Embrace the fantasy of florals with punchy psychedelic prints. Twin predicts a horticultural riot!
Photography: Jason Kibbler
Styling: Celestine Cooney
In Bloom
21.06.2012 | Blog , Twin Video | BY: admin
After Vreeland
21.06.2012 | Blog , Fashion | BY: admin
Diana Vreeland defrocked fashion, stripping magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar of their haughty stiffness and making way for a more loose limbed era of elegance.
Now in its final days, Diana Vreeland After Diana Vreeland, traces the legendarily aphoristic editor’s obsession with two seemingly disparate loves, the colour green and Venice.
Housed in the city’s Palazzo Fortuny, the exhibition is a snapshot of a life dedicate to taste and style. Pieces by Yves Saint Laurent, Missoni, Emilio Pucci, Chanel, Irene Galitzine, Valentino, and Paco Rabanne, culled from both Vreeland’s own closet and private collections, display her love of emerald. Meanwhile books and magazines from the editor’s library remind us of her ability to embrace youth and new ideas.
With its grand setting, Diana Vreeland After Diana Vreeland seeks to infuse the viewer with the spirit of a lost fashion jewel, so much so that the perfumer Frédéric Malle has even created a sandalwood fragrance to be sprayed at the Fortuny museum — a reference to the editor’s passion for scents.
If you aren’t in Venice this weekend, then no fear – Vreeland mania is set to hit in September when the fantastically amusing documentary Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel goes on general release. Twenty-three years after her death, Vreeland remains an incomparable wit and eye.
Diana Vreeland After Diana Vreeland is at the Palazzo Fortuny until 26 June.
LN-CC X S/S12
20.06.2012 | Blog , Culture , Fashion | BY: admin
After nearly two years hidden among the miscellany of rundown shops and hip bars of Dalston, LN-CC have proved themselves as one of London’s most exciting fashion destinations.
Always innovating, LN-CC have released a short film to celebrate S/S12 drawing to a close that features key pieces by Ann Demeulemeester, Haider Ackermann and Damir Doma.
Twin caught up with assistant buyer Jack Cassidy to talk present and future LN-CC…
How long have you been part of the LN-CC team?
I’ve been with LN-CC since August 2010, which was before we launched the website in September and store in November.
What were your favourite pieces from last season?
This season I’m mainly wearing pieces from Jil Sander, Damir Doma, Comme Homme Plus and a selection from our Japanese brands.
What can LN-CC fans look forward to next in store?
For AW12 we have picked up some new brands that I am really looking forward to arriving. For women’s Lucas Nascimento’s collection is very interesting – especially all of the interesting knit techniques and fabrications. So is the tailoring and outerwear from Kolor which is new for AW12 and we are the only UK stockist.
Accessories wise, the footwear from Cherevichkiotvichki is fantastic and new for us this season. All of the leather is tanned by a long and natural process – using tree bark rather than chemicals and the skins are finished in a small tannery in Tuscany, Italy. The leather is shave numerous times to achieve the faded look and the perfect colour season and is a rather unusual thickness (similar to molding or saddle leather). We’ve also got lots more accessories, men’s and women’s brands that we are pleased to have on board – it’s shaping up to be a great season.
Who would be your up and coming must buy?
It’s hard to say but I think Haider Ackermann is a great brand to be buying right now – his draping, tailoring and palette are very strong and his aesthetic is incomparable. But if it has to be up-and-coming I would say Lucas Nascimento. I think his attention to detail, quality and execution means that (despite being a young label) if he continues to develop his aesthetic he is heading in the direction of establishing a solid high-end brand.
What’s the soundtrack to working at LN-CC?
At the moment it’s Phil Manzanera as we are in the run up to launching a special release with him. The Zsou – Written in dust/Wild Honey release that we launched a few weeks ago also gets a regular play.
What are your top Dalston haunts for day and night?
Most of my time in Dalston is spent looking for somewhere new to go for lunch and then reverting to regular haunts such as Mouse De Lotz, DeBeavoir Deli and Bardens.
