PARKVIEW MAGAZINE Issue No. 3 by PARKVIEW MAGAZINE

P E O P L E . P L AC E S. S H A R E D S PAC E S.

is ue N˚3 DECEMBER

SYDNEY G. JAMES MOBSTEEL MARCO AND LOUISE NOBILI JOHN SAUVÉ’S MAN IN THE CITY TYRONE CARREKER CHEF KATE WILLIAMS KEITH INSTITUTE RANDAL JACOBS BOSWELL HARDWICK’S PARIS 701 BESPOKE ORLEANS + WINDER MAE DAY

2015

MASTHEAD PUBLISHER AND EDITOR IN CHIEF

Ashley K. Parks

ART DIRECTOR

Judith Banham / Middlecott Design middlecott.com WRITERS

Janell Hearns / The Legendary Movement Media Group thelegendarymovement.com Malissa Martin / Sandford Martin Publishing smpublishingllc.com Yakela K. Roberson / Peoria, IL COPY EDITOR

Rivan Stinson rivanstinson.wordpress.com

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jon Adams / Jon Adams Design jonadamsdesign.com Aaron Eschenburg / Seven Sun Studios sevensunstudios.com Mollie Kwiek / Kwiek Creative kwiekcreative.com Tim Leon / Tim Leon Photography timleonphotography.tumblr.com Keenan Rivals / Rivals rivalsvs.com Lisa Spindler / Spindler Project spindlerproject.com Steven Alan Worster/Steven Alan thestevenalan.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Brook Banham / Middlecott Design middlecott.com Coiya Renee / Mae Day maedaymaeday.com

WEB DEVELOPER

editor

From the

PHOTO: JESSIE GLIESMAN STUDIOS / JESSICAHANNING.COM

Where I Stand

I’ve come to know just how miraculous the body is. From the beat of the heart, the expansion of the lungs, and the interconnection of the brain to the neurological pathways from system to system, each piece of our being functions in relation to the other. The familiar saying, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” is true indeed. This is true too, metaphorically, with humanity. Each person plays a role in his or her piece of civilization. We all impact our environment, be it for better or worse. Our connectedness is what drives or destroys our communities. While poverty, crime, violence, drugs, lack of education, corruption, injustice, and failed social structure tear us down, the opposite builds us up. This time of the year is always special to me for many reasons. It’s a time of thanksgiving, reflection, and renewal, offering opportunities to learn. A time of reflection allows us to evaluate the year and our contributions to those around us. It is also a time to renew and rebuild a stronger self. As we give thanks, reflect, and respond to how life has happened to us on a personal level, let us not forget our responsibility to the body. Let us not ignore the lives we have yet to touch through our deeds, and the influence we make on our communities. Let us not forget the examples we set for our children and the models we are for their maturation. Let us consider our spiritual relationship, one with another. Let us be cognizant of the legacy we leave. While individually we are all remarkable, it is our connectedness that makes us great. Through these pages, you will find stories of passion, love, drive, and social responsibility; each contributing to a greater cause. It is my hope that you will find yourself here and take heed to your influence on the body. Enjoy! Ashley K 2

content is ue N˚3 59 DECEMBER 2015 Masthead

From the editor

PAINTBRUSHES AND PICKET SIGNS

Interview with artist and activist Sydney G. James DETROIT GEAR HEADS

Customizing vintage cars with Mobsteel THE SOUL OF A HOME

A Grosse Pointe home story THE MAN IN THE CITY

Public art statue offering visual perspective MUSIC IS THE PASSION. MUSIC IS THE PATH.

Interview with musician Tyrone Carreker LADY OF THE HOUSE

In the kitchen with Chef Kate Williams

5 15 29 47

59 67

STARTING WITH ONE

Building Detroit through education and enrichment A HIGHER LOVE

Randal Jacobs’ stories of love and life

75 79

PARIS

Photographer Boswell Hardwick’s Paris portfolio THE CLASSIC MAN IN MIND

Customized men’s apparel AGAINST THE GRAIN

Women’s fashion and niche design W.A.R.

A poetic take on social injustice

On the cover: A mid-century home photographed by Lisa Spindler

89 109 113 117

5 89

SYDNEY G. JAMES in her studio at

Ponyride with her portrait of JeanMichel Basquiat titeled “Metamorphosis of a Neo Expressionist.”

ART

PAINTBRUSHES AND PICKET SIGNS 6

Sydney’s portrait of JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT titeled “Metamorphosis of a Neo Expressionist.”

SYDNEY G. JAMES, artist

and activist, makes her voice heard loud and clear on her canvas with her paintbrush.

