and thong construction, these shoes are both a sandal and a boot, available as a flat or with the on-trend cylindrical heel. Both are lined with leather and rubber. The flagship sneaker for men and women is reinvented with neon camouflage or zebra and Dalmatian-print in black and white monochrome. The soles are boosted with sculpted, zigzag rubber inserts in contrasting colors. All are crazy-cool, just the way Campers should be.
www.camper.com
Fashion
Studio Africa by Diesel + Edun
Diesel + Edun just celebrated the launch of their collaboration entitled Studio Africa – a denim collection born in Africa. It is a 25 piece collection of womenswear and menswear, which finds its inspiration in African creativity. The denim collection is manufactured in nothern African countries with the finest CCI cotton from Uganda.
The initial idea for the collection came into being because of Diesel founder Renzo Rosso's and Edun founders Ali Hewson and Bono's passion for the African continent, while they travelled Uganda and Mali. The collection circles around a reinterpretation of the 70s four-pocket jean that was popular on the streets of South Africa. Malian textile patterns, Kenyan metalwork and embroidery reminding of traditional Zulu weaving patterns influenced the designs as well. To bring across the African spirit, the campaign of Studio Africa features nine African artists from the creative fields of fashion, film, music, literature and photography. The online presence of Diesel + Edun is curated by Okayafrica and offers a new platform to capture the continent's current cultural and political atmosphere.
The launch event in Paris included a dinner and party, where Solange performed as the advocate of Studio Africa. Among the many celebrities attending the party were Kanye West, Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody and Ellen von Unwerth. The series of global live events in cooperation with the online music broadcaster Boiler Room celebrating the collection's launch is going to continue in Berlin. The invite-only event is taking place in Club P.O.P on the 7th of March. Other stops on the launch tour include Tokyo, London and L.A.
www.diesel.com
www.edun.com
Fashion
Dolce & Gabbana Fall/Winter 2013-14
The heavy red curtains at the back of the runway opened and out came a parade of models wearing what looked like a tribute to religion and its architecture. For their Fall/Winter 2013-14 collection, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana let themselves be inspired by the monumental mosaics of architecture of ancient Italian churches.
Portraits of religious figures from the mosaics of the Cathedral of Monreale in Sicily were featured on the dresses and tops. The look of the holy imagery was completed by using glistening sequins, golden threads and embroided crystals resembling rubies and emeralds. The models looked gorgeous – red lips, pure skin, large glistening earrings and especially their golden crowns made their look untouchable, like they were religious figures themselves.
Key designs of the collection were large, but still very feminine coats and tops with wide sleeves. Apart from the range of opulent golden garments, a number of elegant pieces of grey herringbone fabric joined the collection. Mini skirts and high waisted knickers in black brocade or embellished red fabric were combined with wide shirts and blouses. The main colours of red, white and black reminded of some of the most important liturgical colours, but sheer lace dresses revealing the models' black underwear were not as innocent as rules of the Catholic chuch permit. Despite the current disputes surrounding the Catholic church due to the pope's resignation, Dolce & Gabbana well in using religion as its inspirational source and enriched the fashion world with yet another beautiful collection.
www.dolcegabbana.com
Fashion
Flyknit Lunar1+ by Nike
To introduce the new Nike Flyknit Lunar1+ running shoe in Germany, the sports brand has thought of something special: The space inside Station Berlin is going to be transformed into an indoor running track, where the new trainers can be tested. The running track takes up a space of more than 10,000 square meters and while everyone interested can take the new sneakers for a test run, DJs will provide the right soundtrack. The whole happening is called The Nike Flyknit Experience.
The happening starts around noon at 12 on Saturday, the 23rd of February and continues for 12 hours until midnight. The entrance is free for all users of the Nike+ app, which can be downloaded from the Nike website or in Apple and Android app stores. The address of the Station Berlin is Luckenwalderstraße 4-6, Kreuzberg, 10963 Berlin.
Official Nike Facebook event page:
The Nike Flyknit Experience
Fashion
Tommy Hilfiger Fall/Winter 2013-14
The key to Tommy Hilfiger's new Fall/Winter collection was to apply tailored cuts of menswear designs to a womenswear collection. The result is a range of sharp and sophisticated garments, that are wearable every day of the week. It was Hilfiger's goal to bring the 60s and 70s back, but in a modern way.
Tailored shorts and mini skirts serve as bottoms, while jumpers with V-necks and buttoned up blouses are the tops. The patterns of the collection include all kinds of checks – from Prince of Wales plaids to black-white-red houndstooth fabrics. But instead of keeping it simple, the different patterns are combined in each garment. Black and white checks meet deep red plaids, however in a way that it doesn't confuse the eye. The most used colours are dark red, camel, creme, navy and black.
The collection is all about outerwear and layering. Jackets and coats with leather or shearling trims for snowy days are versatile and easily combined with any other piece to be worn beneath. Chic shoulder bags with golden chains as well as high boots finish off the look.
www.tommy.com
Fashion
Lacoste Fall/Winter 2013-14
The whole audience was literally in the dark when it came to revealing the new Lacoste collection at New York Fashion Week. Darkness filled the Lincoln Center Theatre just before the show was about to start and the light only crept back in when the wall at the back of the runway slowly started to fold itself apart piece by piece.
The square design of the impressive scenery reflected the clothes' designs. Square patterns and horizontal stripes adorned the structured garments. Almost all of the tops featured extremely wide sleeves that got tighter around the wrists. One of the key fabrics of the collection is the same as that of sweatshirts – cotton piqué. Only here it is used for tops, trousers and dresses, while quality wool makes for cozy turtlenecks and jumpers. See-through raincoats and neon silver lining give a water-repellent protection for rainy days.
The sweatshirt dresses feature knee-length skirts in the style of slightly loose pencil skirts with slits to bare a little more skin. For men classic wide coats and or deep green parkas in a military look are some of the key pieces. Apart from lots of white and grey with graphic prints, the main colours are a bright orange, a range of deep greens and a luscious blue. The finale were a couple of leather dresses with clever zipper details that proved once again the timely and modern spirit of Lacoste in the year of its 80th birthday.
www.lacoste.com
Fashion
ASVOFF Saint Petersburg
Flowing skirts and dresses with flower applications flying across the screen, girls running through enchanted gardens and dancing in a round on green meadows. Dita Von Teese performing one of her shows in a pair of Louboutins covered in glistening Swarovski crystals. This and much more is fashion film. It's a broad category of film making that deserves its own festival. “A Shaded View on Fashion Film” is taking the stage in St. Petersburg the 16th and 17th February. Presented by Diane Pernet and the Aurora Fashion week it revolves around moving image making in the fashion industry and offers interesting screening as well as inspiring talks.
www.ashadedviewonfashionfilm.com
Fashion
Happy Birthday, Dior!
It's a birthday to celebrate! 66 years ago on a snowy day in Paris the very first collection of Dior Haute Couture was revealed. The 12th of February 1947 became a date that marks a pivotal day in fashion history.
To the astonishment of the fashion show's audience feminine dresses and the typical defined high waist showed of the female body. No longer were those models hiding in their bodies in unflattering clothes of the war-time. Femininity made a comeback and the Parisians audience as well as women and men all around the world were admiring the Dior Haute Couture collection.
On the same day a second new thing was introduced to the world: Dior's first ever perfume. The smell of Miss Dior was everywhere in the rooms of Avenue Montaigne No. 30, where the fashion show was taking place hinting that the new look of a woman was not only about what she wore, but about her overall presence.
www.dior.com
Fashion
Pointer and COMME des GARÇONS Spring/Summer 2013
After last year's successful COMME des GARÇONS SHIRT and Pointer Footwear collaboration, they are pooling their talents once again for the new Spring/Summer 2013 collection. The classic Benjamin model is coming back in bright colours to be worn on sunny summer days.
Two different tri-coloured variations of the Benjamin will be available instead of the usual unicoloured model. One of the variations features a soft pink and an azure blue, while the other one features a deep green and luscious red.