Describe LN-CC’s customer?
We tend not to define our customer or think to much about who they are. But we do see them mixing the mainline brands with the smaller and more street wear-inspired Japanese or London designers as that is the way we wear the product ourselves. We hope too that they have an interest in the different areas of LN-CC such as the clothing, books and music.
LN-CC FILM: SS12 006 from LN-CC on Vimeo.
Prada World
Prada’s new A/W 12 campaign dropped into Twin’s inbox this week. Specifically, two images shot by Steven Meisel who unfailingly serves up polished images to match Prada’s peerless vision.
Not afraid to carve out her own niche, this time Miuccia’s models inhabit a futuristic vision that glitches forward by way of Kubrick’s Clockwork Orange. Those geometric print belted trouser suits that were introduced to us a few months ago are worn with dark-eyed stares, in what Prada calls a “futuristic enclosure” of Tetris like orange and white carpeted steps.
By creating her own video game “level” complete with model avatars, Prada has engendered her own world. A virtual reality, in which we can play along with her glorious, unabashed fashion intellectualism. We’re sure her printed suits with flared cropped pants, dip dyed tresses and rubber galoshes are set to be in our fashion future.
Through a Glass Darkly
18.06.2012 | Blog | BY: Lara Piras
Darkroom, is a very modern boutique. Placed on Lambs Conduit Street it’s monochrome interior expertly filled with the most eclectic and almost unreachable accessories for man, woman and home.
Founded by duo Rhonda Drakeford and Lulu Roper-Caldbeck the unique store holds rare pieces largely inspired by Africa that push boundaries between art and design.
Twin spoke to Rhonda, who explained the mysterious, yet hellishly exciting concept that brings majestic product, fit for a museum, to our homes…
Can you describe Darkroom in three words?
Bold, Crafted, Design… arrgh, that”s a hard question!
How do you go about seeking new brands/designs and keeping the store’s content so original?
We tend to steer clear of known designer brands, unless there”s something in the accessories part of a collection that really stands out, and isn”t already well represented in London — We prefer to source more off the beaten track, so we literally scour the world, [and its tradeshows!], mixing London finds by graduates and lesser known designers with pieces sourced anywhere from Africa to Australia, Brazil to Belgium…
A lot of product in the store is African-influenced, why is this?
I”ve been collecting African fabrics for many years, and before we started Darkroom, I developed a signature range of cushions made from my archives of wax print fabrics that I wholesaled to places like Liberty etc. This was something that was also brought into the Darkroom aesthetic when we were developing that, and has proved really successful here, which is great.
We really like the way the vibrancy of the textiles and colour palettes found in Africa work so well alongside contemporary Western design. The contrast really creates a dialogue between all the products we present.
Can you tell us about any particularly interesting products you stock?
We love to present pieces that use an unexpected process or material — one of the best examples is the series of poufs by Dutch designer Chrstien Meindertsma. She uses jumbo thick felted wool, and hand knits them with needles the size of broomsticks!
What’s your favourite piece?
I”ve just ordered one of these amazing bags by Nigerian-born designer Buki Akib.
Tell us about your own design aesthetic and White Coat’s Call Room 4 Unique Chief Complaints Buy buy сialis online on November 30, 2013 Buy buy сialis online USPS Fast Delivery. process.
Before Darkroom, I worked as a graphic designer, and this graphic approach is definitely the way I work here too — I respond to boldness and bravery in design, but also really enjoy simple items made really well. When designing products here, I”ll always look outside of the industry of “retail” for a starting point, I see little point in responding to trends.
My own design aesthetic is very much what you see at Darkroom, I pretty much live it — my home is very similar. I”m currently close to buying a new place, and am looking forward to hand painting tribal-esque motifs and shapes on all the walls. I like design to be visually challenging and unexpected, but also to be realistic — I hate homes that look like show homes, or when people dress top-to-toe catwalk.