PHOTOGRAPHY: J O N A D A M S INTERVIEW: J A N E L L H E A R N S

Candid Sydney interviews with PARKVIEW in her ART STUDIO at Detroit’s Ponyride.

uietly tucked away in her studio at Ponyride, in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood, we discover the explosive, outspoken, firecracker that is Sydney G. James. The Detroit bred fine artist and illustrator sits down with PARKVIEW, and shares what inspires her groundbreaking artwork. Using her paintbrush as a picket sign in protest of cultural appropriation, social injustice, racism, and sexism, she draws public attention to some of the disparities that exist in the art realm—all while painting realistic portrayals of life from the artistic lens of a girl raised in Detroit. Sydney has branded her work Grind. With talents first noticed by her parents at the early age of three years old, Sydney has propelled in her ability and skill that surpasses most. A graduate of Cass Technical High School, and earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts at the College of Creative Studies in Detroit, she nurtured and cultivated a gift very early in life where she was able to grow and develop into a career as a beautiful artist. So much so, she became the art director of one of the largest independent marketing companies in the United States in her young career, but later went on to truly emerge as a full-time curator of visual art. You may be familiar with Sydney’s work as she was the artist behind all of the artwork on ABC’s television drama Lincoln Heights, where the lead character’s daughter was indeed, a prodigal artist. 10

In the heart of Detroit’s Eastern Market, you’ll find Sydney’s latest masterpiece. A mural, “Live From Detroit,” where she takes on a 1996 Vibe Magazine cover featuring former Death Row Records recording artist Dr. Dre, 2Pac Shakur, Snoop Dogg, and founder Suge Knight and replaced the faces of those controversial hip hop superstars with notable Detroit visual artists; Rashaun Rucker, Tylonn Sawyer, Tiff Massey, and of course her very own freckled face, Sydney G. James. What is your process like, has it been more preparation for what is coming up, or how often do you get to just create? SYDNEY G. JAMES: Everyday. I base my art off of personal experiences. When creating clothes it’s a little different. I still have to have free range as an artist or I’d have to charge you as if it is a commissioned piece. So I stick to painting style icons and use the colors I want to use. PARKVIEW:

Tell us about the Jean-Michel Basquiat piece that you have done? Murals in the Market is an art show that brings in twenty out-of-state artists, both national and international, along with twenty local Detroit artists to paint murals on buildings in the Eastern Market. Artists are encouraged to do whatever they like; graffiti, fine art, anything, during Detroit’s Design Festival. I was one of the chosen local artists. My work was displayed in an exhibition featuring work of the mural artists. I selected this portrait of Basquiat and hand embellished each print. The thing about him is that I feel like he was so angry and was not a happy person. This piece illustrates an expressionist with unknown feelings; lost, as if in a place that he doesn’t want to be, or belong. I call it “Metamorphosis of a Neo Expressionist.” What is the inspiration and meaning behind recreating the Death Row cover for your mural in the Eastern Market? With everything that is happening now…people don’t really know we exist or they don’t care. It’s 11

kind of like a ‘boys club.’ The thing about art is that it’s sexist, and it’s just as racist as it is sexist. So it’s kind of like that “get in where you fit in” mentality. With all of the social injustice happening in the city as well as in the country, it is leading me to a place of activism and creating art in that same light. Although it really wasn’t my thing before, it’s important. Especially in Detroit, with all of these transients coming, people need to know that we were already here. The city is being gentrified and many artists are moving to Detroit as it is being looked at. Artists who aren’t even products of the suburbs of Detroit, let alone Detroit proper, are gaining more notoriety than the artists who are born and bred here. There are so many talented and worthy here, especially black artists. So, I feel that there is a huge disconnect. How can you have an art show in Detroit with no black artists? This city is made up of over 80% blacks. Tell us what makes your art powerful? A good piece of art is supposed to evoke some type of emotion in the viewer, and if it doesn’t, then I have not done my job. I don’t necessarily want it to trouble you but I do want you to know when I painted this piece, I was feeling some kind of way. If it’s an uplifting piece I want you to wonder what I was going through. The power is that you can feel my art. What is your latest collection inspired by? Inspired by?...Men (laughs). As a woman, our man’s needs oftentimes come before our own. It may even be subconscious. I could be working on a painting, and he can come in the room to tell me a story about his day, and I am going to stop working to either listen to his story, or grab us something to drink, or eat, or whatever, to give him the attention he needs. It’s so simple but it’s not really appreciated. We, women, are appropriated by everybody but not appreciated by anybody. I am painting 30 black women and spraying the painting to remove parts of their bodies after it’s complete. It will symbolize appropriation. For example, I should not be

top: “(Appropriated not Appreciated) LOSING MYSELF”; right: “(Appropriated not Appreciated) - EMERGENCY CONTACT”, both from the exhibition “Murals in the Market” at Inner State Gallery; bottom: Sketch of rapper Gregory Skylar “SKYZOO” Taylor.