The design of the shoe resembles a classic Derby or Blucher shoe, but at the same time it also passes as sportswear with its white slightly wedged cupsole. Looking dapper and athletic at the same time the shoe is easy to wear to many different occasions. All in all a relaxed yet smart package.
www.comme-des-garcons.com
www.pointerfootwear.com
Fashion
Guess Jeans Spring/Summer 2013 Campaign
For the new Spring/Summer Campaign of Guess the creative director Paul Marciano chose a typical summery setting: White sandy seashores, clear turquoise water, leafs of green palm trees and beach huts.
Two girls and two guys are stranded on the island of Bora Bora, discovering the picturesque shores and native culture. Light dresses in soft colours and tight skinny jeans are worn by the girls, unbuttoned denim shirts bare the fit upper bodies of the male models. The atmosphere of the campaign is supposed to be sexy and a little steamy, focussing on the relation between the female and male models. The campaign was shot by photographer Yu Tsai and the song is “Jump Off“ by Silver Bullets.
www.guess.eu
Music
Woodkid - I Love You Video
Where the last music video by Woodkid left off, the new one starts: Having lost his two-horned helmet and his shoe, the little wiking boy lies on the floor looking dead. I Love You is the third part of Yoann Lemoine’s black-and-white music video series. Rather than filming stand-alone footage for each video he chose to tell a continous story.
Being both the musician and the director of the video, Lemoine managed to create another masterpiece. The images invoke a cinematic atmosphere as music videos rarely do today. The settings are mountainous and rocky areas as well as white foamy sea shores, which make up impressive shots.
In I Love You the Russian model Matvey Lykov is making a reappearance as a modern day priest sporting a look by Kris Van Assche. He was already featured in Woodkid’s first video Iron alonside Agyness Deyn. This video tells a story of a man losing a loved one and then drowning in the icy waves of the ocean himself. He dies twice – first on the inside and later his body dies as well. This sad, yet beautiful video is promoting Woodkid’s EP The Golden Age coming out on March 18th.
www.yoannlemoine.com
Fashion
Vivienne Westwood Spring/Summer 2013 Campaign
The Vivienne Westwood Spring/Summer 2013 campaign was recently revealed: It stars none other than Kate Moss, Westwood’s husband Andreas Kronthaler and Dame Vivienne Westwood herself with her signature fiery mane. German photographer Juergen Teller shot the campaign in the Viennese museum for historic art.
It features garments of the Gold Label as well as pieces from the menswear and accessories line. The backdrop of the ornate golden frames, religious and antique oil paintings contrasts the rebellious feel of the collection and the provocative attitude of the campaign’s protagonists.
www.viviennewestwood.co.uk
Fashion
Lala Berlin Fall/Winter 2013-14
Hats, jumpsuits with diagonal zippers, long light coats with slits in the back and cool biker jackets remind of the punk attitude of the musician Patti Smith. Designer Leyla Piedayesh was inspired by Smith when she created her new Lala Berlin Fall/Winter 2013-14 collection.
However, the designer’s ideas are also strongly influenced by her Persian decent. Oriental and ethnical patterns are featured in many of the garments mixed with static geometric patterns.
In terms of shapes there’s a contrast between wide or long tops and extremely short bottoms. Big woolen jumpers are long enough to be worn as dresses, but are paired with very short skirts peeking out underneath. Any material from cashmere over mohair to angora is used for the thick knits and snoods. Other fabrics are different kinds of silk and leather. The range of colours includes black, grey, blue, red as well as a soft pink.
www.lalaberlin.com
Fashion
A.P.C. Berlin Store Opening
After expanding world-wide with stores in major cities such as Tokyo, New York City and Hong Kong A.P.C. is returning to Berlin to open yet another store in the German capital. It will be the second store in Berlin and the expenditure can be traced back to the designer's love of the vibrant city. Jean Touitou has even contemplated moving his studio and atelier from Paris to Berlin.
Touitou worked together with architect Laurent Deroo on the refurbishment of the shop in Fasanenstrasse 22. It will carry A.P.C.'s men and women line, jeans and accessories. The opening celebration is taking place on January 31st from 18.00 til 21.00 hrs.
www.apc.fr
Fashion
Jil Sander Fall/Winter 2013-14
Sophisticated as ever Jil Sander presented her new menswear collection for Fall/Winter 2013-14. Minimalist designs make the collection what it is and show the Jil Sander man of next season.
Double breasted smart jackets and coats with lines of three round buttons are key pieces of the collection. Another great detail are the deatchable stand-up collars. They add a touch of formality wherever they are attached, from thick wool chechered coats to sleeveless black fur tops.
While most garments are kept simple in colour and pattern, the only reoccurring pattern is that of stripes – either regular stripes covering navy suits or diagonal ones accross woolen jumpers. Colours range from traditional colours used in Jil Sander’s collections such as black, grey, dark green and blue to a bright red.
www.jilsander.com
Fashion
Balenciaga Fall/Winter 2013-14
From casual outerwear like the green military parka or black leather jacket to smart coats the Balenciaga F/W 2013-14 proves to be versatile. The well-fitted camel jacket or the oversized grey cocoon coat are essential for this year's Balenciaga's menswear collection.
A varied mix of suits and wide pants makes the collection what it is. Graphic prints to fine stripes are covering the high quality fabrics, which vary from wool tweed to velvet. The versatility can not only be seen in style but also in colour: bright to navy blue, dark greens to khaki, different tones of camel, varied shades of grey and black combine well together. Defined cuts give the garments a clear shape and symmetrical buttons add a finishing touch.
www.balenciaga.com
Fashion
Cerruti 1881 Fall/Winter 2013-14
What do you get when an Italian founds and builds a house in Paris? The answer, today, was Cerruti 1881. Long coats in classic colours - black, navy, and camel - were elegant and looked made to match anything. But details - like buttons lining up slyly in the back, a few inches from the hem upwards; or leather-trimmed lapels that in black felt dramatic - were a touch of rebelliousness that felt in line with Paris collections.
Black coats, one in a formfitting suede with a mandarin collar, and another one hooded and loose enough to hide in, added to an aesthetic that seemed to be on a quest for individuality. Subdued sweaters and trousers - ‘basics’ - then reigned this spirit in. And so teetering on a line between very wearable and and a tad bit developmental, the show came to a close, leaving the question of where new designer Aldo Maria Camillo will take the brand in the future.
www.cerruti.com
Fashion
Valentino Fall/Winter 2013-14
Paris Fashion menswear week started last wednesday and one of the first houses to present their collection was Valentino, who moved the menswear from Italy to France. The Valentino man's new house is the prestigious Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild, where the Valentino Haute Couture woman also lives. Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli are known for experimenting with material. In this collection, which was London-inspired, they found a way to heat-bond leather to other materials, a technique they picked up during their background in accessories. Broad bands of leather were applied to coats and capes in navy and black. An oversized pied-de-poule motif was printed with the same technique on a smaller version for a trench coat, being both graphic and subtle.
As much as Maria Grazia and Pier Paolo like to push things forward, their menswear never crosses the fine line into fashionable jibber-jabber. Capes, normally considered not the most wearable pieces for men, looked rather relevant. Sharp suits were spiced up with a scarf in cashmere and fur that are attachable to the button of a jacket, as a modern reference to the formal scarf worn with tuxedos. The notion of shadow has been a recurring theme in Valentino's vocabulary of today, and was noticeable in the combination of black and navy and the 'double revers', a darker patch of silk under the lapels. Recurring details like the camouflage, this time in black and grey, and studs, can not be considered as seasonal trends anymore but are part of Valentino's staples, as if it never was any other way.
