Fantastic interview from The Talks  with Pierre Bergé. Some great excerpts:

Are you sad that you don’t work in fashion anymore? Do you miss the business aspect since you retired together with Yves Saint Laurent?

No. Probably because the fashion industry was not exactly the same in the past. I am not nostalgic – I hate nostalgia – but I am happy that I don’t work in the fashion business today. I am sorry to tell you, but it is not very easy to work with fashion magazines now.

Why is that?

With Saint Laurent, we never talked money, we never traded a front cover against advertising, we never talked about that. Never. Let me tell you something: we opened the Couture House in ’62 and in 1963 we were already on the front covers with full pages inside. Do you think that is possible today? Even with a new Saint Laurent?

Would Yves Saint Laurent hate the fashion industry of today?

Of course! Yves retired at the right time and he died at the right time. I am sorry to tell you that, but it is very difficult for me to understand what has happened to the fashion business. It is all a question of money and marketing. We never talk about talent – it’s not the point. We only talk about sales. Yves Saint Laurent would have hated that.

See the full article here.

Zayan Ghandour is the founder and co-owner of award winning fashion and lifestyle concept shop s*uce. As head buyer and creative director, Zayan’s singular vision has been the boutique’s inspiration and driving force at every stage. With five existing locations in the United Arab Emirates, s*uce has become the benchmark in multi-brand retail in the region. Ghandour speaks regularly at luxury, fashion and design forums and has been a member of the advisory panel for Dubai Fashion Week. She has also co-founded the fashion distribution agency, Two Scoops.

Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you start out in Retail? Were you always living in the Middle East and interested in the fashion space? Why did you decided to open s*uce in Dubai? 

I grew up in Beirut, Lebanon where I studied Business and started my career as a journalist for The Daily Star newspaper.  But like all girls I loved fashion and dressing up and began designing my own T shirt line, Zayan.  I soon realized that that was where my true passion lies and so  I travelled to the UK to study fashion.    When  I got married and moved to Dubai, I met Fatima Ghobash and Dina Saleh and s*uce boutique was born.  We were all avid travelers and it grew out of our love for discovering unique contemporary brands and new talent.

How did you discover that there was a place for it in the market way back when you opened? Did you feel like you were taking a large risk? 

We felt there was a huge gap in the market that needed to be filled. In 2004, big, high-end names like Armani, Gucci, and Dolce & Gabbana dominated,  but we knew that many people, our friends included, were yearning for more.  We wanted to give Dubai a taste of the strong contemporary brands that were available in London and Paris, those pieces that allow women to have fun with their clothes and  express their creative sides.  S*uce was met with incredible enthusiasm and support and it is thanks to that support that it has grown into a fashion and lifestyle concept with 5 lcoations in the UAE.  

Did you continue working on Zayan?

As creative director and head buyer of s*uce, I did not have any time to work on my own brand, so that had to be shelved, until last year of course, when I was finally able to launch my first collection for SS12.

 How do you think western fashion and style translates to the Arab consumer?

Arab consumers are extremely fashion forward.  They are well versed in all trends and are not afraid to adapt them and make them their own.  They read Vogue(s), they follow blogs, and they travel to all the fashion capitals of the world.  They are also a lot of fun.  They absolutely love to dress up and aren’t afraid of experimenting with colour or large statement pieces.  They love handbags and they love accessories and they know how to take a trend and make it their own.

What do you have in  mind when you are doing the seasonal buys for your store?  
We are always looking for that extra special detail in the clothes and accessories we buy and we are never afraid to experiment with new and unconventional looks.

Describe Sauce’s typical customer. What is she looking for?

She is looking for something that will make her stand out.  She is witty and fun, loves colour and likes to be unique.

What are some of your favourite brands to carry?  What brands to best in your store?   

Preen, Mary katranzou, Roksanda Ilincic, Essa, sugar Vintage, Asma & Zeinab, Reemami, Flea Madonna, Sacai, Opening Ceremony, SHOROUK, and so many more!

Do you carry any Arab designers?

Yes of course!  This is something that I have been particularly passionate about since day 1. S*uce is seen as a launchpad for regional talent and we  have launched many initiatives to that effect.   We have a dedicated section in the boutique called ‘home-made’ s*uce where we showcase regional designers. We ran several ‘Shopathon’ events for designers to launch their new collections, and we hold an annual ‘Design a Dress’ competition inviting entries from all over the region. We have over 800 brands at s*uce and about 120 of them are regional designers. We also have a distribution arm, Two Scoops (www.twoscoops.ae), which provides designers with branding and design direction and takes them to International trade shows.

Do you think there is an intrest in up-and-coming designers amongst your customers, or is name recognition an important factor for them when shopping?

When we first opened in 2004 perhaps there was that comfort and trust in the established brands, but now more than ever customers seem hungry to find the next big IT brand or designer before they make it big.  Also I think that trust is now in s*uce itself.  We take great pride in the fact that we stocked many designers before they became household names, such as Issa London and Mary Katrantzou , and that also applies to a host of regional designers who started at s*uce and are now stars in their own right.

Tell us a little bit about your involvement with Art Dubai. How do you think fashion and Art overlap here in the Middle East?

Like s*uce, Art Dubai understands the need to support and cultivate local talent and so we always find different ways to collaborate, support each other and work together. Last year, for example, one of our designers Leila Al Marashi (designer of cult favorite label: Sugar Vintage) had her first solo art exhibit at s*uce, and this was done under an Art Dubai umbrella, Art Week, that aims to encourage pocket art events around the city during the Art Dubai period. We also had a beautiful community initiative last year called the s*uce Benches Project where we invited local artists to customize and interpret benches in an attempt to increase the number and appreciation of benches in the city. This campaign was also supported by Art Dubai as several benches were displayed at the fair.

How do you see the future of your brand evolving? Any plans to expand to other arab countries? Egypt and Lebanon in particular?

We are definitely looking to expand both regionally and internationally so you can expect to see new s*uce’s and possibly standalone Zayan stores in the future.

-As Told to TheCultivate

Alexander Wang Pre Fall. See full collection here.

See Full Collection Here.

Pringle of Scotland is definitely having its moment under Alistair Carr. The designer, who was head of show collections for four years at Balenciaga under Nicolas Ghesquière, is shaking things up at the nearly 200 year old brand (founded in 1815). Famous for its luxury knitwear worn by the British royal family, the latest collections under Carr have been edgy enough to be worn by a new generation of shoppers, while still maintaining the tradition of the company to please the likes of Queen Elizabeth and her posse. The pre-fall collection for 2012 features some fantastic orange and green graffiti print on skinny pants and dresses. The boots have chunky heals and abstract paneling. In many pieces, the seams and the sweaters are literally twisted. “I looked at the classic knit pieces in the archives and wanted to twist things up a bit,” stated the designer.

From WWD:

“For pre-fall, Pringle of Scotland’s design director, Alistair Carr, riffed on motifs from the house’s history while still giving the looks a modern twist. His take on the famed twinset, for instance, was a wine-colored cardigan that fastens diagonally across the body, with diamanté buttons designed to resemble one Carr discovered in Pringle’s archives. Elsewhere, the firm’s Fair Isle knit technique was used to create graphic patterns on a chunky wool sweater. Pops of color came on green-and-orange-graffiti-printed pants and dresses, the image taken from photos Carr snapped of the street art during a visit to Paris. For men, there were chunky knits, silk polo shirts and coats in herringbone wool.”

See full collection here.

The clothing label Tata Naka was founded by Georgia-born, London-based identical twin sisters, Tamara and Natasha Surguladze, in memory of their collective childhood nickname. Born in 1978  Soviet-Georgia in the city of Tbilisi,  the sisters moved in 1996 to London where they graduated from Central St. Martin’s and started their label. Since then the twins have been awarded the British Fashion Council’s NEWGEN Award 3 times in a row. Tamara and Natasha now have three lines – Tata Naka, Stolen Memories and Tata Naka Shrunk. The last is their latest venture, a charming version of their main label featuring smaller sizes. 