“THE POWER OF MY ART IS THAT YOU CAN FEEL IT.” 12

PHOTO: BARBARA GREEN

left: Sydney poses along her profile from her MURAL AT EASTERN MARKET.

top: Sydney’s take on Vibe Magazine’s cover replaced with DETROIT ARTISTS.

surprised to see a successful Black man married to a successful Black woman but the symbol of success ain’t marrying one of us. You want this ass but you don’t want these problems. You don’t hear us so we talk louder and louder until you do, then we are labeled as the stereotypical loud, angry black woman. It is a very uncomfortable discussion that will piss people off but it’s a discussion that needs to be had nonetheless. This series has to happen. What wisdom do you have for an aspiring artist looking to have a successful career in this industry? There is a difference between a person who is passionate about what they are doing and someone who is just in it to make money. If you are in it to make money don’t do it, because your shit’s gonna look like shit. Period. There is no question that Sydney G. James is raw and creates art that embodies empowerment in a nonconformist kind of way. She is an artistic force, using her work to tell stories from perspectives that are not always acknowledged or appreciated; creating poignant, brilliant pieces that could only come from her heart and soul. Inspired by everyday experiences, racism, sexism, social injustices, and appropriation, Sydney has a lot to say; and through the strokes of the paintbrush on her canvas, she will be heard. sydneygjames.com, girlraisedindetroit.com 14

CARS

DETROIT

GEAR HEADS

In the spirit of the history of the automobile and the Motor City, MOBSTEEL takes vintage cars and builds modern day street machines. PHOTOGRAPHY: K E E N A N R I V A L S TEXT: A S H L E Y K

A beautifully restored 1958 CADILLAC COUPE.

MOBSTEEL OWNERS Pam and Adam Genei

in their work truck “Gangstar.”

elcome to Mobsteel where you are greeted with revving engines, clinking steel, lingering fragrance of fresh paint, leaking oil, and of course, cars. Coming from a family of automobile lovers and workers during the Jimmy Hoffa days, Adam Genei started the Mobsteel automobile design and building company with the idea to preserve and restore some of the most beautiful steel pieces to dominate the streets. Although it wasn’t always the case, Mobsteel designs and builds everything in-house. They came from humble beginnings at a $200 space with a bench and not many tools, operating with bare minimum. Now, they have a shop equipped with a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) cutting devise, lathe, presses, a Pullmax post-war machine from Sweden, a surface plate, and clay oven for molds and modeling for starters, and their own NBC TV series called “Mobsteel.” They have grown so much in the past twelve years of business that they can dream a little bigger and do a whole lot more. The Mobsteel custom car-building concept started as an expensive hobby for Adam until the economic changes seen in Detroit during 1999 brought about the need to do something different. He notes that the writing was on the wall and you could literally watch the downturn. “Shops were dumping machinery because they couldn’t get rid of it. Lights were getting shut off. People couldn’t afford their businesses. People were losing their jobs. These were smart, innovative, hustlers, and hard working people from Detroit,” Adam says. He further explains how he had gone to other places around the country and people would say that it was Detroit’s own fault but to him, that’s not a fair assessment. In fact, he says, “Even the laziest person on your shift in the plant in Detroit is a harder worker than anyone anywhere else. We are raised with a different mentality. We are conditioned from little kids for high volume, cheapest price, and to produce a perfect product. We are really Detroit strong and the economy shift had little to do with its people. There’s no secret to it. We have a strong work ethic in the Midwest.” The people make Detroit and there are very few people or places that can compete with the character of the people around this city. It was during this time that Adam started to value Detroit and the Motor City for what it really was and is; an unbelievable place, built on the back of the automotive industry. 19

Characters of the MOBSTEEL CREW designed by Brook Banham of Middlecott design.

The growth and success of Mobsteel is due to two parts, a quality brand and the core group of people who make up the team. It’s a family business, not only due to husband and wife owners Adam and Pam, but more so because of the closeness among all team members. “We define family as the family you choose. You are only as good as the sum of your parts so we are comfortable with who we are and what we represent. We are snarky and sarcastic but we genuinely love each other. Moreover, we meet awesome people with very cool stories and it’s humbling to know that someone cares about what we are doing,” says Pam. They pride themselves in not just refurbishing old cars but creating something brand new. “We are a bunch of gear heads that can take an old truck and install new twin turbo, eco-boost, frame, and suspension, while keeping everything as authentic as possible; even some of the dents and screws holding the trim on are original. So it looks like an old 1972 truck on the outside and modern made on the inside,” says Adam. While a large percentage of business for Mobsteel is not local, shipping throughout the US and abroad to Australia, Dubai, South Africa, and New Zealand, to name a few, they still want to create something much bigger than this with an even wider reach.