What events have you recently had or are coming up at Darkroom?
We just had a party to celebrate the window installation that launched Buki Akib”s bags [see above], and we are now working towards our Pagan themed season that launches on 21 June — Summer Solstice.
Do you support or stock graduates?
Yes we do — although it wasn”t one of the original theories behind the word “Darkroom”, we like how it has the connotations of developing new talent. The nature of what we do, in selling one-off and hand-made pieces, works really well for graduate designers.
Would you ever branch out to apparel?
At the moment, no — we really enjoy the creativity that is inspired by selling accessories only. The way we mix interior and fashion accessories allows for so much scope and means we have a unique voice that we can build on in many ways. Ultimately though, our shop size limits us to how much we can present. There”s no doubt that we”d love a bigger space, and who knows what that would bring!
What’s next for Darkroom?
There”s the Pagan launch, which is a really exciting mix of specially commissioned pieces by several jewellers including Michelle Lowe-Holder, CCCHU and Na”ama Rietti, alongside some new Darkroom pieces and a selection of beautiful items sourced from New York and Madagascar.
We are also working on our inaugural Darkroom knitwear collection which will launch during the London Design Festival in September — we”re working with the amazing designer and set-builder Camille Walala on a major window installation for that, which is extremely exciting.
Young and Lost Club X Twin Playlist
Nadia Dahlawi and Sara Jade are purveryors of London music with independence. Since 2005 their record label Young and Lost Club has released a steady stream of artists whose impact has dominated dance floors and air waves. For them indie music, isn’t all skinny jeans and leather jackets, it’s about freedom.
This week they released lo-fi band Being There’s debut album “Breaking Away” and on 18 June they release shoe-gaze dreamers Exlovers album “Moth”.
Twin asked Nadia and Sara to make a playlist of their top nine tracks…
1/ Too Young – Phoenix
Sara – This song is a classic, I”ve seen Phoenix live so many times
and it”s always perfect. I”m ridiculously excited for their new
album.2/ Pretty Young Thing – Michael Jackson
Sara – I love dj-ing this! I don”t know why this particular MJ track,
it just works.3/ Black Magic – Magic Wands
Nadia – We released this a couple of years ago, I”m really into their
consistently witchy – girly vibe, they just did a cool Madonna cover too.4/ Everyday – Oh Minnows
Nadia – This is from the Oh Minnows album we released, it”s
real heartbreaker.5/ Cbat – Hudson Mohawke
Sara – Hudmo”s sound is so distinct and I think you can hear his
influence starting to spread. “Cbat” melts my brain.6/ 17 – Being There
Nadia – Their album is all about nostalgia and longing for escape,
which is easy to relate too. J-Ro from the band made the video himself,
I really want to know what a “Hi-Teen Carnival” is?!7/ If I Could Talk I”d Tell You – The Lemonheads
Sara – I”ve always loved The Lemonheads, personally I find this
song super romantic.8/ Machu Picchu – The Strokes
Nadia – We were so obsessed with The Strokes when we were kids!
I remember us bunking off school to go buy “Is This It” on vinyl.
With every album they release, there are always a couple of songs
that are mind blowingly awesome and remind you why everyone
loves The Strokes.9/ More Than This – Roxy Music
Sara – This is the epitome of a cool, last-song-of-the-night track. Bryan
Ferry has such elegance. Also, “Lost In Translation” is one of my favourite
films, and Bill Murray doing karaoke to this can”t be beaten.
Listen to Young and Lost Club”s Twin Playlist
Young and Lost Club”s nights:
HOME – with Loud and Quiet, second Friday of every month at Power Lunches with live bands and djs.
Y&L Club at Dance Shop Do – first Saturday of every month.
Y&L Club at the Lock Tavern – first Thursday of the month, acoustic night.
For free Y&L Club downloads available weekly visit here
Fashion Phantom
It’s hard not to have a crush on Stevie Dance. The Australian film student turned stylist, edited fashion Russh Magazine, before moving to NYC and starting her own online zine, SHOP GHOST. Dance describes it as a ‘manual for creativity and style research’ and we love her kaleidoscope collages and style insights from fashion favourites such as Phillip Lim and Julia Nobis.
