Givenchy Spring/Summer 2010 campaign stars Natalia Vodianova

Givenchy Spring/Summer 2010 campaign stars Natalia Vodianova: " Natalia Vodianova has been recruited for Givenchy's Spring/Summer 2010 group-shot campaign...

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More curves ahead at V magazine

More curves ahead at V magazine: " We recently showed you a preview of V magazine's plus-size issue with Terry Richardson's photo-shoot...

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Mark Fast unveils lower-priced line

Mark Fast unveils lower-priced line: "Mark Fast is going the way many designers are these days - making his creations more accessible by producing a lower-priced line.

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A received grace, by Anna Piaggi

A received grace, by Anna Piaggi: "

One of the most poignant and truly personal contributions to A#8 is a letter to Riccardo Tisci from the eternally fabulous and debonair lady, the true fashionista’s fashionista – Anna Piaggi. A veritable style icon, Anna has been a writer and stylist in fashion since the 1960s, working predominantly with Italian Vogue and the defunct Vanity magazine, producing over 7,000 editorial pages in her lifetime. Anna is the muse of milliner Stephen Jones, as well as an avid follower and friend to Manolo Blahnik, Vivienne Westwood and Karl Lagerfeld among many others, and was given an entire exhibition dedicated to her fashion archive, wardrobe and life’s work at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

Anna’s wildly colourful personal style has no contenders to its vivacious attitude – with nonsensical clashes of pattern and palette and rich displays of embellishment and texture that render the poutish, petite woman as her very own work of art.

To Riccardo, Anna has written most warm-heartedly, speaking of his own poetry within his designs and the way that he is able to verbalise this in private to her. She likens his puns to ‘ex-votos’, religious votive offerings to Gods and saints that offer thanks, and has included an image of her own symbolic ‘ex-voto’ – an embellished eye on crude leather.

Read her kind words below:

“GIVENCHIC!

Dear Riccardo, the hints you give me after each one of your shows are always a surprise, an amusement, something to remember… a concentrate of the collection in a very few words, quick, light, spontaneous. And always with a very happy accent, a play with words, which I am always looking for. A little miracle each time, like a ‘grazia ricevuta’ (a received grace?), which is the meaning of each religious ex-voto, like the heart embroidered on a black dress in your spring-summer? NO, no, no, autumn winter collection 2008. I love ‘ex-voto’ (ex-votos?) and I have been even using the eye (see photo) as a jewel with a ribbon around my neck, with your beautiful ‘peep’ coat. My favourite quote of yours was ‘maori, fetish, baby doll’ and it stayed in my head for quite a long time. How great to have a bouncing relationship with fashion, to feel it as a pretext for free poetry, nursery rhyme… looking for your, your next collection-expression

yours,

Anna Piaggi”

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JUST DO IT

JUST DO IT: "

Artist Marc Turlan works with magazine imagery; tearing, cutting, and decontextualising paper to create disrupted works with flattened elements of the sculptural.

In collaboration with Nike and commissioned by Riccardo Tisci, Turlan turned his scalpel on two intense faces in A#8, removing everything but their confrontational glares for a figurative take on Nike Air.

Another work shows an adolescent of middle-eastern origin, shrouded in an oversized hoodie silhouette and referencing religion, a well-established strand within the world of Tisci thematics.

A brand that reaches beyond sportswear, Nike’s purposeful clothing provides an adaptable uniform for a broad cross-section of society, with the athletic juggernaut’s sneakers going on to ground the feet of many more, including Tisci himself.

Yet portrayed here is a subculture culled from underneath. It’s the heavy mood of angry, disenchanted street kids in hoods, the next Brazilian talents kicking footballs in tees under baking sunlight and an evergreen grouping of teens-twentysomethings united in voice.