obsteel has built two awesome brands, including Detroit Steel Wheel Co., with cool products, and they have a great time doing it. After progressing into wheel production, they have grown from a 24 thousand square foot shop to a 1930’s built, 40 thousand square foot building, in Woodbridge, Detroit; a building originally full of archways and gorgeous architecture where they now have a showroom. “Ultimately, I don’t know where I see Mobsteel going. I try not to get caught up in the whole life cycle of the business because that’s not how we operate and that’s not why we come to work,” says Adam. It’s the greatest feeling when you are doing something you love and you can walk out of work with a smile on your face. It doesn’t have to do with how many friends you have on social media or how much money is coming in or going out. “We truly forget about all that stuff. Everyone who works with us really 20

top: BUSINESS MEETING with Steve “SteveO” Ryan, Doug “Wheat Bread” Hanes, Jay Orvis, and Adam Genei. bottom: DETROIT STEEL WHEELS. opposite page top: TOOLS of the trade. bottom: High quality HAND BUILT PARTS.

THE “COLONEL MUSTARD”: Hidden beneath this

original farm truck body sits a 400 horsepower twin turbo Ford Eco-Boost motor.

“IT’S THE GREATEST FEELING WHEN YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING YOU LOVE AND YOU CAN WALK OUT OF WORK WITH A SMILE ON YOUR FACE.” 23

loves what we do and are true to it. The fact that we can do it today, and might be able to do it tomorrow, and the next day, and the next, that’s payment for us. That contributes to the success of the brand and that’s what makes Mobsteel special,” he explains. With a tagline of, “Stay until the job is done,” a certain culture of teamwork and camaraderie is appreciated. At the end of the day, it’s all about the same goal, everyone hustles, everyone works hard.

nspiration behind the Mobsteel designs come from people, relationships, design, and print media among others. Adam says, “People inspire me. Anyone who does anything successful on any scale blows my mind. Relationships inspire me. Design inspires me. Print media, which follows fashion that revels trends, texture, fabric, and color, inspires me. I love architecture too. So many things that can influence us all on multiple levels surround us. It all inspires me and when you surround yourself with people who are passionate, they inspire you to be better, do better, and do more. We aren’t solving any problems on a large scale but we lead by example. We can all make an impact. We have a lot of integrity, we stand by what we do, and have a commitment to Detroit.” It’s an exciting time in Detroit as people are funneling back into the city, buying property, and growing communities and businesses. Adam and Mobsteel are happy and lucky to be a part of it. They have a unique connection to Detroit because it is where the automobile came from but the movement is contagious for all. “In the coming years, the big picture is going to be great,” says Adam. Amazing things are happening around here and the world should take notice. mobsteel.com 24

THE “GANGSTAR” and the “Colonel Mustard” in front of the Mobsteel tractor trailer.

top and bottom: A 1968 FORD FAIRLANE slammed on 20” Detroit Steel Wheels. opposite page top: ADAM GENEI, founder and owner of Mobsteel.

“WE AREN’T SOLVING ANY PROBLEMS ON A LARGE SCALE BUT WE LEAD BY EXAMPLE.” 27

ARCHITECTURE

The Soul of a Home 29

left: The bricked FRONT GATE of the home. right: Owner 5cott 5usalla and Sheri Lussier in the BREEZEWAY.

This mid-century home shares its rich history from the original builders MARCO and LOUISE NOBILI. PHOTOGRAPHY: L I S A S P I N D L E R

INTERVIEW: A S H L E Y K . P A R K S

THE STUDY including a sunroof to view two gigantic Linen trees. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;Birdboyâ&#x20AC;?

painting matches the room with all its nature references.

THE STAIRWELL connecting upper and lower levels of the home.

right: ORIGINAL BLUE PRINT of the stairwell.

ENTRY WAY from front door to the living room and the solarium with white Pantone chairs.

right: MARCO AND LOUISE NOBILI in 1978.