Haute Couture influences always was an important theme for the designers but opposed to before, when the clothes moved away from the body, this season they were much tighter and therefore more sensual, molding around the body because of their knitted backs and use of soft leathers. Materials were mixed to ensure comfort with a leather shirt lined in cotton and a viscose sweater that was cashmere in the inside. The insides of clothing offer a complete new world for the wearer, with a simple mac with a down-jacket interior and a fur coat with a sporty lining.
www.valentino.com
Music
Henrik Vibskov and Mountain Yorokobu
Fashion designer Henrik Vibskov is signed by Fake Diamond Records to conceive and curate 5 Mountain Yorokobu albums. These albums are mostly improvised live performances with different musicians, concepts, locations and sounds. This project can be considered as a contra-movement with emphasis on authenthic music and traditional instruments rather than the slick and polished sounds of computer-made music. The music is diverse; from bluegrass to ambient, resulting in a different mood and feel for each song.
www.fakediamond.dk
Art
Armani 'Acqua #2', Paris Photo
Water has always been a very important motive for Giorgio Armani. Not only is one of his perfumes called ‘Acqua di Gioia’ and is water featured in most of his advertising and commercials but it is the goal of his non-profit organisation ‘Acqua for Life’ to collect drinkable water for Green Cross International (UNICEF for United States) and is celebrated for it’s projects in Ghana and Bolivia.
It is no surprise then that for this years Paris Photo, for which Armani is an official partner, the Italian brand comes with a selection of pictures with the vital fluid as main inspiration. Ten photographers (Matthew Brandt, Marco Breuer, Anthony Friedkin, Dodo Jin Ming, Syoin Kajii, Joel Meyerowitz, Shinichi Murayama, Toshio Shibata, Aaron Siskind, Alec Soth) were asked to make works that represent water’s strength and power.
Paris Photo starts this Thursday, the 15th of November and will welcome visitors until the 18th of November. In April next year, the exhibition will be on display in Los Angeles.
www.parisphoto.com
Art
Cinema
Lana Del Rey by Bryan Adams, London, February 2012
Art
LEO BABSKY : 'TOTAL STATURE'
The COMME DES GARÇONS BLACK SHOP BERLIN reveals the second exhibition in its newly added space for artists from different disciplines. After its inauguration in April, Leo Babsky will be presenting new and recent works in the exhibition “Total Stature”.
Through Leo Babsky’s work the notion of failure is explored; both in concept and in form.
Starting with a physical gesture that is fused into material presence or a material presence that is engaged in an act. Objects hang in the balance of failure: they are propped up, get dumped, fall down and precariously balance. The works also allude to being something they are not: showing hints of surface and glamour but on second glance merely imply their material status.
Using minimalism and post-minimalism as a meta-language but adding subtle decorative, gesture-like elements, Babsky often references glossy aspects of contemporary life. However he exposes them to be lacking not in finish but in background, creating objects of appeal, which self-evidently shouldn’t be appealing: the failure is part of the success.
Leo Babsky lives and works in London and Berlin. He graduated in Fine Arts from Central St Martins College of Art and Design, London. Babsky recently had a solo exhibition in Stockholm and was selected for the SALON art price 2011. He has just completed a residency at the GlogauAIR artist residency program in Berlin.
The exhibition will be shown from 26th of May to 20th of June 2012 Opening Cocktail with the artist on 25th of May 2012 from 6pm to 9pm
Art
Future Self - MADE
Made was founded by German contemporary artist tadiROCK, her partner Nico Zeh and their team in early 2010, supported by ABSOLUT Vodka, a brand that fosters creative collaborations for over 30 years. A fascinating new exhibition called FUTURE SELF, studies human movement, mirroring interaction in dance, light and sound, while exploring the self, present and future.
FUTURE SELF brought together a media artist collective, rAndom International, a choreographer, Wayne McGregor, and a composer, Max Richter in a unique interdisciplinary clash at MADE.
Check out the FUTURE SELF Project Film. This film documents the creative working process, which began in London, England, continued in Berlin and culminated in three wonderful performances at MADE.
The exhibition is now open to the public, go and experience this unique installation, seeing how light, music and technology come together and react to your own physical movements:
dates: May 3rd - June 2nd
days: Thursday - Saturday
time: 2PM - 7PM
MADE | 9th Floor | Alexanderstrasse 7 | 10178 BERLIN
Art
On Ballet
Professor Colin Jones was born in London in 1936, his creative life has followed an unorthodox path, taking him from a working-class childhood in the East End of London to dancing in the English Royal Ballet. Jones bought his first camera whilst on tour in Japan, running an errand for Dame Margot Fonteyn. He became a photographer for The Observer newspaper in 1962, and never looked back, becoming one of the most celebrated and prolific photographers of post-war Britain. He has documented many facets of social history over the years and has had many solo exhibitions including the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC and at the Photographers' Gallery in London, as well as at other venues internationally.
The exhibition is the result of a lifetime of photographing the English National Ballet and other great Ballet companies. It is because of his background and training in dance and his understanding of photography that this work is so exceptional. Jones understands that ballet dancers are athletes and he does not shield the viewer from the self-discipline and relentless hard work that is required to get to the top of world ballet. The portraits are not only of the earlier greats – Nureyev, Grey, Fonteyn – but also of contemporary dancers. The exhibition contains 40 images from this body of work and is a rare chance to see this astounding collection.
28. April - 26. May 2012
Preview 5. May, 6-8pm
Lucy Bell Fine Art
46 Norman Road
St. Leonards on Sea
East Sussex
TN38 0EJ
www.lucy-bell.com
Art
Exactitudes
Ruttkowski 68 is a contemporary art gallery in Cologne, Germany. Founded in 2010 it shows domestic and international artists.
Starting on 3rd February the gallery will show the exhibition Exactitudes, which is a long-term photo project by photographer Ari Versluis and profiler Ellie Uyttenbroek. It is a systematical documentation of social groups and their appearance. Each of their series is strictly structured and shows twelve similar persons, visually reminding of the works of Bernd and Hilla Becher. Some of the groups belong to subcultures, others don’t, yet they all share a characteristical dress code and usually the same poses.
From 3rd February until March 18th. Mon-Fri 15-20h, Sat-Sun 17-20h, Tue closed and by appointment. Bismarckstrasse 68, 50672 Köln.
Art
Ziervogel & Kunze
This month Contemporary Fine Arts displays two very similar, yet very different artists. For one there is Ralf Ziervogel. His drawings are a matter of the extreme: They often go on for several pieces of paper. Those - sometimes 5 meter long - drawings are a close study of the human body, preferably the male one. He creates physically challenging situations, which create a sort of prison for the human body. As painful and masochistic as those postures may seem, they are a far cry from simple fantasies of violence. The drawings rather constitute a metaphysical question mark on the issue of reality. In his recent 'Deklinationen am Koerper' he uses a heavy and thick ink stroke. Those drawings fill up the entire exhibition space in their dimension and depending on the spectators distance to the piece, body parts turn into ornaments that seem to have neither beginning nor end.
Ohne Titel, 2011, Ink on Paper, 151 x 146 cm, Photograph: Gunter Lepkowski
There is also painter Michael Kunze. His paintings are filled with literary, philosophical, artistic and architectural references. He manages a transition from those into mysterious, irrational sceneries, architectural constructs as well as utopian landscapes. On the surface the connection between the different elements and the deeper meaning can not be grasped, contradicting elements provoke an intense dialogue with the painting itself. He displays works from his cycle 'schwarzorange' as well as from 'Narkaden'. 'Schwarzorange' displays architectural compositions under a cloudy sky, which bathed in a theatrical light. The works are dominated by a multitude of contrasts on all levels. In “Narkaden” which is a word creation the artist associates with a paralyzed traveler he again spirals the subject matter ad absurdum.
Schwarzorange II, 2011, Oil on Canvas, 280 x 230 cm, Photograph: Jochen Littkemann
All images are courtesy of Contemporary Fine Arts.
From 3rd January - 4th February 2012 at Contemporary Fine Arts, Am Kupfergraben 10, 10117 Berlin.
www.cfa-berlin.com
Art
Hester Scheurwater's solo exhibition at Broelmuseum Kortrijk
Dutch visual artist Hester Scheurwater (featured in e.g. ZOO Magazine #31) opens the doors on the 26th of May of De Paardenstallen Broelmuseum Kortrijk Belgium with her new solo exhibition. The exhibtion is open from Thursday till Sunday till the 23th of June.
www.kortrijk.be/broelmuseum
Art
BC Gallery Opening Berlin
Urban and contemporary arts is what the BC Gallery focuses on and by opening a new gallery space in Berlin Friedrichshain, the gallery will definitely play an important part in furthering the development of the street art scene. Photographer and street art collector Nick Bargezi and L.A. Gallery owner Seth Carmichael are the brand new owners of the BC Gallery in Friedrichshain.