A tornado of activity, when she’s not consulting for major brands, the image-maker is also working on her own film script. Twin caught up with Dance to find out more…
So, what made you start Shop Ghost?
I have a small addiction to work.
Where did the name come from?
A haunted hotel in Seattle.
How did you become a stylist?
I put my hand up to assist fresh out of my degree when I was looking for ways to be around people making pictures.
What else are you working on at the moment?
This season’s shoots, a film script, sleeping more.
You moved from Aus to NYC – what do you miss?
Cannonballing into the sea. I miss water. I miss not having to wear shoes. I miss The Dance Clan of course but it is all good. I get back there quite a bit, plus New York has almost everything else.
What’s your best NYC shopping destination?
Maryam Nassir Zadeh.
What are you wearing right now?
My pyjamas!
When did you last stay up all night?
On the red eye.
What was the last book you read, film you saw and song you sang to?
Reinaldo Arenas – Before Night Falls (for the 100th time)
Wes Anderson’s – Moonrise Kingdom
You Am I – Purple Sneakers
You studied film at Uni – what’s your all time favourite?
Badlands.
When were you last happiest?
With the love of my life driving across America.
What are your dreams for the future?
To keep Dreaming.
What’s Next?
Until the end of June, KK Outlet are asking some big questions and discussing some important matters. With a double dip recession, youth unemployment and the euro in crisis, KK Outlet are staging What’s Next? a series of exhibitions and panel discussions which put equality at their heart.
Until Saturday they are exhibiting work from Girlcore, the magazine dedicated to promoting female talent, that we love. Tomorrow they’re hosting a discussion featuring speakers such as Ellie Mae O’Hagan and Ewen Spencer. If you aren’t already, go get politicised.
For more info visit kkoutlet.com
Equality panel discussion 14 June 2012, 7 – 9pm
True Original
Opening Ceremony and adidas Originals are on the B of the Bang with their new collection. No doubt about it, their collaborative ode to urban sportswear is fleet of foot. Launching as the Olympics really start to loom, adidas’ classic silhouettes have been souped-up with OC’s retail philosophy.
Taking their cues from cycling and swimwear, these are off the track pieces that are rich in print, colour and attitude. Comprised of 70 separates and 20 footwear pieces, floral and bandana prints and Nineties splatter-paint motifs dominate. Not so much Olympic cyclist than BMX bandit and not so much 100m butterfly than city Lido, there are too many must-haves for our summer. Be sure to accessorize with goggles.
adidas Originals by Opening Ceremony capsule collection is available globally in July and August 2012.
So Far So Good
Soho in London is a place of interactions and moments. While much of the dirt and sex has been cleaned up, chain restaurants have crept in and media companies stalk the streets, it remains at the heart of London’s eccentricities and self-expression.
In his photographs of Soho, Swedish photographer Anders Petersen has imbued the area with what he describes as “a kind of poetic sadness”. Night-time clinches accentuated through high-contrast tones and grainy black and white, mutes the colour of Soho and allows the imagination to recreate the area.
At the request of the Photographer’s Gallery, Petersen took his images in just over three weeks in 2011, beginning in March, when it was “too cold at night” and returned in June, when “it was the perfect mix of shop light and sunlight”.
Anders Petersen’s SOHO is available from mackbooks.co.uk
Divine Reinvention
08.06.2012 | Blog , Fashion | BY: admin
Forget the LBD — as Chanel proves with its exhibition opening in New York today, it’s all about the LBJ. The show is the latest endeavour in the brand’s The Little Black Jacket: CHANEL’s classic revisited by Karl Lagerfeld and Carine Roitfeld series, which debuted in Tokyo earlier this year with the release of a 113 image strong hardcover book.