Tell us a little bit about yourselves. How did you start out in the fashion space?
We started our career straight after college (they graduated from Central St Martin’s in 2000). Our graduate collection was the debut collection for the brand Tata Naka. The collection was very well received by press and buyers, it was sold in Barney’s and Liberty, among other international boutiques, so we had to start straight away.

Do you both do the same type of work for your brand, i.e. a little bit of everything, or do you split it up according to interest?
We come up with the concept for the collection together and then design individually. Tata’s paintings and Naka’s photography are turned into the prints for each collection and then we bring both our designs together.

What role does art play in your life? Do you find that it is hard to be both an artist and hit sells targets?
Art plays a big part in our life as an inspiration but we don’t find it hard to mix the two – we channel the artistic side into the prints as they are derived from our original art work.Obviously, being in London has an impact on our work as you can afford to be more artistic.

How do you think the London fashion scene has changed in the past few years?
When we started out London was the place to be – it is still creative but from a designer point of view there isn’t as much hype about it. We feel London doesn’t get as much credit as it should from a commercial point of view.

You are both originally from Georgia, more specifically 1978 Soviet Georgia. Does this inspire your collections in any way?
The Georgia we grew up in was a huge influence and inspiration for us, especially the first few collections. Georgia today doesn’t affect our artistic view-point in any way.

How do you feel when you see the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker and Cameron Diaz in your clothing?
When we started out we were always surprised when we saw celebrities in our clothes since they were buying them from our stockists. So it was very flattering to see. Now all celebrities dress under contract or through their stylists so it has become a business in itself! Seeing anyone in your designs is exciting and if it is someone whose style you already admire then so much the better.

What are the main differences between your two lines Tata Naka and Stolen Memories?
That is how we started, with Stolen Memories as Tata’s collection and Tata Naka as Naka’s. Now we still have the two lines but we design them together.

Who is your typical customer and what do you think she tries to evoke when wearing your clothing?
Someone with a sense of humour, adventurous, doesn’t follow a trend and is looking for something special that she can cherish.

How would you describe your current state of mind?
Relaxed, de-stressed, detoxed and a few pounds lighter – we have just come back from a spa!

What is one thing that you don’t have but have always sought after?
A good production manager – more than anything!

What does your typical day look like (include names of places that you frequent)?
The new Poilane Cafe for breakfast followed by a day at the studio, pilates nearby in Parsons Green and dinner with friends (Yautcha, Aglio e Olio, Hix, Tom’s Kitchen, Roka)

- As told to TheCultivate

Band of Outsiders under Scott Sternberg has become the biggest little fashion company in New York City. Constantly coming out with collections that are insanely wearable, the brand launched their pre-fall collection last week. It brings to mind visions of what Ivy League students would be wearing if they were both fashionable and preppy, not just preppy.

From Vogue: “Before moving to California, Sternberg called Ohio home, and as young man growing up in the Midwest, the prep schools and Ivy League colleges of the Northeast were something of a fantasyland for him. Indeed, the new collection was conceived as an idealized vision of that milieu. Which is why some of the sartorial tropes Sternberg has cherished in his own wardrobe for years—varsity jackets and vintage tie prints—found their way into these clothes, like double-breasted woolen coats with leather elbow patches, and khaki pants that nip at the ankle with ribbed cuffs.” See the full collection here.

]]> http://thecultivate.com/2011/12/19/boy-by-band-of-outsiders-pre-fall-2012/feed/ 0 http://thecultivate.com/2011/11/21/deer-dana-tee-60-2/ http://thecultivate.com/2011/11/21/deer-dana-tee-60-2/#comments Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:13:25 +0000 admin http://thecultivate.com/?p=3020 ]]> ]]> http://thecultivate.com/2011/11/21/deer-dana-tee-60-2/feed/ 0 http://thecultivate.com/2011/11/21/gerlan-jeans-jean-jacket-415/ http://thecultivate.com/2011/11/21/gerlan-jeans-jean-jacket-415/#comments Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:57:54 +0000 admin http://thecultivate.com/?p=3016 ]]> ]]> http://thecultivate.com/2011/11/21/gerlan-jeans-jean-jacket-415/feed/ 0 http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/24/chanel-brooch-770/ http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/24/chanel-brooch-770/#comments Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:37:09 +0000 admin http://thecultivate.com/?p=3012 ]]> ]]> http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/24/chanel-brooch-770/feed/ 0 http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/24/sonia-rykiel-cape-275/ http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/24/sonia-rykiel-cape-275/#comments Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:33:17 +0000 admin http://thecultivate.com/?p=3009 ]]> ]]> http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/24/sonia-rykiel-cape-275/feed/ 0 http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/24/chanel-necklace-2000/ http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/24/chanel-necklace-2000/#comments Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:30:34 +0000 admin http://thecultivate.com/?p=3006 ]]> ]]> http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/24/chanel-necklace-2000/feed/ 0 http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/24/vintage-fox-fur-cape-1700/ http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/24/vintage-fox-fur-cape-1700/#comments Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:28:38 +0000 admin http://thecultivate.com/?p=3003 ]]> ]]> http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/24/vintage-fox-fur-cape-1700/feed/ 0 http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/24/eva-bernard/ http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/24/eva-bernard/#comments Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:05:40 +0000 admin http://thecultivate.com/?p=2948 Design duo based in Berlin. ]]>

Eva & Bernard is a womenswear label based out of Berlin. Couple and designers Roey Vollman and Nait Rosenfelder started the label with the foundation of “Easy Tailoring,” a self-coined concept defined as the practice of reinventing classic forms and shapes in a  flattering and comfortable manner. The label’s sophisticated, clean, chic garments reflect the exploration of modern feminine silhouettes. In the designer’s own words, the aesthetics expresses a duality, a wish to transcend the current moment, but also – and no less important – to inform the “timeless” with the “now.” Following no seasonal trends, the line pursues brisk, realistic and relaxed elegance, which allows for much attention to details and refinements. The fresh, up-to-date styles are made in the finest materials and produced in Italy. Since its launch in 2009, Eva & Bernard has been carried in stores throughout Germany and Italy. They were recently named “Ones to Watch” by WWD in correlation with Berlin Fashion Week 2011.

Read below for a day in the life of designers Nait and Roey in Berlin. 

7:45 Wake up
8:30  Walk the dog in the neighborhood
9:00 Drop off our kid at the Kindergarten
9:30 AM Coffee time at Bar Italia or Vereinszimmer
10:00 – 13:00 Working
13:30 Lunch at  Molinari , Via He ,  Shiwa  or at home
14:30 Back working or  catching an art show at the Neue Nationalgalerie
16:00 Picking up our kid
16:00-18:00 One of us is working, the other one with is with our kid at Viktoria Park , Gleisdreieck park ,  KinderCafe or shopping for organic groceries at LPG
19:00 Eating dinner at home
20:00 Our kid’s bed time
21:00- 0:00 Walking the dog again / working /  watching DVDs (we rent them from Videodrom ) / reading / having a drink / taking a bath / talking
0:00 Bed time

The Designers’ Shopping Picks (Click to buy)

- As told to TheCultivate

Dana-Maxx Pomerantz made her silver screen debut on Joe Zee’s show “All on the Line”.  The label “Dana-Maxx”, which began in 2007, is known for its unique architectural silhouettes that are chic, strong, edgy, yet always feminine.
The designer is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology. Her technical knowledge of a garment’s proper fit and design, was obtained by working at two of the industry’s most influential designers, Betsey Johnson and Marc Jacobs. Her collection attracted our attention not only because of its obvious wearability but also because she had 50 pieces this season - definitely a huge feat for any up-and-comer. 