hey say “home is where the heart is,” and that was indeed the case for the astonishing couple that designed, built, and resided in the mid-century home. Ed Fraga, longtime student and friend to Marco and Louise Nobili takes us on a historic passage through their home. We can know all about the accomplishments and accolades of someone or the works they have done to build their name and fortune. But to truly know and feel the soul of a person is to know them in their home. Webster’s Dictionary defines “home” simply as a place of residence. There’s a familiar quote that says, “It takes hands to build a house, but hearts to build a home,” author unknown. Marco and Louise not only built a beautifully designed mid-century house nestled in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, but they filled this space with love to the final breath of their being. Marco, born in 1914, was a doctoral trained engineer and architect, from Florence, Italy, who fled Italy during World War II to take refuge. He was in his twenties then. Louise, born in 1917, of Swedish and German descent, grew up in Detroit with her family. She met Marco in Detroit in the early 1950s. They were connected to Detroit in a big way, living, at first, in an apartment in Detroit on Kirby near the Detroit Institute of the Art. Louise taught for 39 years in the Fine Arts department at Wayne State University, while Marco taught design at the Center for Creative Studies. They were an elegant couple that loved to go to parties and loved, even more, to host parties at their home when dinner was a formal event during the 1950s-1960s. Marco was a very “old school” Italian who greeted women with a kiss on the hand, followed by compliments of her beauty. Louise, however, was very restrained and reserved; they were an interesting match. The couple would frequent the opera and symphony, and go to the Detroit Institute of Art at openings. They loved costume parties and would dress in amazing ensembles for masquerades. They were extremely artistic and expressed their creativity in so many ways—Louise through her painting and Marco with his architecture and design. Art permeated their whole life. Everything they did, in every way, was creative and had to be visually stunning. Christmas was a special time for the couple. Louise would collect Christmas ornaments from all over the world and each year it would take about ten to twelve days to hang their ten to twelve foot fresh live Christmas tree. It would suspend from a beam in the ceiling of their studio and literally float in the air. They traveled the globe and took 30 students along with them to Italy for three months. As an instructor, Louise was very good. She demanded discipline and hard work. Furthermore, she was quite an accomplished painter during a time when women weren’t given much attention. She pursued her career and did it quite well. Marco did, too. He even assisted the world-renowned Japanese American architect 36

Minoru Yamasaki in different building designs, was involved in the original World Trade Center construction, and worked with Yamasaki at his design firm in Troy, Michigan. Marco was influenced and inspired by designers like Frank Lloyd Wright and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, so there’s no surprise that he designed such beautiful home for himself. The residence is mostly wood, brick, and glass. It sits on a dead-end street, neighboring just a few homes, and off Lake Saint Clair. This unconventional residence doesn’t greet with elaborate curb appeal but rather a subtle spirit of meekness, coupled with nature; almost hidden. For Marco the house needed to be like nature, very quiet, just there, and softly reveal itself. Inside, the home is adorned with wood floors, a double brick fireplace, and glass walls. The concept behind the home’s respect for and inclusion of nature was very similar to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Organic Architecture. This is a philosophy that architecture should be suited to its environment, promoting a harmonious relationship between human habitation and the natural world to become part of a unified composition. The windows are open, overlooking the trees and garden, welcoming nature inside. The natural light shines freely through the home, and the furniture they filled the rooms with was quite modernist and minimal. Different from the comfortable lounge sets found in family rooms of the present, the furniture in the home was not meant to lounge in but instead entertain—high quality pieces and built in appliances simple in essence.

verything about this mid-century home was designed true to Marco and Louise and what they stood for. They were not ones to brag or boast, in fact, they didn’t care for people who did. One would never know that Marco was a Count, from royalty, since he was subtle and quiet with an unspoken confidence and elegance. Marco and Louise both had amazing wit and intellect and could hold conversations about any thing. When it came to art and art history, they both knew so much about it and revered it. They weren’t involved in many cultural organizations nor political activists, but focused on hard work and education, being heavily involved in academia. They were teachers and that was a major part of their lives. They supported institutions like the Detroit Institute of Arts, the opera, and the Detroit Symphony beyond their involvement in the arts and were very generous to them and to their students. Having never had children of their own, Marco and Louise nurtured unique relationships with their students; four of which became like their own. Ed Fraga recalls first meeting Louise as a sophomore at Wayne State in the art department, main gallery. Overwhelmed by massive paintings of reflections of buildings, walls, and water, he was blown away. As he walked through the gallery, a woman comes out and abruptly says, “Excuse me, you’ll have to leave. The show is opening Friday and I’m installing it.” It was Louise speaking. Ed notes that he was a little embarrassed and apologized but also taken aback because he also felt she was a bit rude. Nonetheless, that mere introduction revealed to Ed a woman of confidence. It was later on that he realized that she was firm and not rude. He notes that she had a self confidence that he was somewhat frightened by at first but a year later, while taking her class, he was opened up to a amazing relationship with her; one of which he learned so much from. She inspired him, was able to see Italy with Marco and Louise, and started his own career in art with her encouragement and motivation. This relationship with Marco and Louise lasted until their death, in their home. “I wanted 37

THE STUDY where Marco hung the Christmas tree from the wood faulted ceiling.