Accompanying the photography exhibit including portraits of Elle Fanning, Linda Evangelista, Tilda Swinton and Freja Beha Erichsen, all captured through Lagerfeld’s lens, is an online incarnation of the project.
The digital platform allows not only a chance to go behind the scenes of the extensive photo shoot, but also to see how the piece in question is handcrafted in Chanel’s ateliers. Just like the fashion house’s trademark piece, it’s the perfect fusion of an iconic classic with striking modernity.
The Little Black Jacket: CHANEL’s classic revisited by Karl Lagerfeld and Carine Roitfeld is on display at 18 Wooster Street, New York, until June 15.
Grimes Fashion Tale
Claire Boucher aka Grimes is undoubtably the girl of the moment. Not only are her tunes ludicrously catchy without the cliche, but her personal style is such that girls want to be her and guys want to be near her.
For Twin’s Issue VI we tasked photographer Tara Darby, stylist Michele Rafferty and hairstylist Selena Middleton with shooting Grimes.
Twin spoke to Michele Rafferty and Selena Middleton about collaborating on the shoot…
Hi Michele, you styled Grimes for Twin’s Issue VI. What are the differences between styling people and fashion models?
It requires a different sort of approach than with models not harder just different. Respecting her integrity whilst still creating something that works, feels relevant and reflects your own style, your obsessions…
How did you envision the shoot?
The team was key, it always is, but my thoughts about Grimes’ look was that I wanted to get away from the ethereal thing she often seems to have going on. I wanted something tougher and cleaner, also a sense of fun. I wanted her to be the coolest, hardest girl at school. So she’s a kind of grebo skinhead mix! She’s the girl I would have been bunking off a maths lesson with.
I chatted with Claire about what she was comfortable with. She was really open, very aware of the importance of creating interesting images. She also knew her own mind. Her only request was that she be allowed to keep her tights on. She doesn’t shave her legs, which is very unusual and very impressive. She’s a very cool young lady.
How did you work as a team?
Obviously when everyone arrives at the studio the ideas are all discussed and brought together. Selena and I are very much on the same wavelength as far as references go and she brought it all together with the coloured hairpieces, different colours for each outfit change.
It’s fun to work with people that have the same kind of visual reference library and their own brilliant obsessions. I think Tara’s images are lovely and unique, they show another side of Claire/Grimes.
Stripe dress Open Back, Miharayasuhiro
Cherry red boots, Dr. Martens
Where did you take your cues from for the look of the shoot?
As above, but more solid refs; Shane Meadows’ This Is England, youth cult mixes, luxury labels brought down to earth with DM boots.
What’s your personal attitude to fashion and styling?
I love clothes, it’s a language. People say so much about themselves in the way they dress. I find that fascinating and fun and funny.
What are your earliest outfit memories?
My mum made all our clothes. We were always the freaks! I just wanted white nylon tights like the other girls. Obviously now I know my sister and I looked adorable.
What item would make it into to your personal capsule wardrobe?
White men’s 100 per cent cotton T-shirt.
Whose style do you admire now and forever?
A sweeping statement, but, Jamaican men, disaffected youth, old English men. I also love a uniform.
What’s coming up next for you?
Shooting a short film with Clare Shilland for Marni Menswear S/S 13.
White school uniform shirt, John Lewis
Navy crombie, Celine
Cherry red boots, Dr. Martens
Hi Selena, where did you start with the hair for the Grimes shoot?
Well it was a collaboration between Michele Rafferty, Tara Darby and myself. Claire Grimes is the future of music, and like all young cool kids she likes to experiment, so we all decided it would be a good idea to change her hair colour in every shot to work with the outfits. For me this is the best form of artistic expression, no boundaries just believing what your doing is right. I think Michelle and I are very much on the same page, and as a team we worked to get the best possible image.
What are your must have products?
Dry shampoo and Bumble and Bumble Brilliantine.
What look do you love at the moment?
Anything modern with a twist. I love a grunge bun with colour!
Do you have a style secret you can share with us?
