V magazine web site http://vmagazine.com (c) 2007 V MAGAZINE, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED The conclusion of Beijing's summer Olympics marked the onset of an equally karat-gilded, though slightly less sweaty, season: Fall/Winter 2008, when fashionistas the world over don their game faces-and their couture-to create medal-worthy ensembles. Hong Kong-based retail giant Lane Crawford acts as primary supplier to China's best dressed, offering up McQueen, Saint Laurent, and Maison Martin Margiela to residents of the oft-deemed 'new frontier' of fashion. For Crawford's second American campaign, entitled 'The Innovators,' Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin lent their talents to capture key Chinese cultural icons-among them, artist Terence Koh, photographer Victoria Tang, model Emma Pei, and actors Zhang Jing Chu, Song Ning, and China Chow. The campaign, styled by Joe McKenna, rivals those of American majors like Saks or Neiman Marcus, but, with the inclusion of quotes from the models, carries a deeper sense of Chinese ambassadorship: 'Whatever I do in my future,' reads Victoria Tang's spread, 'my inspiration will be China. I want to help create a true Chinese identity that we will wear with pride.' And the threads will no doubt come courtesy of Lane Crawford. Catherine Blair Pfander http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10789 Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:31:05 CDT http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10789 Sweden is like a dream country: the nature and landscapes are gorgeous, water is transparent, people look beautiful and healthy, lox (salmon) is to be found everywhere, you can get salted licorice at 7-11, and the art world is smart, laidback, and super professionnal. Curator Gabrielle Giattino, co-owner of the curatorial production bureau Dispatch in New York, was invited to take part in a new curatorial residency (far away yet so close) and put together a very thoughtful show named 'Subject Index,' questioning the inner meaning of artworks beyond their visual surface. Apart from two projections (by Ellie Ga and myself) in a dark space at the end of the show, 'Subject Index' is a ratherblack-and-white, linear exhibition that takes the viewer from one work to the next, the way our eyes move from one word to another in a sentence. What you see/read is not necessarily what you get, and 'Subject Index' is a good example of the challenging ways words and visions intertwine to address new meaning. Marcelline Delbecq http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10811 Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:53:17 CDT http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10811 It's the energy and intensity that keeps Serbian model Natasa Vojnovic at the top even after a decade in the biz. In V55, she's the perfect foil for high-voltage couture looks, photographed by David Sims and styled by Joe McKenna. Voilà Natasa in fringed Chanel hugging a giant panda bear, or ruffled Valentino rattling a metal cage, or in this matching head-to-toe Givenchy combo above. The long black wig, courtesy of hairstylist Paul Hanlon, brings the haunting look full circle, and cements Natasa as the go-to girl for the strange and beautiful. http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10939 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:01:10 CDT http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10939 It's been a few years since Helmut Lang's iconic, minimalist clothes last appeared on the runway, but he's back this month in a big way on the eve of his first solo international exhibition in Hanover. Since his departure from his namesake label in 2005, Lang has focused his energies on select artistic projects, a pursuit he dabbled in during his time off from the atelier. This exhibition, entitled 'Alles Gleich Schwer,' is curated by Frank-Thorsten Moll and Neville Wakefield, and appears at Hanover's kestnergesellschaft as part of the city's 'Hanover Goes Fashion' initiative. The installations and objects on view continue Lang's probing of the body and self, as in his several works composed of 'surrogate skin,' but also reflect a move away from the physicality of his conceptual designs. The exhibition is a natural evolution for Lang, whose body-conscious outfits had always demonstrated a careful attention to the line between our selves and the world around us. Also on view will be 'Scéance de Travail 1993-1999,' a retrospective installation from 1998 about the struggle between society and the individual, in which a mirror reflects the viewer against the haunting image of a moving crowd. In an intriguing collaboration, Absolut will also present the exhibition as a digital environment on its website, allowing visitors to experience these works interactively from the comfort of their desktops. For Lang, it seems, distance is yet another boundary to be shattered.Jonathan Shia http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10938 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 10:20:52 CDT http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10938 Here's one for the whimsical accessory files. London-based designer Olivia Mai and her family of hand-made, felt embroidered brooches (based on familiar, and not-so-familiar faces) have been dominating conversations of late. 