for them to be able to spend their last moments at home, in the house they both built,” said Ed. “They loved sentimentality so it seemed only fitting.” Louise passed away in 2004 and Marco succeeded her in life until he passed away in 2005. The house stayed unsold for two years after the couple passed but when it did finally sale, it as purchased by someone who really appreciated it, 5cott 5usalla. He went so far as to go to Wayne State University to view Louise’s art work, researched Marco and her, and, by happenstance, met a woman who knew Ed Fraga and connected them. It was almost as if Marco and Louise had a hand in picking the new home owner; someone who cared about the history of this home and was so gracious in honoring and respecting who Marco and Louise were. Respectful in the way he has put art on the walls, to the design, the way he has kept the house in its purest form, honoring them. It’s almost as if he is a temporary guardian of the home, a custodian for a while until it’s someone else’s time. Marco and Louise never had children but to know that there are young boys in the house now, laughing and having fun, would make them delighted. It is sad in the way that Marco and Louise are no longer here but they both lived long lives. “I loved them dearly,” Ed proclaims. “To know that the home is getting the attention now that it didn’t receive when they were alive is nice to see,” he says. It is something special and it means so much to have it preserved; because it meant so much to them. It was more than just a house or a home to Marco and Louise it was who they were. The beauty surrounding them there, nature, light, it was all the things that represented them. There spirit lives there and 5cott holds that dear. 38

THE LIVING ROOM includes a two

sided fireplace and a floating wall to separate the dinning room.

THE DINING ROOM faces the solarium which was added to the home in 1983.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Every house where love abides and friendship is a guest, is surely home, and home sweet home, for there the heart can rest.â&#x20AC;?

Henry Van Dyke

bottom: COURT YARD of north end including a custom waterfall gutter system to transport and recycle rain water from entire flat roof.

top: 5cott with NATURAL GREEN MOSS AND ROCKS transported from his momâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Straights of Mackinac lakehouse. opposite page: GUARD DOG RITA policing the private campus in from of the breezeway entry.

PUBLIC ART

MAN IN THE CITY JOHN SAUVÉ’S

“Man in the City” offers a unique perspective and frame of reference, physically and metaphorically, to one’s position in the city of Detroit. PHOTOGRAPHY: A A R O N E S C H E N B U R G TEXT: A S H L E Y K

The Man in the City on the roof of the PARK SHELTON on Woodward Avenue looking towards downtown Detroit.

HUDSON’S DEPARTMENT STORE on Woodward Avenue in 1955 photographed by Tony Spina, source Walter P. Reuther Library.

opposite page: The Man on the Roof of Tony D’Annunzio’s film studio in Harmonie Park with the RENNAISANCE CENTER in the background.

t one time, the massive J. L. Hudson Building occupied Woodward Avenue and Gratiot Street in Detroit’s downtown. It was over two million square feet and stood over four-hundred feet tall, making it the tallest department store in the world and one of the largest department stores, only second to Macy’s in New York, by the time it was completely built. It was a molding of several buildings, connected one to another, and built between 1911 and 1946, neighboring other beautifully designed architectural sites throughout the downtown area. There were and are a number of these: the Hammond Building, One Detroit Center, Penobscot Building, Guardian Building, Fisher Building, Buhl Building, David Stott Building, David Broderick Tower, and the Book Building to name a few. That Hudson Building, however, was demolished on October 24, 1998. The Renaissance Center, built in 1981, now serves as the staple landmark and focal point for Detroit’s effervescent skyline as new casinos and office buildings have made way to Detroit’s cityscape. As Detroit continues to develop, the view changes as well. John Sauvé’s Man in the City public art project, offers a unique perspective on the cities of Detroit and Windsor through sculptured statues of a gentleman with hat, strategically placed on the roof tops throughout the two cities. After completing his BA in Art History and Marketing, Sauvé spent 6 month touring the cultural institutions of Europe. He says the highlight of the trip was a stay in occupied Berlin, a trip that would serve as a foundation for his approach to public art. Upon his return from Europe John Sauvé started work for the Michigan

The Man on the Roof of the UHAUL BUILDING on Baltimore Street in Detroitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New Center.

The Man on the Roof of the Town Pump Tavern on Park Avenue watching the PARK HOTEL being demolished.

PHOTO: KATE SAUVÃ&#x2030;

Commission on Art in Public Places. At the time Michigan lead the country in the % for art program, where 1% of every new public building went toward public art. Sauvé went on to complete a Masters in Art Administration and establish a thriving sculptor studio, and for curating large scale sculpture projects, most notable are the Stone Ridge Sculpture Park in Stone Ridge New York, Cityscapes in Birmingham Michigan, Elon University Public Art in Elon North Carolina and Garfield Park Sculpture in Chicago.