Not unlike the attitude – and casting behind – Tisci’s brave menswear for Givenchy itself…

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Many muses

Many muses: "

A#8 is a book of beauties – strong, powerful women whose lives and work have enchanted Riccardo Tisci so much so that they epitomise and mythologise his ideal Givenchy woman.  From his proclaimed muse the Italian model Mariacarla Boscono and icy Russian beauty Sasha Pivovarova to French actresses Emmanuele Seigner, Beatrice Dalle and Lou Doillon, each woman holds a strikingly different character – none could be labelled as classic beauties, instead all holding an alluring mystique. Striking features, aggression and passion in their eyes, they all become characters in Riccardo’s dark Givenchy fairytale.

Mariacarla Boscono

Above, captured by Theo Volpatti, Mariacarla Boscono stares questioningly into the lens, seemingly immersed in a geometric kaleidoscope of barb-like decorations, her Givenchy dress disappearing into the backdrop.

“Maria Carla has always been my muse, Now she’s become the muse of Givenchy. She is my Audrey Hepburn, but I cannot really say it like that.” – Riccardo Tisci.

Sasha Pivovarova

Sasha Pivovarova messes her blonde locks in a spidery black dress, as John-Paul Pietrus‘ sepia toned and dog-eared image sends her back in time to a bygone era of romanticism.

Emmanuelle Seigner

The calm, poise and playfulness of age and experience shows in Emmanuelle Seigner,  wife of controversial director Roman Polanski, as she sits for her portrait with Karim Sadli in heavily graphic printed Givenchy suiting. Her mouth is open and eyes wide yet her posture is relaxed, at once both static and ready for action.

Beatrice Dalle

Sadli’s diversity is proven in this image to the last, as actress Beatrice Dalle shows fierce intensity. With petal-like ears, Dalle is transformed into a strong animal spirit that resonates through her locked jaw, piercing dark eyes and the atmosphere of high wind and the elements through her tousled hair.

Lou Doillon

Here Jane Birkin’s rockstar daughter seems somewhat more demure and resigned than usual, her eyes down and mouth pouted in a more sombre mood than such a party dress should inspire. Her rebellion lies in the glimpse of tattoo that wraps around her arm, and vampish kohl black eyeshadow. She is sexy yet subdued.

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Jacques Monory, by Sarah Moon

Jacques Monory, by Sarah Moon: "

Since the seventies, the elegant and memorable photographs of French artist Sarah Moon are an inherent part of the international fashion world. Scarcely anybody will be able to elude the particular magic of her works, like those for Dior, Chanel, or Cacharel. Sarah returned to Dior by way of Kris Van Assche in 2008, with a series of shadowy images of painter and filmmaker Jacques Monory.

A noted fan of ‘Alice in Wonderland’, Moon’s works often escape the field of fashion, becoming mysterious and sensuous journeys. Her images in A#7 come as various angles and formats, the final image in colour while the others are black and white, offering a semblance of a polished ’scrapbook’ vision. In each image, her subject is carried through thematically as a character – bound by his wide-brimmed hat – as he either walks a lonely road, is accompanied in a blurred abstract shot by his wife Paule, or seated alone in a deep green leafy garden.

Her use of chiaroscuro techniques is hauntingly beautiful, portraying this artist in a style somewhat disconnected from his own ‘narrative figuration’ style [preceding Pop art in the 1960s], especially in the below triptych of dark to light profile portraits.

In Moon’s work, Monory becomes part of a dark fairytale, a wise face with a quiet smile.

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Simon Doonan to Decorate the White House, We Imagine an Obama Christmas

Simon Doonan to Decorate the White House, We Imagine an Obama Christmas: "

Simon Doonan, the creative director of Barneys, has been hand-picked to decorate the White House for the holidays. Known for his edgy column in the The New York Observer, and controversial window displays he has created in the past for Barneys, we're excited to see how Doonan decks the halls of the Obama's White House.
Judging by Michelle Obama's wardrobe selections, we wouldn't be surprised if she recommended Doonan for the job herself. Although the details are being kept hush hush for now, the first decoration is to arrive this Friday, in the form of a piney Douglas fir tree.
Here's a look at a few accessories we think he'll bring into the White House this winter:

Here's what we think the Obama gals should wear for the holiday:
Michelle Obama


Michelle Obama would be stunning in this Isaac Mizrahi look from the Fall 2009 collection. Paired with an affordable Lulu Lulu Townsend Criss Cross Satin Clutch, $26.95, at dsw.com; and with this perfect pair of Prada Stone Earings, $390, at

Tags:
Michelle Obama, Barack Obama, Decorating The White House, White House Holiday, Holiday Decorations, Simon Doonan, Barnys, Obama, White House, The Obamas, Decorating"

Morrissey to Design With Stella McCartney- 10 Other Unexpected Collaborations

Morrissey to Design With Stella McCartney- 10 Other Unexpected Collaborations: "

For many people, 2009 will be remembered as the year that Michael Jackson died--or the year the first black President was elected to office, or maybe even the year that vampires took over the big screen, the little screen, what we wear, what we read, and seemingly everything else. For us at StyleCaster, the year 2009 will also be remembered by the explosion of designer collaborations that we've witnessed over the past 11 months. From Mark Ronson's sneaker designs for Gucci to the upcoming (and hotly anticipated) Rodarte line for Target, every single designer there once was seems to now be a duo in some way (and let's not leave out LiLo's disastrous collection for Ungaro).
The most recent collaboration to spark our interest involves Stella McCartney and her new partner in crime. The notoriously vegetarian designer who doesn't use any animal products in her collections has announced a partnership with British pop singer Morissey who--yes, we could have guessed--is also a veggie. His past

Tags:
Rodarte For Target, Target Rodarte, Rodarte Target Collection, Target, Rodarte, Elijah Wood, Shirley Manson, Elijah Wood Oliver Peoples, Shirley Manson Oliver Peoples, Longchamp Jeremy Scott, Miley Cyrus, Miley Cyrus Max Azria, Max Azria, Commes Des Garcons Bealtes, The Beatles, Brad And Angelina Jewelry, Asprey, Brad And Angelina For Asprey, Holmes And Yang, Katie Holmes And Jeanne Yange, Zaha Hadid Lacoste, Dell Opi, Dell Opi Nails, Blake Lively Victoria Beckham"

Yohji around the world

Yohji around the world: "

The spaces in which Yohji Yamamoto houses his collections are a continuation of the poetry of his world – sweeping, dramatic and monochrome – beautifully executed and pure in their simplicity. Spanning the world’s major cultural hubs – New York, Paris, London and Tokyo and branching into Antwerp, one of Europe’s fashion capitals – the flagship stores are works of art in themselves.

The Sophie Hicks’ designed Paris store is situated on Rue Cambon, Mademoiselle Chanel’s traditional home, and is a grand white capsule. At its entrance is a sculpted chestnut wall, offering white wing-like repeated panelling and curved staircases leading downstairs. New York’s wedge-shaped corner boutique is Junya Ishigami’s decadent ode to the designer and a veritable lightbox in the edge of the Meatpacking district, surrounded by glass and spearheading into the street. In Antwerp, Wim Goes has in 2007 transformed the Southern Wing of the MoMu building into the largest Yohji boutique, a spacious cube that reinterprets the neoclassical surrounds of the building with a spare, minimal gallery – the all-absorbing whiteness punctuated by the stark black garments on seemingly floating white mannequins. Ron Arad’s dynamic and futuristic design for Yohji’s Tokyo Y’s store is featured in A#2, and can be seen here.

As our month of celebrating Yohji’s A#2 draws to a close, we would like to thank Yohji for an inspiring magazine and such insight into the relationships and traditions that have shaped his craft and his world. Please keep reading as we bring you further news from Yohji in the future, and meanwhile be sure to visit these serene boutiques around the world to discover a little more.

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Wim Wenders – not a tourist.