'I live in a technology-driven world and my brooches are a backlash against that,' says the designer, whose label, Aspect of Raptor, debuted in her native Sydney late last year with sales initially propelling through word of mouth. Inspired by friends, family, found imagery from old magazines, and the even the odd photograph sent in from select clientele, the 9x6cm creations usually take around four hours to complete. The crafty 27 year old likens the process to 'drawing, only with a thread instead.' http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10756 Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:49:54 CDT http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10756 1. So tell us about these crazy photos.My friend Graydon Sheppard, who makes music videos and art stuff, has this cool 3-D camera with side-by-side lenses that captures stereoscopic images on one frame. We saturated the color, pumped up the contrast, and flattened out the sky, so the images sort of look like those old Victorian hand-tinted 3-D cards you can buy at the Chelsea Flea Market.2. Was there something about the Fall collection that made you think that 3-D was the way to go?Well the print for the season was this kind of explosive psychedelic kaleidoscopic image, so it wasn't a big leap to go from there to 3-D. It's a format that Graydon's been exploring for a while. We had been planning to collaborate, but the timing wasn't working out until, well, just now. 3. As you know, V loves Amanda Laine. How did you come to pick her?Amanda's Canadian, like me, and she happened to be in Toronto when we were shooting. I couldn't say no, obviously. She's a natural in front of the camera, and she's super smart and articulate.4. Any fun stories from the shoot? We shot at an old reservoir near my house, and there was so much crazy action that day. Some old guy was tanning standing up for hours wearing tiny rolled-up shorts. Then there was a bunch of summer fitness boot-campers jogging around the park all day. It was one of the hottest days of the summer, so the whole scene was kind of nuts.5. What can we expect from your Spring collection showing in New York next week?Tons! There are some bits inspired by Lucio Fontana's slashed canvases, and by extension, a trompe l'oeil print that looks like punctured fabric in relief. From there I became taken with produce packaging, like those bags of grapes that are slashed so that they breathe and expand. And there's a general continuation of my exploration of geometrically based pattern-construction, plus some embellishment (courtesy of my Swarovski sponsorship) that emulates the geometric cast-concrete relief in brutalist architecture. All that and lots of easy, cool things to wear. http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10815 Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:25:56 CDT http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10815 There's one every season. That achingly beautiful brand-new breed of model that photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin anoint as a new ideal and photograph relentlessly (see: Hilary Rhoda, Doutzen Kroes, Anja Rubik, Jessica Miller, and other faces of the past). Right now the story's about rising Hungarian model Eniko Mihalik, who came off a six-month exclusive with the Dutch photo duo, during which she had a star-making turn in the Fall Gucci ads, and then sat for 20 equally-potent pages of V with stylist Joe McKenna. In V55 Eniko plays dress up, going from nude portraits to lingerie shots to full-length fashion across each spread. Stay tuned for the full unveiling. http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10914 Tue, 02 Sep 2008 11:51:30 CDT http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10914 Sharon Hayes's Gay Love Letter to a Conventioneer, Presidential speech karaoke, and Tilda Swinton as Virtual President are some of the art projects taking place outside the Denver Convention Hall. On the nightlife scene, Sarah Silverman offers to sexually discipline San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom (move over Matt Damon), and Death Cab for Cutie singer serenades. Coming Soon: AnArt and Culture Report from the Mile High DNC by Maureen Sullivan http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10792 Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:12:48 CDT http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10792 While other designers go the H&M or Target route, some prefer to think a little left of field. Like Loulou de la Falaise, for example, the designer and former Yves Saint Laurent muse who has created a collection of apparel, footwear, accessories, and jewelry for the Home Shopping Network. Think la vie bohemian as a new collection inspired by her Parisian flagship store debuts today on the channel, comprising of bangles ($39.95, hello?), earrings ($39.00, holler!), and necklaces ($49.00, pardon?), among other chic and easy separates and shoes. It's the most stylish stuff we've ever seen while channel surfing on our leather couch. And though these threads may not scream couture, they're a bonafide haute addition to mass market American dressing all the same. http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10780 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:05:49 CDT http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10780 New York fashion week is sure to take inspiration from some classic sartorial subject matter once it kicks next week. Among them, a book titled Inventive Paris Clothes 1909-1939, with text by Diana Vreeland and photographs courtesy of Irving Penn. 'I think I accidentally took it from a library in Melbourne about ten years ago,' says Aussie designer Toni Maticevski, whose September 6th presentation will be comprised of tailored suits and silk-cashmere separates that are reinterpretations of designs included in the 1977 publication. Never mind the late library fee. The same could be said for Maticevski's concerns over potential sales of his upcoming collection. 'I'm not into mass market at all,' he tells us. 'My designs have a definite made-to-measure element about them. Unveiling the collection in New York is more for the purpose of showcasing my skills and techniques and for building my clientele base in the U.S rather than bumping up sales.' Fair enough. 