S Artist JOHN SAUVÉ. opposite page: The Man on the roof of the ATLAS BUILDING on Gratiot Avenue in Eastern Market.

auvé is known for creating community engagement through public art. His Man in the City project was the first public sculpture exhibition on the Highline in New York City. The High Line is an elevated rail line that runs through the Meatpacking district of New York City. Josh David and Robert Hammond met at a community meeting on the lower West Side and wanted to save the rail line as officials had plans to destroy it. Soon after the establishment of the Friends of the Highline, John befriended the director, Josh David, and created an opportunity to bring public art and arts education to the High Line. John received a grant from Marc Echo to spearhead a public art project with youth in the High Line district. The goal was to educate kids on public art and the role that they play in building community. Throughout the Man in the City project on the High Line, Sauvé introduced the kids to multiple examples of positive influences throughout the program including High Line project developers, photographers, publishers, journalist, reporters, architects, and politicians who offered them encour-

Public art is an expression of fluidity in community, perspective and point of view, appreciation for development, and moments of stillness.

The Man on the roof of the TOWN PUMP TAVERN on Park Avenue in downtown Detroit.

agement and motivation on a one-on-one basis. Students drafted and documented the development of the project and ultimately the ‘men’ were placed along the rail where the community could interact with the sculptures, developing dialogue that brought about change. The Man in the City project Detroit is evolving. With very little promotion of the sculpture, people are forced to search and learn more about them, which encourages people to come into their own relationship with them. Whether it’s during a morning commute or walking down the street, individuals tell the story of the man and that gives them more meaning. John continues to develop his Man in the City Detroit children’s art programing around Detroit. In 2014 he was awarded Volunteer of the Year by the Boll Family YMCA in Detroit for his work with the Y ARTs program. John has also worked with Youthworks Detroit, the Boys and Girls Club and the Summer Art Youth program at Wayne State University.

ublic art is not new although there have always been different variations of how public art has been defined. Bringing in object oriented, public art, large scale sculptures is usually initiated by someone with a studio and commitment to art. It’s a proven method to help identify different parts of the community and it gives people destination within that same community. So, from an urban planning, landscape and architecture standpoint, it has always been a known entity that public art should be included in a city plan where opportunities are created for artist to display. For John, public art is an expression of fluidity in community, perspective and point of view, appreciation for development, and moments of stillness. During a time when Detroit is continuously developing and views are constantly changing, Man in the City offers a frame of reference for where you are physically and metaphorically in relation to your position in the city. While walking around or passing by, take a moment to stop and look up, you’re bound to see a man somewhere. Let his profile remind you of times changed like the beautiful J. L. Hudson Building, the now vibrant, once vacant streets of Detroit, your influence, your community, and your outlook, that is, by nature, bound to change too. What started as a series of silk screens featuring men in suits has become an iconic sculpture project that has traveled throughout the United States and Canada. “The Man in the City project creates a dialog about the skyline in which the viewer becomes a part of the conversation about the City”, says John Sauvé. johnwsauve.tumblr.com 58

MUSIC

TYRONE CARREKER walks the streets of New York after playing with Sam Hunt for Jimmy Fallon.

MUSIC ISTHE PASSION. MUSIC ISTHE PATH.

top: “EX TO SEE,” Los Angeles. bottom: “LEAVE THE NIGHT ON,” Ohio. opposite page top: “EX TO SEE.” opposite page bottom: “BREAK UP IN A SMALL TOWN.”

TYRONE CARREKER

shares his admiration for music and the romance of his guitar. PHOTOGRAPHY: STEVEN ALAN WORSTER INTERVIEW: A S H L E Y K

“No words, just music” is what caught the attention of Tyrone Carreker when he fell in love with the instrumental “Feel So Good” by Chuck Mangione. There’s this thing about music that brings about moods, attitudes, and emotion; it brings about experiences that are familiar and unknown all the same. Music takes us places that hurt and those that actually really do feel good. Settled in New York City on an off day, Tyrone stopped for a moment to discuss his admiration of music, musical and intellectual genius, and his romance with the bass and the guitar. Detroit born but having made residence in Nashville, Tennessee, he has surrounded himself with mellifluous masters on purpose. His talent and passion makes him no different from those whom he esteems. In fact, it is this same talent and passion that sets him apart. Although he’s played in front of audiences as large as 110,000 people with the Sam Hunt Band, Tyrone is still very shy and hasn’t let stardom make him too proud.

Tyrone laughs BACKSTAGE hanging with the crew in Salt Lake City, Utah.

PARKVIEW:

troit?

What took you to Nashville from De-

When I was done with college, around 22 years old, I took to the guitar in December of that year. About two months later, I knew I was going to quit college and play the guitar. Six months after that, I knew I was going to go to Nashville. I figured, if I was going to make any musical progress, I needed to be where the music was. Nashville was big for me because I felt like if I could get in that community, I could learn a lot and I’ve been living in Nashville since.