The gallery celebrates its grand opening on the 26th of April, just in sync with the Berlin Gallery Weekend. The space of the new BC Gallery is divided into two locations, guaranteeing every artist the perfect backdrop and ambience for their art. A gallery in the traditional sense with a clean and empty space awaits the visitor in the Libauer Straße, while the second location is in the RAW area, which is already famous for its flourishing culture spots and various graffitis.
“It was important for us to have a good starting point, which we have achieved with a strong line up,” says Nick Bargezi. He has a good reason to be ravished by the line up of artists exhibiting in their gallery the following season. Among them are artists such as the social awareness raising artist Bumblebee from L.A., the Ukrainian duo Interesni Kazki, Chilean street artist INTI as well as the Columbian duo of Stinkfish, who often change photographs of children in the most fascinating and surprising ways.
bcgallery.de
Fashion
Prada Journal: A Place for New Stories
In search of new artistic talent, luxury fashion brand Prada has decided to launch a literary contest and shed light on the writers of tomorrow. Joining forces with the Italian publishing house Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore, Prada will be exploring language and the art of writing.
The rough theme of the contest is the individual interpretation of reality and how optical devices such as glasses and their lenses frame this reality. The question Prada poses is: “What are the realities that our eyes give back to us? And how are those realities filtered through lenses?“ Writing pieces are supposed to guide the readers through these realities and create worlds of written words.
The contest is now open for entries and the last date for submissions will be the 18th of June.
www.prada.com/journal
Fashion
From Nature to Armani/Casa
Not only famous for its high-end fashion, accessories and fragrances, the luxury fashion house Giorgio Armani also has its own home collection. The newest collection by Armani/Casa draws its inspiration from the eternal beauty and infinite power of nature. From Nature To Armani/Casa portrays how nature stays a sensitive force and source of inspiration in the business of everyday urban life.
Pure lines and simple shapes define the furniture design and eco-friendly materials are used for their production. Elegant tables with surfaces of striped banana tree wood or frames out of shiny walnut tree wood are a great addition to any living room, while the highlight might be a large wardrobe in the design of a vintage trunk. Fabrics used for Armani/Casa are exclusive wool as well as silk fabrics in earthy colours and a bright orange by Rubelli. Items like Nepalese carpets that tell the tales of distant worlds complete the collection.
www.armanicasa.com
Art
L'Homme at Galerie Emilie Dujat
The new exhibition at the Galerie Emilie Dujat in Brussels is entitled L'homme and it is about to open on the 18th of April. Re-imagining and re-defining male identity the exhibition is a collection of works by over 20 different artists from all around the world such as Spanish surrealist painter Salvator Dalí or American photographer Michael James O'Brien.
All works being showcased are by contemporary and modern artists. The media they use range from paintings and drawings over sculptures to photography. Not only does the exhibtion centre on a man's power, but also on his sensitivity and emotions. Viewing men's bodies from various perspectives will enable the viewer to look beyond social conventions and to question common role perceptions.
The exhibition will be on display from the 18th of April until the 30th of June. The Galerie Emilie Dujat is located at 22 Rue Ernest Allard in Brussels, Belgium. It is open Friday till Saturday from 11-18 hrs and every Sunday from 11-16 hrs.
galeriemiliedujat.com
Art
Infinite Universe at Dawn by Yoko Ono
This year it's not only time to celebrate Yoko Ono's 80th birthday, but also the publication of her monograph Infinite Universe at Dawn. The book documents her career and life as an artist and she is releasing the book with Genesis Publications sometime in 2013.
While the exact release date hasn't been revealed yet, it has been agreed upon that the book will be a limited edition. With a total number of 1,500 copies Yoko Ono will sign every book and leave her signature as a mark of her authorial approval. The pages will feature all kinds of Ono's work and the book's content will not be limited to a certain form or media. It will be about her music, films and videos, photography, installations, sculptures, paintings, drawings, writing and poetry.
Her whole life she has inspired people all around the world with her ethics and artistic ideas and this book will be yet another source of inspiration. After her first collaboration with Genesis Publications, Sometime in New York City, a book telling the love story of Yoko and John Lennon, was quickly sold out, it will surely not be easy to get one's hands on this book.
www.genesis-publications.com
onoverse.com
Fashion
New Edition of The Little Black Jacket
While the book entitled The Little Black Jacket: Chanel's Classic Revisited by Karl Lagerfeld and Carine Roitfeld came out in 2012 and its exhibition already toured cities all around the world, the newest edition is just about to be released this year. On 280 pages the book is paying tribute to Chanel's most iconic tweed jacket.
In January 2013 Karl Lagerfeld invited celebrities to his studio in Paris to shoot more images for the new edition of the book. Internationally well-known stars such as Keira Knightley and Diane Kruger reinterpreted the classic jacket and incorporated its look into their own personal style. The photos were taken by the fashion genius Karl Lagerfeld himself. On the official Chanel website the black and white photos can be seen in an interactive online gallery.
thelittleblackjacket.chanel.com
Music
CocoRosie Cover Art – Tales of a GrassWidow
Exactly two months from now the new CocoRosie album entitled Tales of a GrassWidow will be released. In Europe it will be available from the 27th of May, while it will be released a day later in the United States.
It seems such a long time ago since the two sisters released Grey Oceans in 2010. Lovers of their bittersweet tunes have been longing for news about the new record for a while and finally they could take a sneak peek at the cover art, which appeared on the duo's facebook page. The launch of Tales of a GrassWidow will be accompanied by a Europe tour making stops in France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
www.cocorosiemusic.com
Fashion
New Saint Laurent Store Concept Berlin
After the opening of the new Saint Laurent store in Shanghai, the Berlin store also awaits a new concept. The design and architecture of the store is by Hedi Slimane and turns the 530 square meters of shopping space into a hall of white marble and large black tiles.
It marks the transposition of techniques and materials of French art deco. The store is located at Kurfürstendamm 52 and will carry not only womenswear and menswear collections, but also accessories.
www.ysl.eu
Travel
Whitewash by Nicholas Alan Cope
Cube shaped houses, flat roofs and minimalist architecture. The geometric structure of L.A.’s houses is not unusual, but still very interesting. The constant sunlight lets the white surfaces shine brightly, almost blinding the viewers eye.
The peculiar architecture of the Californian metropolis is the subject of the new monograph by photographer Nicholas Alan Cope. Black and white images capture the essence of the architecture with a minimalist approach. “This is Los Angeles as its most stripped down and raw,“ says the author himself. The city itself is know to be a city of contrasts – where dreams come true or where they are shattered. Its inhabitants have experienced thriving success and bitter failure, they hord massive fortunes or live in poverty. The black and white show are like a metaphor for the contrasts of the city.
The foreword of the monograph about the modernist architecture is written by the Californian fashion designer Rick Owens, who knows the city and its houses all too well and can relate to Cope’s ideas. The book is going to be released by the publisher Powerhouse Books on the 16th of Arpil 2013.
www.powerhousebooks.com
Fashion
New Converse collections
by Rachel Marie Walsh
How many ways can Converse update their perennially popular Chuck Taylors? Well, this season they’re releasing several new lines with strong, creative themes. Well Worn boasts seven faded, retro-denim styles. The look harkens back to nostalgic American films such as My Girl and Stand By Me, where youngsters in scuffed sneakers experienced friendship, love and loss.
Other lines like Camouflage, Hawaiian and Animal answer questions like: “If a Chuck Taylor were an exotic holiday destination, what would it look like?" Jungle prints, hibiscus patterns and leopard prints showcase the colors of nature and Soho nightclubs.