'It goes against everything in New York, but it's sincere and it's personal. And to me, that is what's most important right now.'www.tonimaticevski.com http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10759 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:56:27 CDT http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10759 I hate when this happens. A couple of months ago someone sent me a copy of the new Dodos album, Visiter, and I allowed it to languish around my office for a week or so before finally giving it a spin. For some reason, my initial reaction was a resounding 'whatevs' and the album was relegated to the ginormous stack of promos in my corner (that I will someday find myself pinned underneath if it ever topples over). So, a few days ago I was hanging out at a friend's house and the most amazing record was playing while were guzzling beers. After inquiring about the music, I realized that it was the Dodos and I felt totally dumb for asking about a record that I already owned and had already dismissed. Moral of the story? Even if you get sent five million records a week in the mail (like I do), you should listen to things at least a couple of times (preferably while drinking beer) before deciding not to fall in love with them. What else did I learn? The Dodos are a duo from San Francisco and considering that the band is only two dudes, they make a surprisingly complicated (and very lovely) racket. http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10727 Wed, 27 Aug 2008 10:05:55 CDT http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10727 September looms large and V55 is packing 'em in with a 120-page fashion well that's bursting at the seams. (Some might say it's our biggest ever.) The first cause for celebration is a 24-page story by Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott, styled by Olivier Rizzo, that features rising newcomer Heidi Mount getting wrapped up in some hard-edged '90s fashion. She's joined by male faces of the moment Lenz Von Johnston and Leandro Maeder, who help to pump up the full-on, relentlessly sexy moment.Photography Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10720 Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:27:09 CDT http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10720 Swim Drink Eat Camp Listen! was the simple motto for the single-day, chlorophyll-laden, thirty-two artist benefit show held last Saturday in upstate New York by the Denniston Hill Foundation. Founded in 2004 by Paul Pfeiffer, Julie Mehretu, Lawrence Chua, Beth Stryker, Robin Vachal, and Kara Lynch, the Foundation launched its first large-scale exhibition with an all-sound-piece program, using 60 acres of woods, cabins, fields, and river as a responsive backdrop. The idea behind this day was that people come out to the country for silence, to find peace and quiet, yet the reality is that nature is noisy,' says Josh Druckman, who co-curated the show with Lynch. 'It's just a different kind of noise. No empty vessels here though, judging from the way artists interacted with the Foundation's surroundings, from Joe Winter's Interference Music, tucked between two huge rocks, to Sanford Biggers's Japanese Singing Bowl, made out of melted hip-hop jewelry. Meanwhile, Marcelline Delbecq's Swirl, projected over an island in the pond, asked visitors to paddle their canoe to the sweet sound of art in nature. http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10718 Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:36:07 CDT http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10718 The trucks pulled up outside early Wednesday morning. It would take dozens of workers two full days to prepare the stretch of Mercer Street between Grand and Howard for the block party Nike threw Thursday night to celebrate the opening of its first Nike Sportswear store. The party began at an Olympic 8:08, with the mascots of various local university and professional teams ushering in over six-hundred invited guests. Beer was served in plastic cups and concessionaires distributed stadium staples like hot dogs, chicken fingers, and French fries as DJ Mark Ronson, dressed all in a very lucky red, spun old-school hip hop for the crowd. As a giant screen counted down to the official opening, rappers and fashion folk mingled with rabid sports fans on the AstroTurf covering the cobblestones. When the clock struck zero, the Soul Tigers marching band launched into a raucous drumline, and the odd couple of Roger Federer and Spike Lee marched up the steps to officially open the doors for the first time. Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova were among the first to enter, but Katy Perry, Alexander Wang, and Theodora Richards decided to avoid the scrum and stay on the street. By noon on Friday, the only traces of the previous night's revelries, rumored to have cost $1.5 million, were a few torn tickets on the sidewalk.Jonathan Shia http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10708 Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:07:54 CDT http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10708 It's a beautiful thing when you get to witness the careers of certain individuals take flight and flourish right before your very eyes. Aaron Rose knows this feeling all too well from his days orchestrating New York's famed Alleged Gallery-a place where artists including Harmony Korine, Thomas Campbell, Shepherd Fairey, Stephen Powers, Jo Jackson, Chris Johanson, Barry McGee, and Margaret Kilgallen found their voices via the very things they lived for (like skateboarding, surfing, graffiti, and punk music). Such is the story of Beautiful Losers, a ninety-minute documentary filled with assorted confessions from a cast of stars who inadvertently have since affected the art world in ways great and small. The film is peppered with definitive moments, from Chris Johanson's comical narration of a painting and Harmony Korine spinning some sidewinding tale of gore in a local Nashville playground, to the rainbow graphics of Geoff McFetridge and an ever-so-poignant ode to Margaret Kilgallen. If those don't have you reassessing the definition of talent from your seat, then the the awe-inspiring interpretations of Mike Mills along with Ed and Deanna Templeton will undoubtedly seal the deal. Unless of course you're already familiar with the artists and their work, in which case Beautiful Losers doesn't pack too many punches. In Rose's defense, however, the accompanying traveling art exhibit commenced its global tour de force over four years ago, and news of