How did you break into this industry?
Dana-Maxx: I always knew that I wanted to be a fashion designer and have my own company. I started designing when I was a young girl and then went to The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and majored in fashion design. Soon thereafter, I worked at Betsey Johnson and Marc Jacobs, before starting my own company in 2007.

Where do you get the inspiration for your line?
My mind is very visual and imaginative. I find the majority of my inspiration in things such as architecture, shapes, and color. I also love how opposites attract. Whether it’s mixing bright pops of colors with neutrals or combining a feminine silhouette with a more masculine shape.

 What made you decide to design Clothing, rather than say… shoes or hats?
Clothing always spoke to me because it plays such a major role in self-expression. When you put on a dress, and it has the ability to make you feel beautiful and alive, that’s amazing. I love the way clothing influences our mood and state of mind.

How did you start finding your identity as a designer?
My identity as a designer was relatively easy to identify since I have always been inspired by the idea of shape, from the beauty of a woman’s curves to the architecture of a building. However, combining my design aesthetic with the business side took some time to properly evolve. I learned how to successfully marry the two through trial and error, and with Joe Zee’s (Creative Director at ELLE) help.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Where do you see your line in 10 years?
In 10 years I see myself more settled down, personally and professionally, and I see the line as a go-to brand and household name.

You have 50 pieces in your collection, that’s a huge amount for a collection – why have you decided to do this rather than limit the size of your collection?
For the past few seasons I showed smaller collections due to the poor economic times. However in the past season or so, we were getting requests from buyers to produce a larger collection. Buyers love to have the ability to pick and choose, so the more options they have, the more likely they will find something within the collection that is a good ft for their store.

How did you feel about appearing on “All On The Line”?
I felt very vulnerable, but I knew what I was getting involved in when I signed on to do the show. I am very grateful for the opportunity to have been on the show. I learned a lot about my business and who I am as a designer from being on the show.

Other than designing clothing, what are your other passions?
I love downloading music- it’s sort of an addiction of mine- and I love reading self-help books.

How would you describe your current state of mind?
Hopeful and strong

Let us in on a New York Secret of yours.My favorite spot in New York is the Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market on West 25^th street. I find so many great items here!

Dana Maxx Shopping Picks (Click to buy) 

Francesco Cominelli, editor of Vogue Hommes International

From French Vogue:

Il avait la jeunesse et la beauté, un sourirerafraichissant comme un spray, une bonne humeurinoxydable, une élégance audacieuse qui électrisaitles blogs et un talent des plus prometteurs. Stylistené, assistant d’Anastasia Barbieri, membre de lafamille Vogue Hommes International depuis plus decinq ans, Francesco Cominelli nous a quittés. Toutesnos pensées vont à sa famille et ses proches dontnous partageons l’immense chagrin.

]]> http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/09/rip-francesco-cominelli/feed/ 0 http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/08/zara-shoes-129/ http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/08/zara-shoes-129/#comments Sat, 08 Oct 2011 21:50:35 +0000 admin http://thecultivate.com/?p=2874 ]]> ]]> http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/08/zara-shoes-129/feed/ 0 http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/03/thierry-lasry-sunnies-497/ http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/03/thierry-lasry-sunnies-497/#comments Mon, 03 Oct 2011 21:11:38 +0000 admin http://thecultivate.com/?p=2868 ]]> ]]> http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/03/thierry-lasry-sunnies-497/feed/ 0 http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/03/tabitha-simmons-shoes-1305/ http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/03/tabitha-simmons-shoes-1305/#comments Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:58:58 +0000 admin http://thecultivate.com/?p=2864 ]]> ]]> http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/03/tabitha-simmons-shoes-1305/feed/ 0 http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/03/givenchy-dress-1345/ http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/03/givenchy-dress-1345/#comments Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:57:13 +0000 admin http://thecultivate.com/?p=2861 ]]> ]]> http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/03/givenchy-dress-1345/feed/ 0 http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/03/jason-wu-bag-1395/ http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/03/jason-wu-bag-1395/#comments Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:55:18 +0000 admin http://thecultivate.com/?p=2858 ]]> ]]> http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/03/jason-wu-bag-1395/feed/ 0 http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/03/a-conversation-between-aram-bedrosian-and-getm-jaf/ http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/03/a-conversation-between-aram-bedrosian-and-getm-jaf/#comments Mon, 03 Oct 2011 18:59:24 +0000 admin http://thecultivate.com/?p=2841 A conversation between photographer Aram Bedrossian and Musician M-Jaf. ]]>

Portrait by Aram Bedrossian

Getm Jaf is a videographer, producer and a talented up-and-coming musician. Originally from the Bay Area, M-Jaf now travels the world with artist Ryan Leslie producing his music videos, working on his own independent projects and collaborating with artists such as Catalyst. Jaf’s songs are powerful, honest and consistently deliver a precise commentary over relaxed instrumentals and an addictive beat. Photographer Aram Bedrossian (previously featured on our site) recently sat down with his friend to have an intriguing conversation for TheCultivate. Read ahead to learn more about Jaf, an artist, a producer and an overall talented force. 

M-Jaf  Why do you make music?
I make music because its fun and I feel as though I am a medium and an interpreter of the sound around me. 

What instruments do you play and how long have you been making music for? 
I have been making music for 10 years and luckily I have been blessed with the ability to pick up most instruments and play them with optimism.  Thanks to my mom I am classically trained on the violin, and that has given me the ability to play other instruments.  

How do you feel about NY music scene v. The Bay Area?
I think that the Bay Area is stronger in creativity and interested in the creative process, whereas in NY, people are more receptive to new music and its more amenable to the promotion of music.

Is there a dream place where you would like to create an album?
I’d like to create an album in Sweden in the dead of winter. 

Whats your creative process before/while youre making a record?
My creative process is dependent upon the people around me and the environment that I am in. Whatever is the most dominant emotion during that time influences the sound of every song I make.  Creating/recording music can happen at any time and any place so long as the means are at hand.

Do you consider yourself more of a producer or an artist?
Like many of the people I work with I consider myself more of a producer and I feel that I am only an artist when I have something to say.

Name your top three musical inspirations?
Madonna, Nirvana and Depeche Mode

How would you define your musical style?
The sound that i create comes in a array of “styles” I would define it as a realistic perspective on social behavior, but if I had to say a specific genre it would be hip/hop.

Dream life?
My dream life is to be able to make music all the time, eventually raise good kids, and before I die I would like to have made a significant contribution to the world and its development. 

What do you live for and what would you die for?
I live for the experience, and I’ll die for my family. 

Whats the normal day in the life of Jaf?
From the moment i roll out of bed, drag the comb across my head, I am rigorously working and contemplating its relation to life. 

If you could play a beat or spit a verse for one artist (dead/alive) who would it be?
Hard question to answer but I’d have to play a beat for Eminem.

What is one other passion in your life other than creating art?
At this juncture I don’t really think I am passionate about any other thing in my life.

Where do you see yourself in 20 years?
I see myself alive and having made an extensive impact on the music industry.

If you weren’t making music what do you see yourself doing?
I would most likely be a student of sociology.

Whats the main source of your musical inspiration?
My inspiration is every emotion and experience I’ve been exposed to thus far. 

How do you feel about the state of popular music today?
Sub-par.

What advice would you give to the millions of aspiring musicians in the world?
I would recommend that they allow their creativity to be fully in control and to get money nine ways.

If you could sit down and have a conversation with anybody in history, who would it be?
A historical figure I would like to have the opportunity of speaking with would be Thomas Edison. The reason is because he invented the first sound recording device. I consider this a monumental discovery because he took something invisible (sound) and made it visible (the etchings in the wax on a record). People are so emotionally invested in music.  The idea that people are capable of walking around with thousands of songs all stems from Thomas Edison’s invention of recording and capturing sound.