Collaboration with Jack Purcell brings a touch of femininity, such as a pretty rose print on the plimsolls. Another line co-designed with Finnish brand Marimekko draws attention with crimson strawberry, clouds and spots. John Varvatos toughens things up New York-style, with zips, studs and monochrome colors.
All styles sport traditional chunky soles, breathable uppers and soft lining. You have to hand it to Converse - a brand that never stops reinterpreting a tried-and-true favorite.
www.converse.com
Fashion
Berlin Showroom Fall/Winter 2013-14
While Berlin it is not one of the world’s four principal fashion capitals, its designers are on the right way to establish themselves in the fashion scene. Aside from presenting their new collections at the bi-annual Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin, this season Berlin designers decided to bring their newest designs to Paris. The event called the Berlin Showroom was the first of its kind. It lasted for four days during Paris fashion week in the beginning of March.
23 designers were carefully selected to participate in the event, amongst them were already well-known designer as well as uprising newcomers. They came together and showcased their work in the Parisian “Espace Topographie de l’art” to over 600 visitors and press.
The professional environment guaranteed success for both designers and buyers, while the fresh feel and enthusiasm of the young event created an inspiring atmosphere. Hopefully the enthusiasm will endure until next season and so the first Berlin Showroom will not remain the last.
www.berlinshowroom.com
Fashion
Mykita X Damir Doma Fall/Winter 2013
The outcome of the first liaison between Mykita and Damir Doma was the DD01 model for Spring/Summer 2013. With round glasses and mixing materials from horn to steel and metal, those glasses are one of a kind. Available as sunglasses for soon-to-come sunny days, the DD01 is hitting stores right now. After the successful collaboration of Mykita and Damir Doma, the fashion brand and millinery designer decided to work together again.
For Fall/Winter 2013 a new range of glasses will be released. There are three new models: the DD02, the DD03 and the DD04. From the DD01 til the DD04 it’s like watching an eyewear evolution and seeing one idea develop into the next. Throughout the whole collection the designers remain true to the aesthetic concept of using contrasting materials and creating visual contrasts in colour. The main material in the mix are stainless steel and acetate, which is a cellulose-based fibre. The circular lenses are manufactured by traditional lens maker Zeiss and available in different colours from brown to green. The DD02 and the DD03 are similar models, but the later one has an extra steel bridge linking the round lenses together. The DD04 puts its focus on the sculptural structure and organic form of the acetate. All of the models remind of a reboot of glasses from the 30s. Damir Doma called the second collaboration “the end of the first cycle of products“. This spawns a lot of hope that there are still many cycles to follow.
www.mykita.com
www.damirdoma.com
Fashion
Gucci Chime For Change
Chime for education. Chime for health. Chime for justice. To empower women all around the world and to strengthen women’s right is the aim of Gucci's new project Chime For Change. The campaign was just launched at the TED 2013 and its spokeswomen are Gucci’s creative director Frida Giannini, singer Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and actress Salma Hayek Pinault.
To bring together and unite voices defending girls and women from all over the world is the way how to achieve change. Via social media platforms such as Twitter or Facebook everyone’s voice can be heard. “There is no innocent bystander in the information age,“ says Salma Hayek Pinault at the TEDxWomen Luncheon. Social media offers the opportunity for anybody to become active and push positive social change forward.
While in many countries women still struggle for basic human rights,
Chime For Change is not only raising awareness about said topic, but also cooperates with the social change makers of Catapult. Catapult is a crowdfunding platform to better and further the living conditions of girls and women, representing over 50 organisations in 38 countries. It will link Chime For Change members to charity projects they can participate in and donate to.
The Nigerian women's rights activist Hafsat Abiola left the women at the luncheon with a hopeful and motivating statement: “Let us stand in solidarity with each other in our common struggle for a better world and step by step, not over night, but step by step we will change the way that the world sees women and treats women.“
Get involved and encourage change on the official website of Chime For Change:
www.chimeforchange.org
www.gucci.com
Fashion
Céline Fall/Winter 2013-14
A soft colour palette of nude tones defined the Céline Fall/Winter 2013-14 collection. British designer Phoebe Philo chose a toned down, but elegant look for the Céline woman of the next cold season. Skirts that flared perfectly around the knees, creme V-neck dresses or ones with broad off-shoulder collars floated along the runway. Integrating statement jewellery into the garments and pairing them with tight overknee leather boots were a contrast to the clean cuts.
Amongst all those oversized coats one of them stood out in particular – that one coat that reminded of a dalmatian’s fur. A beautiful piece of clothing in white with a lot of furry black spots. It looked a little more eccentric than its counter part with creme spots, which fit more into the line of nude colours.
Elegant stand-up collars were essential to the collection, no matter if they were part of luxurious wool jumpers or checkered jackets. A few looks combined different plaids with each other in bright reds and blues. The collection came to a finish with a range of navy blue garments. Their designs reminded of the creme coloured dresses and so the runway show came to a perfect close.
www.celine.com
Fashion
Kenzo Fall/Winter 2013-14
The Kenzo Fall/Winter 2013-14 collection goes back to the roots of the Japanese fashion brand creating an exciting mix between traditional and modern shapes. The designer duo Humberto Leon and Carol Lim stay true to the Japanese heritage of the label with shapes that resemble kimonos and traditional Japanese robes. Jumpers with wide sleeves, asymmetric cuts, tight trousers, kimono-like belted wool jackets, a variety of skirts and flowy floor-length silk dresses are the collection’s essential designs.
Various prints are also a key to the Fall/Winter collection. Either inspired by Asian patterns or featuring geometric designs, there is a whole range of different patterns. One of the most dominat ones is the a pattern that featured a print of a great number of eyes, which seemed to be staring at the watching crowds.
The first colours to appear on the runway were glamorous tones of gold, black and a bright red, then a number of light blue garments followed, the red reappeared in cornflower-blue patterns, while the collection ended with a splash of orange.
www.kenzo.com
Fashion
Lacoste Lab 2013 Collection
by Rachel Marie Walsh
Lacoste creative director Felipe Oliveira Baptiste and design director Christophe Pillet have taken the label's tenacious crocodile far beyond the tennis court over the last two years. While Baptiste gives the sportswear an urban sensibility, Pillet, who heads Lacoste Lab, works to expand its reach.
Lacoste Lab revives the tradition of innovation, which the prolific Frenchman considers an integral part of the brand’s DNA. The products, mostly outdoor sports equipment, are created through collaborations with carefully-selected partners. Unlike other collaborations, however, the Lacoste brand remains
firmly in place. "These are Lacoste products. They're sold, promoted and designed by Lacoste, but produced by experts," says Pillet.
Pillet's team compiled a shortlist of up-and-coming, state-of-the-art sports brands. “We looked for the most innovative brands, the ones that could offer us real, contemporary technicality, but also the modern ones which are open-minded and enjoy collaborating," he says. "The choice wasn't so hard, because when you look at something like a motorcycle helmet, there's only about five or six brands that really stand out."
The Lacoste Lab 2013 Collection was developed with the young, thrill-seeking consumer in mind. New products include goggles created in partnership with Dragon Alliance, a football, rugby ball and volleyball created with Duarig, petanques with Obut, helmets with Design GPA, and skateboards and snowboards with Artprint and Salomon.
www.lacoste.com
Fashion
Rebel Chique Diamonds by Royal Asscher
Only over the last couple of years the making of man-made diamonds has reached the right standards to be of use for the manufacture of jewellery. Unlike natural diamonds, the man-made ones might not come out of the depths of dark mines, but chemically, aesthetically and physically they are the same. Plus, man-made diamonds can vary diversely in colours, while in natural diamonds colour is extremely rare and expensive. This makes them especially attractive for the making of jewellery. The new diamond jewellery brand Rebel Chique wants to re-shape the way to think about diamonds. Instead of seeing diamonds as family heirlooms, they to create a new conception of diamonds being interchangeable high end accessories.