difficulties plaguing the long-awaited documentary (caused by a lack of finances) had been circulating for a while. So kudos to him and his team for raising the funds and bringing home the bacon. Better late than never.Beautiful Losers is currently playing nationwide. http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10636 Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:51:07 CDT http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10636 September marks a month of fashion mayhem for many, not least of all the cast of characters printed on the pages of Petit Mal, the comic fanzine from Down Under which reappears next month with its long-awaited second issue. Citing itself as 'a sub-parallel, two-dimensional universe in which all things unattainable to mere mortals are possibly possible' (as opposed to its medical definition of epilepsy with brief, unannounced lapses of consciousness), Petit Mal comes saturated with catwalk shenanigans and a vortex of backstage beauties alongside their graphically-enhanced doppelgangers. Brought to you by art directors Shane Sakkeus, Jonathan Zawada, and Mark Vassallo, the 112-page issue features story titles like '20,000 Ladies Under the Sea,' 'Diors of Perception,' 'Gallactic Gallianos,' 'McQueens of Diamonds and Clubs' and 'Gaultier's Grotto.' All of which further ensure that if green is the new black this season, then Petit Mal is the new Vogue. And you can quote us on that.www.petit-mal.com http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10714 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:14:08 CDT http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10714 I realized how truly lazy I am last weekend when I almost didn't go see Radiohead-even though I had free tickets and press credentials-because Liberty State Park (which is in New Jersey, tucked behind the Statue of Liberty) seemed altogether too far away. Mind you, I am a person who has flown halfway around the world to attend festivals and watch bands that I've never heard of before, so jumping a ferry and going to Jersey shouldn't be that much of an ordeal. Still, it took the cajoling of various other music writer nerd friends to finally make me put on some sunscreen and make the journey. As it turns out, All Points West was a pretty good time. The three-day juggernaut offered a friendly (though, at times, rather confounding) line-up of indie-rock up-and-comers and a couple of bohemoth main stage acts. On day one I managed to catch Mates of State, Grizzly Bear (who played a beautiful sampling of new material), Underworld (sequin shirts in the middle of the afternoon!), and Girl Talk (who brought a cast of thousands on stage to hurl toilet paper and, at one point, throw glitter directly into my eyeballs while I tried to take a photograph). http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10675 Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:34:35 CDT http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10675 Because Leos can be such utter pains to shop for around birthday time. And because a Jeff Koons puppy vase may well be the next best thing to well, pretty much anything. Therefore Gagosian's release this month of an edition of 3000 porcelain puppy vases signed and numbered by the artist is sure to whet a few appetites. Having first made a splash on the contemporary art scene back in 1998, their iconic design took cues from Koons's mongo-sized puppy sculpture (1992), which was filled with over seventeen thousand flowers. Chances are if you didn't see it exhibited in Germany, Australia, Bilbao, or the Rockefeller Center, then you may have spotted another version erected upon the Connecticut grounds of its equally famous owners, Stephanie Seymour and Peter Brant. 'The vase is a symbol of love, warmth, and happiness,' says Koons. Priced at $7,500, one would hope so. http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10592 Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:34:43 CDT http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10592 Let it be said that anyone intending to argue with Angelenos over which establishment claims credit for the best burger on the west coast had better beware. Especially if your opinion differs to that of the infamous In-N-Out Burger. (Trust us on that one, we speak from experience.) Such was the case Friday night as the ever-cool retail emporium Opening Ceremony kick-started Olympic fever with the unveiling of limited-edition merchandise (like Teddy jacket keyrings, vintage graphic design posters, and battery-charged fans), along with burgers galore served from an In-N-Out Burger truck parked outside the store on N. La Cienaga Boulevard. SoCal natives including Band of Outsiders frontman Scott Sternberg, accessory doyenne Laura Kranitz, and Opening Ceremony's own Carol Lim divided their time between watching the ceremony on the big screen and witnessing fellow guests going for gold via second helpings on the street. Go team! http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10593 Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:31:41 CDT http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10593 So. I ended the week with hometown hero Henrik Vibskov and his show/exhibition/party at Christiania. If Galliano was the funnest show I've ever shot, Vibskov was certainly the most unique. I was so excited about shooting it that anytime anyone asked me, all week, what I was doing I'd say 'shooting Henrik Vibskov!' Even though the show wasn't until Saturday night. The anticipation had taken over. Not only was there plenty of beer and interesting people to gawk at, but you didn't have to step out back to roll. The clothes were edgy and, dare I say, avant garde. More in line with what I expected to see in Copenhagen throughout the week. My new favorite boy Jacob was there and I got to catch up with my buddy Christian Brylle, who's become quite the little photographer himself. http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10646 Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:17:35 CDT http://vmagazine.com/blog.php?n=10646