If you had one more day to live, how would you spend your day?
Easy, I would eat oranges, drink tea, and play chess with my grandfather. 

At this point in your life, is there anything that you would have done differently?
If I could change anything, I would be more forgiving.

Simply for Pleasure by GetmJaf

Interview conducted by Aram Bedrossian for TheCultivate
More of Getm Jaf’s amazing beats. 

]]> http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/02/celine-springsummer-2012/feed/ 0 http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/01/kanye/ http://thecultivate.com/2011/10/01/kanye/#comments Sat, 01 Oct 2011 23:15:22 +0000 admin http://thecultivate.com/?p=2788 Kanye’s new line premiered in Paris. Jessica Michault tweeted immediately after, “The Kanye West show, in my humble opinion, is proof that everyone can love fashion but not everyone can be a fashion designer.” She could have hash tagged #tough. But if Kanye wasn’t going to give us some furs and leathers for spring and summer, who would? [...]]]>

Kanye’s new line premiered in Paris. Jessica Michault tweeted immediately after, “The Kanye West show, in my humble opinion, is proof that everyone can love fashion but not everyone can be a fashion designer.” She could have hash tagged #tough. But if Kanye wasn’t going to give us some furs and leathers for spring and summer, who would? The collection had some Pucci references (we love that shit, see our logo if you need any convincing). It also had some Balmain-esque ridged dresses–perfect to wear to Kanye’s next concert. And it seemed like the entire Fantastic Mr. Fox cast was killed to create the amazing fox backpacks. All in all, I’m pleased. Also, it’s Kanye’s first collection. Give Mr. West some slack! See the full collection here.

Sometimes you just see things on the runway and immediately know that they would be totally sensible to wear on a daily basis. Like these hooded jacket-veil hybrids by Haider Ackermann.  For instance, wear them to work and throw the veil over your face when you have to face your boss. Or when you’re clubbing and get approached by an over eager B&T, go into mourning mode for a hot second. There are just so many possibilities I could go on forever. See the full collection here.

Here is the new campaign image from the Versace x H&M line. This collection is going to be out of control. The collection will be coming out on November 17, so if you want to get your hands on some of this swagalicious apparel you better pack your bags and pitch a tent outside of your local H&M on November 1. And then you may get some of the leftovers.

 

Karolina Zmarlak’s Polish origins have had a clear impact on her work as a designer. Her astute tailoring often alludes to communism - a subject that the designer notes to exert great influence on her. Winner of Gen Art’s Styles Award for Eveningwear in 2005, Zmarlak’s pieces embody subtle luxury while also being extremely versatile. Her made-to-measure background gives all of her pieces an extremely personal touch.

Read ahead for the conversation we had with Karolina after her SS 2012 presentation. 

How did you break into this industry? 
My partner and I were travelling home after the holidays following the roughest financial crash in our life, and we understood that now was the time to conceptualize a line that spoke to the times (recessionist), incorporated my design experience (made to measure), and was light yet infused with quality.  We came up with a ready-to-wear model based on customizable attributes, which had a custom feel, and the value of wearing each piece in several different ways. Beginning with a few pieces, we expanded the collection, collaborated with LuLu Frost and held our first fashion presentation in Spring of 2009 for our FW09 line.

Where do you see your brand fitting into the luxury market?
We design from the perspective of Eastern European architectural austerity infused with New York fantasy. I grew up in Poland before coming to the states at the age of 10. Those Eastern European roots have affected my design sense by having a heightened appreciation for details. Because most of my surroundings growing up were minimalist, when I did see details based in quality, such as how my uncle would handcraft a wooden table, or how my father would design and tend to his garden, I was all the more appreciative of the essentials of design. We believe that our work gels with an independent, self sustained, powerful and globalized woman who sees clothing as an extension of her communicate force: structured, quality, design with a wink to flirtatiousness.

What do you do besides design clothes?
I love watching Mika Brzezinski on “Morning Joe,” she rocks the politics with feminine force.

Where can we find you on a Saturday night? On a Monday night?
At Hotel Griffou, my business parter Jesse Keyes’ restaurant.

Paris or New York?
New York until I can also live in Paris.

Dream person you would want to dress? 
Tilda Swinton

Dream collaboration?
David Byrne

Theme song to your life? 
“IMMIGRANT SONG” by LED ZEPPELIN

Favorite artist?
Roman Polanski

What do you think defines a cult figure/brand/designer ?
A relevant designer must first understand the tides of global cultural change, then create products which dialogue intensely with these currents, and finally have their creations be so tapped into socio-cultural transformations that they influence what comes next.

Tell us a little but about “Double Identity”? What inspired you to make a fashion video?
Our clothing is architectural in its construction, so the setting becomes a visual to play off the sense that her clothing is housing. Then the narrative is to be free to explore the relationships of power, individuality and sex via the body and its back and forth with the architecture of the clothing. There are few taboos left, but sex is a never ending struggle between the body and culture. In our case, the clothing is the language of culture that the woman uses to get her point across. The most basic of needs derived from the original technologies: housing (architecture) and clothing (Karolina) empower and ultimately manipulate a woman’s will to power. The film aims to guide the viewer: how do the pieces of clothing push these possibilities?

Our inspiration here – Women of Communism – challenged a woman’s individuality with her own reality to imagine and recreate. One of communism’s basic tenants was to create a socialist equalizing of all classes: the stripped down nature of the time was emblematic of this societal goal, and very particular individuals fought against it. Women in this environment pushed to search for means of expression and humanism.

                   

Our favorite fashion scribe Cathy Horyn wrote about the latest Jil Sander collection under Raf Simons, “What makes his clothes different, more than anything else, is that his designs are free of postmodern irony.” Simple is an understatement. Raf took it to a whole new level when he used the white shirt as the basis for a large number of looks in his collection, including a wedding dress. Imagine, “Mom, I’m gonna get married in a white collared shirt.” It’s like taking the ‘wearing your boyfriend’s polo’ trend to a whole new level (a haute couture level).

“Midcentury modernism — the mentality as well as the aesthetic,” stated Simons. What does that mean, exactly? Well, it came through in his reference to Picasso printed on one of the sweaters. Love the reference to cubism below.

It’s also ironic that he’s making references to modernism at a time when speculation abounds that he may takethe top spot at YSL. Wasn’t it YSL who invented the appropriation of art into fashion. Of course, for Yves, modernism was contemporary art, but nevertheless…

-CAL

Backstage images and presentation of Samantha Sleeper S/S 2012. Hats by Kitty Andrews Millinery.

All Photos are by Naomi Shon.

Yara Flinn is a NY based designer who focuses on crafting pieces that are timeless and free from specific trends. An art history graduate from Oberlin College, Flinn is inspired by her personal life and incorporates art themes into her collection. “Since my background is more in art I’m more interested in lines, balance and texture. Last season it [my theme] was Japanese armoire. It’s not literal. It’s more about what defines it for me which is structure, symmetry, angles,” says Flinn.  Her Spring 2011 line was influenced by her passion for basketball, she said, as she showed us an example of one of her dresses with netting (photographed above). She used inspiration from the lines, shapes and symmetry of a basketball net but never tried to evoke feelings of actual basketball in her clothing. The W hotel chain selected sponsored her show this NYFW, assisting her with production and allowing here to show at Lincoln Center. Her SS 2012  collection that debuted on September 14th was full of silk separates and dresses, with small eye catching asymmetry and detail. A few weeks ago we visited Yara in her shared Brooklyn studio. Below are a few of the things we discovered about this up-and-coming talent. 

Tell us about your break into the industry.
I never had formal training in design. I went to Oberlin and studied art there. I experimented a little bit with clothing and made some hand-sown pieces. I was very interested in seeing clothing as performance and loved working on installations.  I staged a lot of installations. I was never really interested in fashion as “fashion” and my installations had a lot of over the top pieces that were not necessarily wearable. But I loved that.