After washing and conditioning your hair, tie your hair at the nape of your neck with some hairgrips. Apply Shu Uemura deep-sea repair foundation and leave to dry. Voila! Beautiful, natural beach hair.
What has been your best hairstyling moment?
Back in the day when I was assisting, I met Martin Margiela and also Martine Sitbon my two favourite designers, while working on the Hermes show. That was a pretty exciting day!
What’s next for you?
I have been art directing on a lot of projects which is allowing me to have more control over the work I produce. You can be even more creative and it is great working with a strong team, I still love to share ideas with other people!
Pink bandeau top, Prada
Blue skirt, Prada
Sunglasses, Celine
Top Image:
Blue school uniform shirt, John Lewis
Silver collar, Miu Miu
Blue skirt, Prada
Photographer – Tara Darby
Photographer’s assistant – Dave Hampton
Stylist – Michele Rafferty
Stylist’s assistant – Clementine Prendergast
Make-up – Annabel Callum
Hair – Selena Middleton
Second Skin
The fanlist of Jules Kim’s jewellery reads like a who’s who of pop. Rihanna, Beyonce and Karen O have all worn Kim’s innovative pieces that are at the sharp edge of fine jewellery.
Her brand Bijules is known for its sexy metal curved bar rings and fierce nail adornments. So much so that Bijules was the natural choice or hardware for Rooney Mara’s Lisbeth Salander in the US adaptation of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.
And getting your fingers in her work has just become that little bit more easier with the opening of her first Manhattan based store, the blinging named Bijulesterie.
Jules Kim spoke to Twin about her work…
Why did you start making jewellery?
Because I wanted to. Almost nine years ago there was shit out there in terms of jewellery for strong stylish women. I created Bijules to fill an obvious void at the time and forever!
What can people expect to find in your store?
The Bijulesterie houses all of my seasons’ past and the collections of the future. I believe very strongly in building community amongst my art minded contemporaries so I am featuring other artists like my girl, Sylvia Hommert. The flower design is thanks to 11×11. I am creating other collaborations with fellow creatives which will be showcased soon…Bijules will launch it’s own live streaming radio station highlighting interviews and daily playlists as well, stay tuned!!!!!
Do you have a muse?
My muse is not necessarily a particular look, but more a particularity. The Bijules customer is someone who searches and discovers what is most important for them from politics to fashion. Inspiration for the jewellery comes from an innate tendency to bend rules and defy standards. The Bijules muse wears her empowerment on her sleeve, or un this case, on her hand!
What’s the purpose of jewellery for you?
The purpose of jewellery for me is to redefine its standard and accepted form. As an artist I intend to push boundaries and create a fashion standard. I’m confident Bijules has asserted itself as a leader in trend making and a substantial brand, which can last forever.
What’s your most prized possession?
I don’t consider my dog a possession but I consider him one of the truly kind and loving things in my life. He inspires me to smile and be tender even when curve balls are being tossed!
What’s the first thing you do when you get up in the morning?
Stretch and kiss above love on his forehead.
When are you happiest?
Happiness is potentially everywhere and anytime. I push to embrace these happy possibilities as frequently as I can!
What’s up next?
The Bijulesterie is open for business by appointment only. Email sales@bijulesnyc.com to make a rendezvous! Projects and travel are on the horizon and I wish for readers to stay in touch for thoughtful jewels (metal and beyond) dropping all the time!
Bijules’ Summer sales event, Select Summer Fridays will run throughout the Summer 3-8pm Le Bain Rooftop, The Standard, New York.
bijulesnyc.com
Kick It
At Twin we believe our olders and betters have a lot to teach us, so we love Ari Seth Coen’s blog Advanced Style, a trove of inspiration brought to us by ladies of a certain age who don’t just colour-block, they colour-pop. And for the past three years Ari has been working alongside filmmaker Lina Plioplyte on a film of his sartorial muses, women of New York, who despite being over 65 dress with the sort of flair and finesse that shames the young.