By making diamonds more affordable Rebel Chique wants to create the possibility to have new diamonds each season and for every occasion. However, man-made diamonds are not the product of mass production, but rather of craftsmanship. Before the launch of the Rebel Chique collection, ZOO Magazine was among the first 25 world-wide to receive an exclusive package showcasing one of the brand's diamonds. The company behind Rebel Chique is the Dutch Royal Asscher Diamond Company and since the launch of the official online store, the made-to-order jewellery is available all around the world.
Fashion
Emporio Armani Fall/Winter 2013-14
While not long ago the modern-day silent movie The Artist took film lovers all around the world back to the 1920s, this year it
felt like the Emporio Armani collection
did the same thing. Giorgio Armani's passion for hats came to play in his Fall/Winter collection and their resemblence to cloche hats brought
much of the late 20s feel with it.
The fashion show started off with three models walking down the runway simoutaneously, like three best friends taking a stroll through town. They smiled at each other secretively and played the audience's attention with flirty looks. The pairing of the three gorgeous looking woman made sense as all of them were sporting similar pieces of clothing. The clever technique of pairing the models up continued throughout the whole show, emphasizing the similarities and differences of the garments.
Essential to the collection were ankle length skirts with asymmetric cuts to reveal a little of the models' legs, wide pants of the same length and light fabrics, tailored and tight fitted velvet blazers, long pleated coats, off one shoulder dresses accessorized with glittering brooches, classic colour-blocking cardigans, grey jackets with a masculine fit, boatneck jumpers and dresses of a fluffy fabric as well as a range of stunning velvet dresses. The main colours were different nude tones from light blue to green that were in contrast to a dark grey. For velvets military green, brown, purple and a luscious red were the colours the collection used. There is no doubt that the atmosphere of the show and the whole collection were another highlight of Milan Fashion Week.
www.armani.com
Fashion
Vivienne Westwood Red Label Fall/Winter 2013-14
During London Fashion Week Vivienne Westwood took over the space of the Saatchi Gallery. There is always a rebellious feel and a punk attitude to Vivienne Westwood's collections and the presentation of her Red Label Fall/Winter 2013-14 collection was no exception.
A bright azure blue was chosen as one of the most dominant colour of the season combined with tones of red and black. Zebra patterns, plaids and stripes were reocurring patterns amongst many others. Tailored blazers and dresses with cowl necklines brought out a new femininity and elegance. Knee length skirts and loose trousers were key designs of the collection, while a few mini skirts and colourful shorts still retained a young and sexy spirit. A lot of shimmering fabrics were used for the collection. Highlights of the show were a long geometric cut coat with wide stripes as well as the colourful glittering zebra dress with the black tulle underskirt that seemed like the perfect frock for a punk princess.
The make-up of the models looked otherworldy, perhaps like a crossing between an Asian doll with procelain skin and a female clown. However, it made the models' looks all the more intriguing and beautiful with their full red lips and turquoise to yellow eye shadow. Be it the styling or the designs, Vivienne Westwood never conforms to what other designers do. It was no surprise that her ability not to abide by the rules and to go through with unusual ideas produced yet another unique collection.
www.viviennewestwood.co.uk
Fashion
Proenza Schouler Fall/Winter 2013-14
The designers Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough of Proenza Schouler succeed in reinventing their label's indentity every season. This time they passed on using colourful fabrics, but instead focussed on a collection almost entirely in black and white, mingled only with some silverish greys and hints of peach and mint.
The collection of the two young designers is more elegant than ever before. Just as in a Haute Couture show, bouclé was used for jackets and fine lace for the final dresses. In addition high quality leather and feathery details appear throughout the collection. Essential to the collection are jackets with wide sleeves and knee-length skirts with slits in front as well as slightly shorter A-line skirts. A range of pumps with pointed toe caps, bows, laser cut details and not too high heels give the collection another classy touch as well as the slim square clutches the models carry under their arms.
Structured jackets and coats live from their asymmetric cuts that look good either way – worn open or fastened with big round buttons. The wideness and straight lines of the coats work very well together with the sleeveless dresses that accentuate the slim waists of the models. The garments look elegant, yet edgy. Sophisticated, yet subtle. Every fashion show it's a surprise what the designer duo comes up with and this collection proved again that it's always worth the wait.
www.proenzaschouler.com
Fashion
Miu Miu Spring/Summer 2013 Campaign
The new Miu Miu Spring/Summer Campaign was taken on by the photography duo Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin. Having shot many campaigns for fashion houses such as Dior or Yves Saint Laurent, this is yet another work to add to their long list of fashion films.
The campaign depicts seven women surviving in the modern world protrayed by important models of the current fashion scene, including Adriana Lima and Bette Franke. On the one hand these women seem strong and confident in furry frocks and leather gloves, on the other hand they look fragile and alienated in thin slip dresses. Their whispering, secrets and close relationships empower them, while they long for a retreat and a chance to daydream at the same time.
Especially Bette Franke leaves an impression, featured with fiery red hair and pale skin. The model reminds a lot of Monica Vitti's character in the Italian film “Red Desert” from 1964 by Michelangelo Antonioni. Isolation in the industrial world is one of the central themes of the movie and the same topic is challenged again with the stunning visuals created by Inez & Vinoodh.
www.miumiu.com
Travel
Luxe Travel Guides
The new and updated editions of the Luxe Travel Guides were just realeased. Each of the 22 pages includes the latest tips about what restaurants, hotels, shops and sights are currently the ones to go to. The slim books comprise the most important information about some of the most popular cities around the world. The new editions are Paris, New York, Rome, Tokyo and Barcelona. They can be bought on their own, but globetrotters can also opt for the chic black linen box with a glamorous golden Luxe script that holds a customized number of up to five books.
Just after the celebration of the Chinese new year and in a glowing red with a painting of a black dragon, the Asian Grand Tour Box is updated as well. As the founder of Luxe Travel Guides Grant Thatcher has spent much of his life and travels in Asia, there was no doubt his travel guides would also focus on major cities in Asia. This box set features travel guides about Bali, Bankok, Beijing, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo. A treasure for anybody, who's always wanted to explore the Far East.
On the official Luxe website the guides are available in their original print version as well as apps with integrated maps:
www.luxecityguides.com
Art
A Cosmos by Rosemarie Trockel
The Serpentine Gallery in London presents its audience with another fascinating exhibition. The exhibition's name is A Cosmos and its centrepieces are the works by German-born artist Rosemarie Trockel, including many art works never seen before in the UK.
However, the most intriguing part of the exhibition is the context in which many of the objects on display are placed. Trockel herself and curator Lynne Cooke selected a wide number of other artists engrossed in different art forms, thereby making a connection between varied artistic ideas.
Trockel has never been keen on creating an identifiable art style and always used completely new matrials and mediums. The same is seen in the works accompanying her art in the Serpentine Gallery. Anything from watercolour paintings to early stop-motion films is exhibited and they relate to the most different fields of interest such as natural sciences and natural history. There is no focus on traditional art practice, but instead plenty of new relationships between skill and craft as well as fields of knowledge and experience come into being.
Visitors can download a free audio introduction by Berlin-based writer and musician Dominic Eichler to accompany the exhibition. It can be downloaded on the galleriey's website. Rosemarie Trockel: A Cosmos lasts from the 13th of February until the 7th of April. The location of Serpentine Gallery is in Kensington Gardens, W2 3XA London. It is open from 10-18 hrs seven days a week and the admission is free.
www.serpentinegallery.org
Fashion
Closed Spring/Summer 2013 Campaign
The Spring/Summer 2013 Campaign by Closed has a young and fresh feel to it. The 16-year old German model Esther Heesch is accompanied by Swedish model Lingus Gustin, whose aethestics fit well together.