I then started working at Prada’s Art Foundation in NY. I was always exposed to the most beautiful pieces and I could never stop thinking about them. At one point they decided to close their NY office and that is when I decided to try out the clothing thing a bit more seriously.

I  got some old patterns and modified them. Then I got 3 sample dresses made. My friend wore one to a meeting she had at Barney’s and soon after they had placed an order. I kept learning as I progressed. I worked out of my bedroom at first and just kept learning every season. I’m still learning now.

Nomia SS 2012 Collection 

Who is your customer?
It is less of a demographic and more of a style of person. The personality of the person. Someone who appreciates designs and details and fabrics and quality. Every season I try to develop an idea or a theme but I’m not very trend oriented. I appreciate the minimalism of the 90’s, like designer Helmut Lang. Those pieces weren’t of a time.  You can still wear their line and feel current.  That is what I want, rather than having a really popular product that exhibits a trend. My Spring 2012 line is more about the ideas, the softness and the colors.  I’m trying to appeal to a broader customer with more every day clothing rather than just special occasion pieces.

Nomia by The W Hotels

Yara Flinn Shopping Picks (Click to buy) 

Shop One By Nomia now on ShopBop
Portrait of Yara by Naomi Shon 

 Check out the full slideshow here. More of our fashion week looks coming soon!

We know that not everyone appreciates the seasoned fashion critics over at the NYT, the International Herald Tribune, and other established media outlets. Just look at Lady Gaga’s latest V Mag column critiquing critics’ “predictability” and backwards approach and you’ll see that she has some pretty strong opinions on Cathy Horyn. But reading Suzy Menkes’ latest column in the NYT proves the gross error of Lady Gaga. Menkes synthesizes trends and picks up on overarching currents of the state of fashion like no mere blogger or even experienced writer possibly could.

She discusses the idea of ‘virtual reality,’ how this has allowed fusions of different fashion traditions, e.g. rubbery techno and classic silk, that would have never been possible before.  She then parses the Marc by Marc Jacobs, Carolina Herrera, Alexandre Herchcovitch, and Ohne Titel collections, finding correlations that a normal blogger would be hard pressed to come up with.

As Gawker stated, without critics who are critical of the fashion industry, “the whole enterprise would just be people walking around saying, “Fabulous, darling. Simply marvelous,” while blowing air kisses at each other.” Lady Gaga’s attack on fashion critics was probably a poorly thought out attempt to fire back at Cathy Horyn after Horyn stated,

“In a week, I told myself, Lady Gaga’s vintage Versace studs (seen in her new “Edge of Glory” video) will be history. If that. “Never be afraid to dream,” she tweeted to her followers, but I had already unfollowed, like a skiff breaking from its moorings. Goodbye!”

It’s strange that Lady Gaga would make an outcry that everyone has their own aesthetic and should be entitled to an opinion because she notably employed Nicola Formichetti to come up with some of her most iconic looks. What Gaga fails to realize is that when people study fashion for years or create fashion, their opinions carry more weight. Their opinions deserve to be on a pedestal because they know what’s going on. It’s the same as any other profession. I think Robin Givhan puts it best,

“It’s a little like saying, ‘I don’t think my professor’s opinion should carry more weight than the freshman in his class.’ I mean, there’s a reason you come to the professor — it’s because of their knowledge, and because of what they can offer to you. And certainly a wise professor is open-minded and listens to his students, and perhaps is surprised and thinks about things in a new fresh way. But I think to dismiss knowledge and experience — I mean, what is that? Like, anti-intellectualism?”

-CAL

Today we had the privilege of seeing our amazing friend Gerlan Marcel of Gerlan Jeans present her “Mall Witch” spring collection. She showed in an abandoned warehouse building in Chelsea that was perfectly aligned with the Goth references of her collection. There was no AC, which perhaps explains the last look of the collection which was a bright green slime colored number that looked like it had melted around the model’s frame.

The room was packed by her adoring fans dressed in everything from Goth gowns to kuwaii shirts. Heba ran home after the Prabal show in the morning because she realized she didn’t have anything with prints on (a requisite for a Gerlan Jeans show). Solange Knowles and Rye Rye were in the front row looking fierce.

From the invitation to the show:

“Be different! Don’t listen to anyone! Do whatever you want! No grown ups allowed!

This season, GERLAN JEANS, takes inspiration from alternative teens with a bad attitude. The moment of transition when a girl realizes she doesn’t want to be like everyone else. Dye your hair! Get pierced! Wear black to the prom. She doesn’t care what anyone thinks!

Classic goth references are manipulated and then filtered through the lens of a teenage experience. Prints and fabrications drip and ooze over every surface. Built on a cartoon color palette of Slime green, Beetlejuice purple, and Smiley Face yellow, vibrant colors contrast against Oil Slick blacks, leather detailing and exposed skin. Traditional corset lacing takes on a sports wear feel, duct tape D.I.Y gets a make over, sleeves reach new lengths, and asymmetrical hem lines create a fluidity in motion, perfect for any witching hour!”

We were obsessed with her final piece de resistance, a slime creation that made us think she dipped her model in a pool of green wax behind the stage. We also loved the conical bustier referencing the Gaultier bustiers of yore. WITH A TWIST! They were made out of tiny black witch hats. Her wild sunglasses will definitely be seen on MIA or on Lady Gaga at some point in the spring. Congrats Gerlan! We can’t wait to get our hands on this collection and channel your bad ass Goth teens.

Peony Lim is an English/Chinese  blogger based in London. I first discovered Peony on a street style blog a year or so ago. Her polished and poised look stood out in what seemed like a sea of grunge and untucked shirts. I traced down her blog and immediately became a dedicated follower.  Her immaculate styling and whimsical photos always leave me feeling like I’m in a dream. 

How did you break into this industry?
I was photographed by various streetstyle photographers outside my university, which was located right next to the London Fashion Week site.

Describe your blog in 3 words.
My life in pictures. (please may I have an extra word?)

How do you think you managed to gain a large following, among a sea of fashion bloggers?
I dont really know, I work really hard to keep the content at a consistent level, but I think it was probably more a mix of luck, timing and authenticity.

          Photo by Vanessa Jackman

Photo by Frances Davison

What does “authenticity” mean to you?
Being true to yourself and finding influence from all things, learning from the old and making it new with your own personal touch.

Where can we find you on a Saturday night? And on Saturday morning?
Probably at dinner with friends in Chelsea. Weekend mornings I mostly like to have brunch at home, or go to markets in London like Portobello.

Dream collaboration?
Manolo Blahnik or Hermes

Theme song of your life?
The best is yet to come – Frank Sinatra

Favorite fashion editorial of all times?
Tim Walker for Vogue UK in India with Lily Cole.

Besides your own, what is the one blog that you check everyday?
Vanessa Jackman

What is a London secret that you recently discovered?
The medical pedicures at the Urban Retreat in Harrods are amazing.

What is the one place you like to visit over and over again on your trips to NY?
Patricia Field’s Shop and MOMA

During fashion month what is an “essential” that you never leave your home/hotel without?
Tickets to the shows!

Who are three people that never cease to influence and inspire your style?
My mother, Catherine Deneuve and Alexander McQueen.

                                                                                                                                                                   Photo by Tommy Ton
What are your FNO plans?
I will be in the air! So probably sleeping or watching bad inflight movies.

Scott Schuman recently said: “I’m not really a fan of personal style blogs—you know, the ones [on which] these girls just shoot their outfits and all this stuff. The good and bad of that is that most of these girls only have a limited wardrobe.“ – is this a problem that you face? How do you make sure that your posts are always fresh?
Who hasn’t thought ‘I have nothing to wear!’. We all feel like that sometimes, however I try and remind myself that I have now filled my wardrobe, the guest bedroom wardrobe and a double sided stand alone rail. I never re-post outfits but thats my own personal rule, and it can be a struggle, but I think it is really important to keep it fresh. Which is possible by repeating elements, but not whole looks. I enjoy finding new ways to wear old and new pieces.