Wim Wenders – not a tourist.: "

Wim Wenders is a German image maker – a film producer, director, writer and photographer whose art formed a part of the New Wave in German cinema from the 1960s onwards. Some of Wenders’ more famous works include the film ‘Paris, Texas’ and ‘Wings of Desire’, both profound films that explore human relationships, tensions and involve a strong sense of spatial belonging – the idea of ‘place’ and connection with land and cities.

For Yohji Yamamoto’s A#2, a series of Wim Wender’s photography deals with the Grand Canyon, in Arizona, USA. Instead of a conventional focus on the sweeping, dramatic landscape, Wenders uses it as a backdrop to record the insignificant and idiosyncratic behaviours of the tourists who visit there – their sneakers and snapshot cameras, their motorbikes, campervans and 4WDs. In Wenders words:

“In all these tourist places

where people are expected to take pictures,

I can only take pictures of these people.

There is something very dramatic

about the longevity of these landscapes

and the short lives of these people

even if they try to prolong it

with the photographs they take.

Well I guess that goes for me, too.

Then again, I’m not a tourist.I’m a traveller.”

- Wim Wenders

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The A-Z of M/M Paris

The A-Z of M/M Paris: "

Celebrated fashion writer and curator Olivier Saillard constructs Mathias Augustyniak and Michael Amzalag’s alphabet – a concise and razor-sharp breakdown of the world of M/M Paris.

ALPHABET : Their 26-poster installation of human typography.

BJÖRK: Medulla album, 2004.

CAFE ETIENNE MARCEL: Designed in Paris, 2002.

DESSIN DANS L’IMAGE: Yohji Yamamoto Spring Summer 1999.

ECRIRE UNE PERMANENCE (writing that endures): a continual retinal image from reuse of M/M’s symbols, saturated shapes.

FILLES (girls): recognising each model that is a part of their story, equal to that of photographer, stylist, hairstylist and makeup artists.

GRAPHISME: “Unlike art, graphic design is financially motivated and is part of an economic reality”.”Generally, graphic design means serving others disciplines”.”For us the field matters little, only individual thought”.

INEZ & VINOODH: since Thierry Mugler in 1997, Inez Van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin have been the photographers to realise many M/M Paris projects. Between them, robotic models climb out of giant boxes, clothes that seem soaking wet seem to end in neat ink drops.

JIL SANDER: serene aesthetical documents which reject temptation towards the spectacular, a continuing relationship with the German designer since the 1990s.

KLEIN (Calvin): the cut-and-paste technique, a wider fashion audience.

MODE: Inextricably linked with their work. Fashion or art appear as equal subjects of study and experimentation. “Our position is never a reaction”.

Click here to view the embedded video.

OPERA: Antigona by Tomasso Traetta, for whom M/M Paris staged their set in 2004.

POSTER: a surface for communication which they try to question by awarding it its own status. From a poster that a teenager pins on his bedroom wall to urban posters…

RANGER, ARCHIVER, ORDONNER (arranging, archiving, organising): www.mmparis.com

SUBJECTIVITÉ: “Our parents were obsessed with psychoanalysis and fascinated by the subconscious. We are all the product of an upbringing where it was vital to assert one’s personality and not to conform.”

VOGUE: French Vogue, their art direction – “To each their own destiny”.

YOHJI YAMAMOTO: more than 10 catalogues between Yohji and M/M between ‘95 and ‘00.

ZÜRICH: The exhibition in which the M/M Alphabet (above) was launched.

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‘The Manifesto’ by Antonio & Choussat

‘The Manifesto’ by Antonio & Choussat: "

Zamir Antonio and Antoine Choussat are London-based designers and art directors, responsible for the collective Eat Sleep Work / Play. Their vibrant, chromatic compositions are favoured amongst London’s kicking and screaming scene of nightlife, through fashion and music circles such as the Boombox parties and designers Kokon to Zai and Gareth Pugh.