The couple was photographed by Benjamin Alexander Huseby against a clear blue sky and all of the photographs seem to be in soft and light colours. The garments look casual and range from thin jeans and chambray shirts to light white cotton trousers. A matching video clip by Jonas Lindström shows the young models diving into a pool, splashing water and glistening water surfaces as well as the two of them looking up into the sunlight and open sky. It is full of symbols for freedom and the love of being independent. As new as the campaign is, so is the design of the Closed website. Following through with the simple black logo on a white background it got a makeover and is now ready for summer to come. A nice feature is the display of all the different key looks with pictures of tiny models, who seem to move around their frames freely.
www.closed.com
Fashion
Marc Jacobs becomes Creative Director of Coca Cola Light
It’s time to celebrate! Marc Jacobs is the new Creative Director of Coca Cola Light in 2013. After 30 years of the invention of the low-calorie drink the genious fashion designer is taking the leads to bring the Coca Cola brand forward.
In the new amusing advertisement three girls stumble upon Marc Jacobs posing inside a photo booth with his ice cool Coke tin. He is taking the idea of the Coca Cola Light Man to the next level, taking off his shirt and baring it all. While the flirty tune of I just want to make love to you by Etta James is playing the girls can’t help but steal a glance at the photos the booth spits out. They gasp once they recognise Marc Jacobs: The surprise is out and he just casually announces that it’s time to celebrate his new position.
So raise your glasses (or Coke Light tins) and say cheers to a new Coco Cola era led by Marc Jacobs.
Fashion
Lanvin Spring/Summer 2013 Campaign
When the Lanvin Spring/Summer 2013 Campaign was shot in New York City last year by Steven Meisel, the creative director Alber Elbaz was held up in Paris. But that didn’t stop him to be part of the shoot. After all he was only a Skype-call away.
The campaign video starts off like a normal ad, with the typical white Lanvin script and the music of pounding drums. Models like Karlie Kloss and Saskia de Brauw pose slowly and throw intense looks at the camera. The white-blue lighting gives the whole scenery a slightly cold atmosphere, but the garments including black suits, deep V-neck dresses and low-cut swimsuits seem all the more elegant.
Then suddenly the clip is interruped by the monotonous ringing of a Skype-call. Alber Elbaz is calling to check in. He’s immediately pleased, praises the looks of the models as “divine“ and can’t stop to express his enthusiasm. The light and humorous approach to the new Lanvin campaign will definitely make the viewer smile.
www.lanvin.com
Fashion
Carhartt Spring/Summer 2013 Campaign
Urban cityscapes and tall industrial buildings in the architectural style from 1960 til 1990 remind of Detroit, but are in fact from the Italian city Bari. Amongst Calabria and Naples it’s one of the three cities where the new ad campaign by Carhartt Work In Progress was shot.
The short film entitled A Golden Light Underneath My Car is by Alexander Basile, who already worked with Carhartt WIP in previous seasons. The new Spring/Summer 2013 collection is placed in the context of young people spending a laid-back afternoon in the otherwise so stressful life of urban cities. Friendship is seen as the only anchor in the fast paced environment we live in.
www.carhartt-wip.com
Fashion
Augustin Teboul Fall/Winter 2013-14
Golden light flooded the Galerie Thomas Schulte reminding of a setting sun when the Augustin Teboul Fall/Winter 2013-14 show took over the space during Berlin Fashion Week. The presentation of the German-French label’s new collection was more than a mere runway show, but an installation entitled Somewhen lasting for about two hours.
The title refers to the mix of ethnic influences from different cultures and times. Interesting headpieces such as turbans, broad-brimmed hats with fluffy pompoms or tight hoods with sparkly fringes catch the eye at once. The collection is all black and features diverse fabrics from black leather to delicate see-through fabric including sequin or furry details.
The models’ nude make up and stern facial expressions put all emphasis on the garments and create a mysterious vibe at the same time.
www.augustin-teboul.com
Fashion
Iceberg Fall/Winter 2013-14
Everything looks geometric. A clear structure is the key to the Iceberg Fall/Winter 2013-14 collection. Inspired by the modernist Bauhaus architecture and design, the garments are equally well structured.
Pumping beats and a robotic voice serenaded the models' static walk down the runway, who resemble robots themselves. Square patterns and necklines are key elements of the collection and appear everywhere. Soft cashmere and wool yarns are woven into contradicting rectangular patterns.
All in all the collection has a very modern and sporty feel to it. Apart from black and beige, the dominant colours are a bright red, a shiny yellow and a deep blue. Back to the primary colours, back to the roots.
www.iceberg.com
Fashion
Z Zegna Fall/Winter 2013-14
Smart city men taking a stroll outside. “Urban Wanderer meets the Great Outdoors” is the theme of Z Zegna's new menswear collection, sending guys with slick hair down a path that resembles a trail of countless wooden pieces leading through a forest.
To return dedicated craftsmanship and to make yesterday and tomorrow meet was the goal of the collection. A great number of different fabrics was used, from knitted wool, quilted cloth to heat sealed fabrics. Raincoats, classic coats with fiery red inlays and floor length scarves have a certain coolness to them, while variations of brown and red give the collection a warm look. With this show Paul Surridge proved once again how he is able to reinvent classic garments and redefine them. A great escape from the hectic urban life it was.
Fashion
Boris Bidjan Saberi Fall/Winter 2013-14
Persian-German designer Boris Bidjan Saberi goes all black again the coming Fall/Winter season and gives most other colours a pass. Black is the main colour of his new collection, with shades of grey or white making an appearance. Sharp cuts and clear lines define the garments. Jackets with a military feel and slouchy coats held together by belts are key pieces. These garments give the impression of clear structure and spontaneity at the same time. Striking are also the varied collars – from wide slouchy ones to high fold-over and hidden zippers on the side.
As always the designer focusses on detailed handcraft tailoring and uses a wide mix of fabrics. Leather is one of the essential materials of the collection, its use ranging from edgy black sleeves to elegant leather gloves. The look is finished off with sleek hair and woolen hats. In addition the models wear classic backpacks in the likes of cool college students.
Sunday night, the 27th of January, is also the book launch of Saberi's first monograph. The book is retracing his past eleven collections and is published by Atlante Libri. The launch party will take place at David Lynch's infamous Silencio club in Paris.
www.borisbidjansaberi.com
Art
Boys by Aneta Bartos
ZOO Magazine #23 featured Aneta Bartos's daring photography series 4 Sale, which showed herself and three other female artists naked, enjoying and exploring their female sexuality openly. Yet again the Polish-born photographer is ready to challenge the viewer's eye with her provocative ideas.
The show of Aneta Bartos' new project Boys will be opening January 31st in NYC. Boys revisits a similar idea as 4 Sale, only focussing on men this time. It displays men in pleasurable positions and intimate settings. The aesthetics of the pictures remind of old paintings, but the postures of the bare bodies in the dimly lit rooms are shockingly real.
The opening of the show is from 18-21 hrs on Thursday, January 31st. The exhibition will be on view until the 21st of February. The show's curator is Jon Feinstein, the location will be room 1A and 4A of the Carlton Arms Hotel, 160 E. 25 St., NYC.
www.anetabartos.com
Fashion
John Richmond Fall/Winter 2013-14
For Fall/Winter 2013-14, John Richmond got his inspiration from unknow pleasures. The collection was mostly focused on clean lines and geometric silhouettes with influences from sport and a feeling of utility. The combination of natural wool, tailoring and prints on the knitwear defines John Richmond, and makes the collection one to remember.
www.johnrichmond.com
Art
BOTTLE LIGHT INSTALLATION
Temperatures are below freezing and yet, Alexis Dornier, Ilija Bentscheff and team MADE just made Alexanderplatz a little cooler. The architect duo spent the past two months working on their BOTTLE LIGHT INSTALLATION. The basic concept sees 197 bottles of Absolut Vodka individually lit and assembled to create one giant bottle. Each 4.5 liter bottle functions as a pixel if you will. In itself, this sounds crazy. But MADE would not be where they are, if that would have been it. To push the boundaries of all things possible, the lighting program Alexis Dornier and Ilija Bentscheff came up with is interactive as they want the installation to be for the people to have fun with.