What do you think is the future of fashion blogging?
I dont know, but I really hope I am a part of it.

What is next for you?
Fashion month, and then a long holiday!

Unless otherwise stated all photos are by Pete Navey. 

Peony Lim’s Shopping Picks (click to buy) 

        

             

     

 

Shipley & Halmos just launched their online commerce shop today. Check is out. Buy something. Another reason to procrastinate at work.

http://shop.shipley-halmos.com/

Just had to give a shout out to http://fashgif.tumblr.com/ . This website is so addictive. Why just have a picture of a great look when you can make it move?

If you’re a woman who buys contemporary women’s apparel, chances are you have bought something in a boutique or a department store placed there by Fifi Simon, director and owner of Simon Showroom in New York. She is the woman behind the success of some of the most ubiquitous brands in America. She partnered at an early stage with Jerome Dahan to represent 7 For All Mankind and was also responsible to bringing countless other brands to the masses. When Kate Middleton came to America, she sported Gold Sign Jeans and an Alice by Temperley shirt. Fifi Simon reps both of these brands. We spoke with Simon about how she got her start and her thoughts on the future of the industry.

How did you get involved in this industry?
I’m from Minnesota, born and raised. I came to New York and I took the first job as I could get as a fit model for Balmain jeans. Then I started managing the sewing room. I always had three jobs at the same time. I was a secretary. Anne Taylor had just opened a store, so I worked there.

I know you were very influential in bringing Paul & Joe to the U.S. What was your experience like working with European brands?
It’s harder to work with European brands. It was complicated because of the way things ship, but we successfully brought Paul & Joe to the U.S. From a quality perspective, it’s some of the cleanest clothes you will see. It’s more fun and flirtatious. I don’t really work with Italian brands because there isn’t really anyone doing contemporary prices there.

How do you choose the designers you work with? Is it based on which brands have the biggest potential to sell or about who you like?
We deal with people who are passionate and who do this because they love it. We think money is a byproduct of this.

Are there any decisions that you regret?
Sometimes I fall in love with an aesthetic. Maryam Nassir Zadeh, for instance, had beautiful collections. But when you can’t sell a collection then you can’t sell it. You have an image of yourself and you want something to sell but sometimes that doesn’t align with what actually sells.

I don’t regret anything but we do look back out our mistakes.

What would you tell someone about how the sales showroom industry operates?
We are no different from a pharmaceutical sales company. We’re looking for good placement in stores. We’re selling a commodity. There’s a lot more spirit to clothes and so it’s more personal. Such a small percent of the population can afford to buy the stuff we have. But the tools we use and the way we analyze our business are similar to any sales in other industries.

What do you think is your showroom’s reputation?
Within the contemporary market, we’re known as a showroom that’s not pushy. We try to make sure everyone is well educated. We don’t throw people into something not believing it will be a huge success.

In terms of our presentation, it’s very important. Buyers can come into the showroom and have experienced something, even subconsciously.

What do you think of the ‘made in America’ movement and producing apparel locally?
I’m American from an immigrant family. I’m a believer in making things in America. But I’m not sure the consumer cares. Wal-Mart and Target wouldn’t be as big as they are if people in the United States cared what was going on behind the scenes. It’s not going to be a fair marketplace.

I do care about it, but there is also something to be said about sending things to emerging economies.

What do you see as the future for showrooms? Some showrooms are completely online now. What are your thoughts?
I’m not going to say anything won’t happen. It would have been hard to imagine people shopping online and look at ShopBop now. But at the end of the day I hope there is still place for a people oriented business. If you are a good buyer you want to know exactly what you are buying, it can’t be replicated online.

What did you think when you saw Kate Middleton wearing Gold Sign Jeans?
I’m a fan of the Middleton girls. They’re not risk-takers like someone like Margarita Missoni, but they are really classy and they embody what Gold Sign is. It’s a beautiful, well-crafted denim collection suitable for a classy princess.

Fifi’s  Shopping Picks (click to buy)

All Photography by our very own, very talented Naomi Shon

In Samantha Sleeper’s studio in Brooklyn sits a box full of lace. What a buyer of her clothing may not know is that Sleeper actually knows the technical process behind making the most intricate lace available today. She worked at Solstiss in Caudry, France, one of the last great European lace factories. Solstiss is responsible for producing the couture-level lace seen in runway shows like Christian Dior and Chanel. It’s produced on antiquated leavers lace machines, of which there are probably only around 40 left around the world, and it takes two people a day and a half to thread the machines. (And you thought production in the garment district took a long time?)

Sleeper’s process oriented approach to fashion developed from her exposure to the traditional methods used by the artisans in France. For her own clothing, she produces exclusively in America. It’s not a marketing gimmick and she doesn’t really advertise it unless asked, but she sees American made clothing as a critical part of the future of design in the country. States Sleeper, “My daughter will not be able to start a fashion line in NYC at the rate it’s going. There won’t be any sample rooms or pleating facilities left.”

She is not an advocate for producing everything in America and she is realistic about the strengths of other countries. She admits that Italy will always have the best leather, and that China will have the best technology. Yet everything down to the fabric of her clothing is American. Her line is meant to have a sense of utility, to utilize fabrics ‘with a little bit of backbone’ to them.After gaining her technical experience at the looms in France, Sleeper was offered an internship at Alexander McQueen. She had to turn down this job for financial reasons, but she was soon hired by Nicolette Prpa, who owns “She Boutique” in Chicago, to start a private label collection.

All Photos are by our very own, very talented Naomi Shon 

Link to Samantha Sleeper WWD cover:http://fashion.parsons.edu/2010/04/28/samantha-sleeper-is-wide-awake/

Samantha Sleeper Shopping Picks (click to buy)

Aram Bedrossian is an up-and-coming photographer/director based out of New York city. Although, this label falls far short of describing his talent.  After only a short time in New York, the Armenian – Chinese transplant from San Francisco has been featured in V Magazine, LoveCat Mag and Bullet.  He has worked with Usher, Nicole Trunfio, Ryan Leslie and David Sims. Aram’s short narrative titled “Life in a Daydream“ for a YouTube competition attracted millions of hits (please watch this immediately and you will understand why). His dedication to “perfecting his craft” has led to beautiful images that have garnered the attention of a wide range of people from The Man Repeller to Coach. In his youtube narrative he gives a small introduction to himself, yet after watching we were still left with questions that we wanted to ask. Below, Aram’s answers continue to intrigue and inspire. Instead of editing them to make them shorter, we decided to break it into two installments so as not to deprive you on any one part. So read ahead for the second in the series of two entries on Aram Bedrossian.

What is the most bizarre thing that has happened to you during a shoot?
I was shooting for LoveCat magazine’s second issue earlier in the month, and we were doing a reinterpretation of the filmPretty Woman. We shot the whole story inside and around New York’s Bowery Hotel, and designated the hotel’s neighboring restaurant Gemma as a location for one of the shots. Instead of going through the whole permit and fee process (the right way to do things), we decided to wing it and shoot guerilla style.

As a result, I needed to create a diversion to distract the servers and employees from my camera, and did so by ordering insane amounts of food and wine. Once the food arrived, I subtly laid my camera on its side amongst the pizza and breadbaskets, slowly and blindly photographing the model, who sat alone at a neighboring table, awkwardly posing in an elegant and incredibly out of place black Dolce & Gabbana cocktail dress.