For Yohji Yamamoto’s A#2, Zamir and Antoine contributed two copies of their artistic manifesto for the new millenium, ‘Last Things Last’ – one in English and the other in Norwegian, originally written in Oslo for a 2004 graphic design exhibition. The new manifesto is an appropriation of Ken Garland’s 1964 manifesto ‘First Things First’, a call for pure and honest creativity from graphic designers who became unsatisfied with working purely on hollow advertising campaigns:

First Things First 1964
a manifesto

by Ken Garland

“We, the undersigned, are graphic designers, photographers and students who have been brought up in a world in which the techniques and apparatus of advertising have persistently been presented to us as the most lucrative, effective and desirable means of using our talents. We have been bombarded with publications devoted to this belief, applauding the work of those who have flogged their skill and imagination to sell such things as: cat food, stomach powders, detergent, hair restorer, striped toothpaste, aftershave lotion, beforeshave lotion, slimming diets, fattening diets, deodorants, fizzy water, cigarettes, roll-ons, pull-ons and slip-ons.

By far the greatest effort of those working in the advertising industry are wasted on these trivial purposes, which contribute little or nothing to our national prosperity.

In common with an increasing numer of the general public, we have reached a saturation point at which the high pitched scream of consumer selling is no more than sheer noise. We think that there are other things more worth using our skill and experience on. There are signs for streets and buildings, books and periodicals, catalogues, instructional manuals, industrial photography, educational aids, films, television features, scientific and industrial publications and all the other media through which we promote our trade, our education, our culture and our greater awareness of the world.

We do not advocate the abolition of high pressure consumer advertising: this is not feasible. Nor do we want to take any of the fun out of life. But we are proposing a reversal of priorities in favour of the more useful and more lasting forms of communication. We hope that our society will tire of gimmick merchants, status salesmen and hidden persuaders, and that the prior call on our skills will be for worthwhile purposes. With this in mind we propose to share our experience and opinions, and to make them available to colleagues, students and others who may be interested.”

Last Things Last 2004 a manifesto

by Antoine Choussat & Zamir Antonio

‘Thomas Edison said “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration”. Without the one percent inspiration, all the perspiration in the world is only a bucket of sweat.

Design is better than fine art.

Designers are self-centered, but at least they know it.

Design must be playful, but it is to be considered seriously.

Work hard, play hard, do both at the same time.

Designers dispose and propose.

Design should be strategically thoughtful.

Never just do it, sometimes just do it, do it quick, do it right.

Never feel comfortable. Take risks. Produce original work.

The world is only black and white, there are no greys.

Burn your idols on a stick, and all your work while you are at it.

Fuck design, let’s dance.

Yes go ahead, take the last cookie.”

Antoine and Zamir’s manifesto is light-hearted, persuasive and inspirational, and prompted several interesting replies when the pair reached out to the wider artistic community, in an earnest plea for contribution and evolution of the manifesto – even offering a DIY envelope diagram in A#2 and their postal address (for artists to react on their work).

We recently got in touch with the duo and they so kindly provided us with the images below, of one of the special replies that they received to their open letter. This reply came from Dutch fine artist Willem Snitker, who wrote ‘life is a gift we often take for granted’ alongside a sample of his work. For Antoine and Zamir to see physical evidence of their work reaching out to others was a significant moment, as Antoine so poetically noted, ‘these replies completed our manifesto piece in A, and proved that people out there are ready and willing to go one step further in their interaction with print publications and their contributors!’

If you would like to react on their words, feel free to email us here!

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THE NIGHT BECOMES HER

THE NIGHT BECOMES HER: "

A lot of attention has been given to the All American portraits of Dree Hemingway shot by Sebastian Faena for V Magazine, yet we find ourselves more drawn to the darker mood of a particular shot. The long exposure shot at dusk in an abandoned building in Fort Tilden Park has a more spectral quality than the rest of the story. We love the use of long exposure to enhance the gritty texture of the entire scene, and it’s no surprise it was the last shot on a long day of shooting in a seemingly remote and forgotten NYC park.

Sebastian Faena for V Magazine, Winter 2009

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