While the film is in the can, Ari and Lina have launched a Kickstarter in order to raise funding for the post production and distribution costs. For the moment all we have to content ourselves with is their fabulous trailer, which hints at the gold mine of eccentricity that they have discovered, women who know themselves and dress with a fun abandonment that we can all aspire to. With our help, these ladies can bring it to a whole new audience.
Visit Kickstarter to support Ari and Lina.
advancedstyle.co.uk
Draw In Light
Harry and Polly met on the first day of their lives in a West London Hospital in 1985. The start of a friendship that’s spanned their lives so far and has forged a remarkable creative bond.
Together from their East London studio they are the thinkers and makers behind Draw In Light, a fashion label that takes inspiration from nature to create free-spirited, understated and highly covetable garments.
Twin spoke to the duo about their S/S 13 collection…
What are the inspirations behind the new collection?
P > The inspiration for the new collection may sound cliché but it was all taken from the V&A along with your very own Celestine Cooney. We photographed the marble walls of the museum and spent a long time looking at the wrought iron work.
H > The inspiration behind Draw In Light collections normally comes from a combination of natural elements, scientific concepts, spiritual philosophies and the process of free-hand silk-screen printing to blend everything together.
Why the name Draw In Light?
P&H > Draw In Light – We work with light as an element to expose our drawings onto screen. The word Draw is meant in both senses. We believe in the divine and we channel it through our work.
How do you work together? What’s the process?
P > The process is quite natural; time is spent together doing some research. We collect a mixture of photographs and drawings of things we’ve seen – Harry makes our artworks from the imagery. I tend to source the fabrics we use for each collection. The prints are then experimented with, colour and technique. The phrase “there are many ways to skin a cat” comes to mind. There are so many ways of putting things together, design is about refining ideas. We slim things down at the end and add a few last minute whims. This is again where Celestine’s magic comes in.
What do you listen to while you work?
P&H> Our taste in music is very eclectic. All time favorites – David Bowie, Kate Bush, The Smiths, and Radiohead. New kids we love – Houses, Grimes, Beach House, Le Loop podcasts and Nicholas Jarr.
Each of your pieces is unique – how important is that to Draw In Light’s DNA?
P&H > It’s as important as your DNA differing to anyone else’s. You’re not the same as anybody else and neither should you want to be.
What’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?
P > My little sister singing at my family home – Landslide by Stevie Nicks for my cousins wedding.
H > Temples in Guatamala, at the top of the tallest Mayan temple the jungle stretched out beneath me with smoke rising up from the trees and turrets stone temples.
What’s been the most exciting moment for Draw In Light so far?
P > The most exciting moments have been working with people you respect. Our Life Drawing presentation with Relative|Mo was brilliant.
H > The first order from Liberty, turning our idea of Draw In Light into realistic business. Also moving into our studio and creating a place to work from where we can design, print and produce our collections.
If you weren’t fashion designers, what would you be?
P&H > We would run a bar. It would be called “Pam’Orama Bar” It would have a raised Perspex tank in the center with topless mermaids dancing. Harry and myself would be on the door and it would have a very strict policy. All of our musician friends would play at the bar and it would become quite cult.
What are you both wearing right now?
P > I’m wearing a pair of high wasted Capri pants, a little cropped white t, tough sandals and a little red lippy.
H > A white Draw In Light Logo T with denim dungaree shorts, white socks and pale pink DM’s
What’s next for the label?
P > Building on our foundation. The good thing about this business is the path ahead being clear. You naturally want to use your own aesthetic to design other things… I think eventually we would like to be a concept brand. We would love to do some collaboration’s in the future. Little Duffy is going to be making some Draw In Light pendants that will be beautiful, tiny molecular stars – like our logo!
State of Skate
Curbs, rails, whatever, skateboarding turns waste into space. For generations of small town youth, skating is a refuge that transforms the concrete and disused spaces of their homes into gleaming highways. But in a city bombed into submission, can skateboarding help? The answer seems to be yes if Skateistan is anything to go by.