If this weren’t ridiculous enough, about five minutes into the shot, Bridesmaids and SNL star, Kristen Wiig and two other familiar actresses (couldn’t put names to their faces) took the table directly beside mine. As I continued to shoot in a nervously quick and mysterious fashion, the actresses grew suspicious and asked, “Are you taking pictures of us?” to which I quickly replied  “no,” and told them about my guerilla-style fashion story. To reassure them further, I introduced them to the model and also showed them some of the other photographs from the shoot. If that weren’t ridiculous enough, the actresses ended up inviting me to their table, where we chatted and eventually exchanged information.

I’d say that would serve as the most bizarre experience during a shoot at this point in my career.

What’s your favorite city and why?
New York. It is the only place in the world where you can be the best at whatever it is you want to be. It also breathes life intodreamers like no other city can.

How do you feel about “love”?
Love is the most powerful conundrum in life. It can make you feel things that you can’t explain and make you do things that you would have never done. It fights logic and reason, and instead thrives on emotion and action.

Love is the easiest thing in the world when found and the hardest when lost. It has the power to make a sane man crazy and a crazy man sane. It can strip a person of all hope or it can give their life a sense of meaning.

I love it, I hate it, I miss it… but unfortunately I don’t have the time to have it or respect it. Love is my Achilles heel.

What is your idea of a good life?
A wife, kids, and the freedom to spend time with them and show them the world. I’d also love to take care of my parents in the unconditional manner that they have taken care of me. I’d like to do whatever it takes to one day be considered a great father, husband, sibling, friend and son.Another bonus would be if my children became best friends with my cousins’ and brother’s children.All of that while earning a living through my art… good life. Perfect.

Where do you see yourself in twenty years?
Hopefully I’ll have crossed off most of the goals from my artistic and life checklists, including regularly shooting for Vogue and high fashion houses, directing feature films, creating music and having a family of my own.

Chilling on a boat in the Mediterranean wouldn’t be bad either (haha).

If you have missed it, you may see the first entry of this article here.
Portrait of Aram by Naomi Shon. Editorials by Aram Bedrossian.

It’s a given that women obsess over fashion. We love designer handbags, shoes, clothes, jewelry and… bottles?

When you think of an ABSOLUT Vodka bottle the first thing that comes to mind may be a screwdriver, a vodka tonic, or a long clear glass bottle with blue writing, right?

Not anymore. ABSOLUT has been collaborating with artists and designers for some time, and last week they announced their most recent collab with Gareth Pugh. Pugh didn’t drift too far from the Absolut’s original bottle-y-ness but definitely added quite the spunk. Let’s look back on a few for fun. For its 2010 holiday edition, ABSOLUT Glimmer asked designer Esther Perbandt to compliment the diamond-cut bottle with luxurious accessories.

ABSOLUT also collaborated with designer Philipp Plein to create a Swarovski-studded bottle which was featured in black with skull adorned tassels and imagery. Want to add to your vodka swilling experience?  Then bling out the bottle! The shinier the better.

Then, in conjunction with Father’s Day in São Paulo, Brazil, ABSOLUT collaborated with designers Pedro Brando, Stone Bonker and Optica Ventura. These bottles had a black case and read “ABSOLUT 100” in white. The bottles were accessorized with silver skull pendants and a silver ring. Two bottles sported a Italian silk tie around the necks and other bottles with featured big sunnies.

But here’s where it really gets fun. When Absolut asked Natalia Brilli and Gareth Pugh to come up with their rendition of Vodka’s next design, they both seemed to have something similar in mind. Black, dark and Goth. Natalia put her trademark on it by completely wrapping it in leather and adding studs that ran up and down the sides. Pugh also added his distinctive touches on a 12 faceted clear bottle wrapped in a midnight blue silk cloth band with text embroidery and sharp wings. Or very pointy shoulder pads?

As you can see, the design is based on the stealth bomber look from Pugh’s Spring/Summer 2007 collection.

Maybe he was going for the “Vodka gives you wiiiings” approach? Who knows? These bottles are definitely worth collecting. The liquid inside the bottle is definitely worth drinking. It will make a great center piece at a party. Will it give you wings? Probably not, but depends on how much of it you drink.

-Susan Choi

Aram Bedrossian is an up-and-coming photographer/director based out of New York city. However, this label falls short of describing his talent.  After only a short time in New York, the Armenian – Chinese transplant from San Francisco has been featured in V Magazine, LoveCat Mag and Bullet.  He has worked with Usher, Nicole Trunfio, Ryan Leslie and David Sims. Aram’s short narrative titled “Life in a Daydream“ for a YouTube competition attracted millions of hits (please watch this immediately and you will understand why). His dedication to “perfecting his craft” has led to beautiful images that have garnered the attention of a wide range of people from The Man Repeller to Coach. In his youtube narrative he gives a small introduction to himself, yet after watching we were still left with questions that we wanted to ask. Below, Aram’s answers continue to intrigue and inspire. Instead of editing them to make them shorter, we decided to break it into two installments so as not to deprive you on any one part. So read ahead for the first in the series of two entries on Aram Bedrossian.

What do you think of when you are behind your camera? And when you are in front of it?
When I am behind the camera my primary concern is composition. In fact, I won’t start shooting until I am satisfied with the frame. Once I find my shot, my focus moves to creating an environment that allows my subject to feel extremely comfortable and candid, enabling me to capture them in true moments, as their truest selves.  I want my subjects to feel at such ease that they forget that I am photographing them.

When I’m in front of the camera, I’m thinking 1) why am I in front of this thing and 2) what stupid face can I dawn to make this less awkward. I hate taking pictures (haha).

Aram Bedrossian by Aram Bedrossian 

What are the differences in your creative process when you are creating videos versus creating photos?
Actually the process is quite similar for me. My two main focuses in either medium are 1) capturing and exaggerating beauty and 2) grasping true moments that connect with the viewer and make them feel something real. I am also able to see my photographs before I take them and watch my films before I create them. Every other difference between the two is simplytechnical.

Define “Authenticity.”
True authenticity and genuine inspiration don’t exist. No matter how original or unique an artist, they inevitably draw inspiration from a third-party source, which subconsciously or even consciously translates through their own art.

In fact, even if an artist shuts themselves off from society, constantly creating art unfettered by the everyday influences of pop culture, their mind and it’s countless memories, sounds, moments and mental images serves as the underlying fuel to their “genuinely inspired” art.

The mind constantly works, cooking past memories and experiences into a complex stew, from which our seemingly authentic and unique ideas derive. That said, if I had to define “authenticity,” I’d say it’s when an artist avoids looking for inspiration, and instead allows their mind to wander its memory banks until a new combination of past experiences surfaces as an “authentic” idea.

Dream collaboration?
My mind floods with far too many dreams to deem one as my greatest; however, I’d say that I’ve “arrived” as a photographerthe day I shoot Daria Werbowy for American Vogue, along with Grace Coddington as fashion editor/stylist, Pat McGrathdoing makeup and Oribe doing hair. That would be awesome.

Dream individual alive or dead that you would want to photograph?
I don’t subscribe to his thoughts, beliefs and actions, and I would never promote his disgusting and villainous behavior, but if granted the opportunity to snap a singleframe of a single individual in history, I would have to photograph Adolf Hitler.

A photograph of such a widely hated and historically iconic villain would be incredibly powerful and unmatched in its emotive ability.

Who was on your bedroom wall as a kid and who would be on your bedroom wall now?
I loved sports as a kid, and my walls were covered in photos of John Elway, Terrell Davis, Jerry Rice, and Kobe Bryant. Now?! I’d love to drape the white walls of my studio with iconic prints by the likes of Irving Penn and Helmut Newton… quite the opposite.

Theme song to your life?
That’s an impossible question for me to answer.

Who is one fashion designer you would like to let the world in on?
Dean Quinn. He served as one of Versace’s head designers for a few years and now has his own line, which will enter its second season this fall. He’s a great person and a really dope designer, and we actually spoke earlier this month on collaborating for this fall’s collection. I’m really excited to see what we’ll come up with.