The BOTTLE LIGHT INSTALLATION is part of the ABSOLUT ART STREAM and on display at Berlin Alexanderplatz until December 30th 2012.
www.made-blog.com
Music
Haunting with Bat for Lashes
With her non-compromising taste and style, Bat for Lashes’Natasha Khan always followed her own road both music-wise and fashion-wise. Her latest album, The Haunted Man, is enthralling and mystical as if it comes from some other, more magical world. The pensive voice of Khan and the dreamy music is sometimes interceded with tribal drums. Some electronic touches here and there render some songs, for example All your gold, more danceable. In the song Laura, Khan is only accompanied by a piano. This makes for a fragile song in which the strong vocals take a centre stage while in another song, Marilyn (a collaboration with Beck), it sounds as if Bat for Lashes shares the singing with mysterious creatures.
Bat for Lashes is known for creating an aura around her persona. This time, the music is packaged in an intriguing cd-cover photographed by Ryan McGinley. It shows a vulnerable, nude Khan with a boy wrapped around her shoulders. The psyche of this young singer must be a very interesting and lovely one, this album gives us a little peek inside it.
www.batforlashes.com
Art
Will Broome First Exhibition in The Netherlands
For the first time in the Netherlands, British illustrator William Broome will host an exhibition at Gallery LaRaven in Amsterdam. Broome is known for his naive and cute illustrations and collaborations with Gucci, Missoni and most famously Marc Jacobs. This exhibition, called “animals, animals, animals”, explores the dark side that every animal has behind the adorable façade. Broome didn't shy away from using colors, which he can't really explain himself. “I think it is because the sun was shining in London, for a change. The weather has a huge influence on my mental state. I should move to the Caribbean.” And shouldn't we all?
Gallery LaRaven
6 July - 27 July
Opened Wednesday - Sunday from 12.00 - 18.00
For more info:
http://www.onna-onna.nl/willbroome
Art
DMY INTERNATIONAL DESIGN FESTIVAL
From June 6 to 10, the DMY International Design Festival Berlin ce- lebrates its 10th jubilee edition. Over 700 designers from roundly 30 nations showcase future-oriented products and prototypes in historic airport Berlin Tempelhof. For the first time, the exhibition spreads over four hangars – a complete wing. As a special highlight, DMY hosts the official German design award »Designpreis der Bundesrepublik Deutschland« in 2012 and presents all submissions and nominees from the fields of product and commu- nication design in a large-scale exhibition. Another first this year is the premiere of the »Nightshift – Long Night of Open Design Studios«: Over 50 studios throughout Berlin open their doors in the evening of June 7.
Opening Hours
Thur June 7 – Sat June 9, 10:00 – 20:00h
Sun June 10, 10:00 – 18:00h
Vernissage: Wed June 6, 20:00 – 02:00h
www.dmy-berlin.com
Music
Hilfiger Denim Live
Hilfiger Denim Live is returning to Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The event will take place on May 30, 2012 at the city’s iconic Paradiso venue, a breathtaking converted church that has played host to the likes of the Rolling Stones, Prince, U2 and Nirvana. Now in its third year, Hilfiger Denim Live celebrates diverse, emerging international talents, along with more established musicians, by giving them the opportunity to perform at Paradiso.
This fourth edition of Hilfiger Denim Live in Amsterdam is an edgy mix of American and local up-and-coming talent. Chicago natives and glam-rock groovers Smith Westerns are performing, as well as Amsterdam’s own indie rockers Go Back to the Zoo. Another exciting act is Peaches, who will add her unmistakable, in-your-face electro-pop beats to the lineup. Also taking the stage is Nathan Williams and his Wavves project, with his own unique blend of distorted no-fi, fresh from San Diego. Whimsical Sixties folk from American husband-and-wife duo Tennis will add a nostalgic retro touch. In addition, the San Francisco band Dominant Legs will be bringing their eclectic San Francisco electro-synth-folk tunes to the stage.
Throughout the evening, local Dutch DJs will step up to the decks to keep the crowd energized. The all-star line-up includes the all-girl DJ collective Spacegirls, with their sensory journey of sound and visuals; Amsterdam’s own Mr. Wix, with his eclectic mixing of genres, from rock to rave, and house to disco; Jazz Rath and his unique blend of electro, garage and house; and Jabroer and Oimate of Alkmaar’s legendary ‘creq!’ parties, with their mix of indie, electro and classic dance anthems. Rotterdam is represented by DJ duo Hollywood & Vine and their fresh new sound, which ranges from disco to Chicago house; Ben de Boef will be providing the heavier beats.
Fans and music lovers will have the chance to win a ticket for the show, watch exclusive interviews, view “best of” videos from previous Hilfiger Denim Live events, and get a behind the scenes look at: www.tommy.com/hilfigerdenim and www.facebook.com/tommyhilfiger.
Date: Wednesday May 30th 2012
Time: Doors open at 21.30
Location: Paradiso - Weteringschans 6-8, Amsterdam
Art
Comme des Garçons Black Shop & Mark Borthwick Polaroids
The Comme des Garçons Black Shop in Berlin reveals a new space as a permanent projection surface where likeminded artists are invited to show their works. This newly inaugurated space shows the interstitial territories between art and fashion.
On April 27th 2012 Mark Borthwick inaugurates the series of temporary exhibitions with a collage of his Polaroid works. This work reflects his sense for individuality and character in photography on an emotional and intimate level. It is the antithesis of the glamorous and obvious in image taking, while emphasizing the unfolding of personal meaning in his very own and intuitive style of revealing emotions and the capture of moments.
Photographer and musician Mark Borthwick is among a generation of photographers who in the early ’90s broke through the conventions of fashion photography by new and radical approaches, supported by then-fledgling magazines like Purple, Self Service, iD and The Face. By experimenting with overexposing film, he creates an almost otherworldly light that saturates the images. Mark Borthwick likes to interrupt the image and confuse the identity of somebody when photographing.
His work regularly appeared in magazines such as Interview, Italian Vogue, Purple and the New Yorker, among others. He collaborated with such influential fashion brands as Maison Martin Margiela, Hussein Chalayan and Comme des Garçons. His photographs have been exhibited around the world and featured in art magazines such as Artforum and Flash Art.
The MMK (Museum für Moderne Kunst) in Frankfurt/Main included Mark Borthwick's work in the exhibition “Not in Fashion” in 2010/2011 along with Juergen Teller and Wolfgang Tillmans.
The exhibition will be shown from 27th of April to 24th of May 2012
COMME DES GARÇONS BLACK SHOP
Linienstrasse 115, 10115 Berlin
Music
Elita Design Week Music Festival
The 7th edition of the Elita festival will take place from the 18-22nd April during the renowned design event, The Salone Del Mobile in Milan.
This 5 day festival not only features a major line up of live bands/concerts and DJ sets, including: SKRILLEX - JAMIE JONES - LITTLE DRAGON - BRANDT BRAUER FRICK ENSEMBLE - SOUL CLAP - MATTHEW HERBERT - MAYA JANE COLES - MR SCRUFF - CONNAN MOCKASIN - THE FIELD - VONDELPARK - CHELSEA WOLFE - and many more, but also has panel discussions, cultural events, exhibitions, and the annual “Elita” design award.
The festival is based in Milan and is a unique mix of music, style, design, innovation and an eclectic mix of all that inspires our lifestyle. Its community is mainly made of artists & designers, communicators and music lovers, which during the Salone becomes an international audience.
The motto for the 2012 edition of the festival is – “Work Hard, Party Harder”. Elita is an addition to the design week and Salone del Mobile is the most relevant cultural event in Italy. For more information go to www.elitamilano.org.
Art
Never Odd or Even
Never Odd or Even is an exhibition based on a project by Mariana Castillo Deball. The project is both a performance and a book consisting of 30 fictional book covers for non-existing books created by various authors and illustrators. Never Odd or Even is a text based exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Roskilde. Displayed are word-sculptures, word-images, wall texts, “write-along” animation films, mind maps and the likes. The subtext of the exhibition is the written word's ability to activate an inner imaginative world for the spectator. It also engages in an architectural interaction with the museum space.
From 14th January until 8th of April at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Stændertorvet 3D, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.