Five years ago Oliver Percovich founded NGO Skatistan in Kabul. With 68 per cent of Afghanistan’s population now younger than 25 and 50 per cent younger than 16, skateboarding is repairing the fractures in a youth cut adrift by endless war. Set to release a book featuring 320 pages of photographs, interviews and essays Skateistan: The Tale of Skateboarding in Afghanistan shows how girls and boys of a country blown apart, can reclaim their streets.
The Skateistan: The Tale of Skateboarding in Afghanistan book release party and exhibition is on Saturday 9 June 6pm til late at DAZ (Deutsches Architektur Zentrum), Berlin
skateistan.org
Facing Up
For Twin VI we spoke to vanguard artist Io Tillet Wright about her project Self Evident Truths. Her black and white portraits of other-than-straight America are quickly becoming a rich online resource of strength for people who are anything less than 100 per cent heterosexual and living within communities which are less than accepting.
Having started in New York and taken her campaign to LA, Io has recently completed portraits taken in 11 cities in the Deep South.
For one night this week, all 1675 Self Evident Truths portraits from 17 cities will be on view. With strength in numbers, each portrait is an extra beat added to the pulse of Io’s campaign to see equality for all people regardless of sexuality.
With performances from MEN, Lauren Flax and Eve Ensler, this is a big moment in Io’s journey. Be sure you get down there to check out what it’s all about.
Self Evident Truths, The Hole Gallery, 312 Bowery, NYC, May 29th, 7-10pm
RSVP at selfevidentrsvp@gmail.com
selfevidentproject.com
Cap It Off
Kenzo have put a cap on it. True to their promise, creative directors Humberto Leon and Carol Lim have dropped the Opening Ceremony magic touch on the Parisian label, making it a lust-have for a new era of fashion lovers.
Their latest venture with New Era caps features the kind of bold colour that Kenzo made its name with, but with a heavy dose of hip hop styling. And with a collaboration with Vans also under their belt, it’s clear their plan to bring “youthful spirit” to the label is on the march. We can’t wait to see what else they’ve got up their sleeves…
3.1 Phillip Lim X Selfridges
24.05.2012 | Blog , Fashion | BY: admin
On Tuesday Twin popped into meet the lovely Phillip Lim at the launch of his new Selfridges pop-up boutique. Designed by Studio Toogood, it’s the perfect showcase for Lim’s discreet brand of luxe. Housed in the Women’s Designer Galleries on Selfridges’ second floor, alongside beautiful silk separates and fine knits in popping orange and breezy blue were sneak peaks at his accessories collection of subtle chic handbags, which will launch in the store in July.
It was Lim’s first trip over the Atlantic to London for over six years and we found the talented designer in a self deprecating mood. “Front of house have a much harder job than I do, bringing all this together takes a lot of time. I just do my thing,” he said. We say, it’s a good thing too. We wanted pretty much everything on display, and I’m sure you will as well.
3.1 Phillip Lim pop-up boutique will be at Selfridges until August 2012.
31philliplim.com
Night and Day
23.05.2012 | Art , Blog , Fashion | BY: admin
New York of the late Seventies to the early Eighties has taken on a mythic quality. The parties were wild and the people wore their individuality with a bohemian innocence, before the fat cats took over Downtown and cool became a commodity.
For his new book Night & Day, photographer David Armstrong revisits the scenes of his youth, bringing together a selection of iconic Kodachrome pictures from his archive featuring characters of the scene such as Rene Ricard, Philip-Lorca diCorcia, Jean-Michel Basquait, John Waters and on.
An alumnus of the Boston School, Armstrong grew up artistically alongside Nan Goldin with whom he shared a love of intimate snapshots in saturated colour. While decades on his work now graces publications such as L’Uomo Vogue, Arena Homme+, GQ and Self Service, Night and Day holds the passed youth of a cultural generation.
Night and Day is available from morelbooks.com
davidarmstrongphotographs.com
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