All time favorite editorial? Magazine
I can’t narrow it down to one, but I’d say my all-time favorite editorials would be 1) “Miranda,” featuring Miranda Kerr (shot by Steven Meisel) for Italian Vogue’s September 2010 issue and 2) “San Francisco Chronicles,” featuring Pierce Brosnan and Daria Werbowy (shot by Mario Testino) for American Vogue’s June 2008 issue.

My favorite magazines would have to be the incredible but ever-so-cliché dynamic duo of French and Italian Vogue.

What do you like most about creating “art”? Are you comfortable using the word “art”?
I am addicted to the feeling of creating something that never existed. In most other professions, people work in a designated system that seemingly regurgitates and recycles old methods and ways. When an artist works however, there are no binds and everything they produce is new and would not have existed if they did not create it. I also love the fact that you cannot truly teach art. You either got it or you don’t.

Art is simply something created with the intent of influencing, affecting, and exhilarating one or more of the human senses, so yes, I am comfortable using the word art.

What do you think defines a cult figure/brand/designer?
A cult figure/brand/designer needs to emanate a feeling and message that the masses can relate to. The figure/brand/designer also needs to give its consumers something to aspire to… something greater. Once they establish these two components, time and consistency will inevitably lead to their rise and classification as a cult or iconicfigure/brand/designer.

Visit us tomorrow for the second installation of this article! 

All Editorials by Aram Bedrossian

Arbia Smiti is a French entrepreneur who recently launched the online e-commerce and crowd funding site carnetdemode.com.  Carnet de Mode serves as a dual platform. It is an e-commerce website selling up-and-coming French designers and it is also a crowd funding platform, raising money for the subsequent seasons of these designers’ work. So far it has been well received by both consumers and much of the French fashion press (including Le Monde, French Marie Claire, Grazia and Canal+). Arbia has also signed a partnership with Madame Figaro.

Carnet de Mode was first and foremost Arbia’s personal blog. In January of 2011, she transformed it to the current site. US based site Fashionstake.com employed a similar crowd funding model, but ultimately scrapped it in favor of only e-commerce. Perhaps the success of Carnet de Mode is because of the unique relationships between French designers and French consumers . The designers on Arbia’s site are avant garde  (for example, Jonathan Liang , Corina Vladescu and Emiana Velcani), and French consumers on the whole are more likely to support the fine arts. Previously we discussed the European tradition of cultivating emerging fashion talent through institutions, competitions and grant programs; Carnet de Mode proves that this tradition of support can come directly from consumers. 

Read ahead for one of the few English interviews with Arbia Smiti, founder of Carnet de Mode. 

How did you first become interested in the fashion industry?
When I first started my personal blog about the latest must haves and next season’s styles just for fun in parallel with my studies.

E-commerce is a relatively new thing for the french consumer, what gave you the confidence to start your website?
Knowing how e-commerce is revolutionizing the way many people do shopping today in many other countries like US made me confident that this site was going to be the next big step for e-commerce in France.

What is your favorite magazine?
Madame Figaro

What is your favorite place to spend a few hours in Paris?
The terrace of the restaurant “Café de l’Homme” with a fantastic view on Paris and the Eiffel tower. The food is great.

Where can we find you on a Saturday night?
Having dinner with my friends at my place.

Favorite designer? Emerging? Established?
Established: Christian LaCroix and Stella McCartney. Emerging: Maxime Simoëns and Yiqing Yin

What are you reading right now?
The Planet of the Apes

What advice would you give to a new fashion designer?
To find the right people with complementary skills to help in Marketing and Communication

Tell us a well kept secret about Paris?
Parisian guys are not as romantic as all of you think

Who are the three people whose style has inspired your the most?
Alexa Chung, Anna Wintour, Kate Moss

What is the greatest thing you have discovered this past month?
The partnership signed between my start up Carnet de Mode and the famous fashion magazine “Madame Figaro”

And what about the worst thing?
The eminence or eventuality of another economic crisis in Europe and the world

Show us two images that you never get tired of looking at.

1-Tunisian Revolution for democracy and the liberty of expression

2- Chocolate and cakes are my “Péché Mingnon” (indulgence)

So everyone always wants to know, what is the best vintage treasure trove in Paris?
The biggest vintage tradeshow in Paris at the end of October and the best vintage stores in “Le Marais”

Do you think people in France are ever going to be as comfortable with shopping online as Americans are?
Absolutely. It is already starting to evolve very quickly.

Arbia Smiti’s Shopping Picks (click to buy)

Just had to send some of the gems from the article on Hermès from today, including this incredible cosmogonie apache scarf:

“Hermès and LVMH are at the two extremes of the culture and industry of luxury. We are artisans and creative. We try to produce the most beautiful products in this industry. The artisans put their heart and soul in the bag and when the client buys it, they buy a bit of the ethic of Hermès. For six generations, the same family has run Hermès. That has given this company something no other company has. Our combat with LVMH is not an economic fight; it’s a cultural fight. We try to do poetry and we get excellent economic results. We must protect that.”

“Victoria Beckham is said to have more than 100 Birkins, worth more than $2 million.”

He stops at a worktable and looks in amazement at the skin the man is working on: a mustard-hued Porosus, a crocodile from Australia. “This is something we have been waiting two years for,” Axel explains. “We needed to find a skin light enough to dye it such a light color.” It will be used to make a Kelly 35—a Kelly bag that measures 35 centimeters at its base. “Sometimes someone will order a bag made of rare leather like this and they must wait until we find the skin.”

“Hermès is a unique business model, completely different from LVMH—that’s why the two can’t mix. It would kill Hermès. You would keep the brand and keep the name, but Hermès would be dead.”

The reason, he believes, is quite simple: “Hermès is a human experience.”

At his boarding school graduation, Mathew Chevallard and his friends faced a problem. All they wanted was to wear a pair of affordable velvet slippers with their school emblem on them while they smoked their celebratory cigars. When they couldn’t find a pair under $900, they realized there was a gap in the market. At this realization Del Toro was born, with the goal of bringing “fine evening and leisure wear to the people.”

Now Del Toro shoes are handcrafted in Spain & Italy while still maintaining their affordable price. Everyone from prep school kids to Lil Wayne is wearing them, bringing about resurgence to an old and refined mode of dressing up your feet.

We asked Matthew Chevellard, one of the designers behind the brand, to give us a look into a typical day in his life and to share with us his current online shopping list.

9:30 - Woke up late! Was out fairly late with friend Michael Saiger, the owner and designer of MIANSAI, discussing business and synergies. Have my cappuccino and morning Eggos and OJ.
10:00 - Start the day at Casa Del Toro here on Sunset Island 1 in Miami Beach, FL– respond to emails and calls and catch up with clients.
11:00 - Tired from a long past couple of days; received a couple new shipments, new espadrille desert boots and a large velvet slipper and linen driving shoe shipment from Spain. Also, have been receiving some great new prototypes from my new factory in Italy.
12:00 - Head to the Webster to go consign half of their order, surprise them with a purp basso driver and espadrille desert boots as well (still awaiting missing shoes from Spain, always a struggle working with our past manufacturer who I am just trying to close my outstanding orders with).
1:00 –  Go to UPS to pick up mail and packages, pick up pulls from Lucky Magazine and receive sourced fabric that I am designing for new women’s models.
2:00 - Back to the office for conference call and more email responses.
3:00 - Finish working on website revisions, we have been slowly renovating the website and it is almost done but some minor tweeks and new products still need to be added. So with the new shipments, and product shot day yesterday, and the website, stuff has been hectic!
4:00 - Back to the grind on my Mac; finish emails and calls.
7:00 - Finish the day in the office.
7:30 - Head to Soho Beach House for a workout and steam.

Matthew Chevallard’s  Shopping Picks (click to buy)