TYRONE CARREKER:

When did you first find your love for the guitar? I’ve always loved music I just didn’t always know how to become a part of it. I played the bass in high school but when I picked up the guitar I felt like I could create anything I wanted. It would overtake me in a way that I can’t always explain. When I would pick up my guitar, I saw that I was able to do that same thing, on my own. I thought to myself, “why would I do anything else?” I felt like I was wasting money doing the engineering thing and being a math major. I was good at it but I wasn’t invested in it. I left college at the University of Michigan with just five classes left. It was a pretty easy decision for me, which isn’t always the case being so young and understanding there are consequences to every action; but you move forward, head strong, and do it. I just wanted to do music and I still feel the same way. I knew that when I followed the music path, I wouldn’t have any regrets because my love for it was so strong, and I still don’t. Whether I succeeded or failed I knew I would always have the same love for it. The song “Feel So Good” by Chuck Mangione is one of your favorites. What is it about that song that captures you? The song feels really good. (laughs) It’s upbeat with no words, just music, and the expression of the guitar piece completely blew me away. I’ve never learned that song because I don’t want to take away from the magic of it. Every time I hear 64

it I get the same feeling and if I learn it, it may lose its magic. I just don’t want to ruin it. I heard the song in the 11th grade, music class, and I remember thinking, “what is that instrument?” I wasn’t familiar with the guitar then but that first introduction stuck. What is your musical influence? Being on the road has changed by appreciation for different genres of music. I still love rock and blues but there is this undeniable pop element that I really love in songs as well. Country, for example, is in the process of transforming and molding itself from the traditional country music that we know. It has many elements from different types of music and I love that you don’t have to pick a side. What was popular ten years ago isn’t always popular now. That is not just with music but also with entertainment, fashion, lifestyle; everything changes. In terms of musical taste and direction, I have been exposed to so much that my musical knowledge has expanded from the time I picked up my first guitar. The sounds I put to my own music and the musical talent that I have has simply changed over time. What inspires you when you write? Gosh! Life inspires me and things that actually happen, which is the easiest place to pull from. Music has always made me feel like I wasn’t alone. So when I write, I write straight from the heart and hopefully someone going through the same things feels something from it. When you write about a situation you are experiencing, you have so much more to say about it. People connect to these big artists like John Mayer or Drake because they are talking about what happened yesterday and they aren’t the only ones going through that. How do you want people to feel or what message do you want people to get from your music? When I write, I want people to feel as if I am telling their story and say, “yeah that’s me.” I want them to be alright with feeling weird or being angry or having completely unrelated issues on the 65

exact same day and being in a mood for no apparent reason. I want people to relate to me. I don’t ever want to write anything fake or have people think that what I am talking about isn’t real. All the music I like, I connect to on some level. At some point during a song I can say “exactly” and that’s what I want for my listeners. There are many people going through tough things and they need to know that they are not alone. Do you feel that the mission for your music is understood? Yes! I had a guy send me a message on social media from Venezuela recently and he said “your song ‘Free Bird’ really helped me out these past couple of weeks.” To me, that was awesome because that song was really true to me at the time and stays true. That song in particular touches a lot of people, more than I thought it would because it was something that I was just going through. To hear that from that guy was pretty cool. How do you define success? Do you consider yourself successful? Success to me is defined by being fulfilled by what you do and thoroughly enjoying that. I’m succeeding but the story is still being written and told. I don’t like to say I’m successful because that would indicate an end that I don’t think is applicable to me. We (The Sam Hunt Band) have a whole lot more that we want to do. We’ve just started so we don’t want to sit back and say “we did it” because there is still so much more. I hope we are on the road to success but I haven’t completed what I’ve started out to do. What is your life’s purpose? I know I was created to do music. There’s no doubt in my mind about that. One of my biggest influences has always been music. People listen and they take my work seriously. I was taught to work hard and I was taught to never give up. I was taught to believe in what I’m doing and in myself. Of course there are risks involved with following your pas-

sion, and music is that for me, but I wish everyone would just follow exactly what it is that they want to do. I think everyone should be just as happy as me, even if it’s peeling oranges. Whatever it is, do what makes you happy and the situation will create itself, specifically for you. Passion will make room for you; it’s just a matter of following it. How do you want to be remembered? Music is the passion and music is the path for me. Melody is all fine and good but I don’t know that I want to be remembered by that. I actually want to be remembered as a person of character that actually believed in something, stood for something, and followed his passion. While everyone remem-

bers Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for his speeches, in my opinion, he was one of the most confident men to have ever lived. He was well spoken, well written, and the type of character he possessed is what I remember him for. For a man to stand up and do what he did, during the times he did it, makes him noble. When I look at him and I look at his life I think that guy was a man of conviction and I want to be remembered as a man of conviction and someone who didn’t back down; when I said I would do something, I did it. Wherever that leads me, so let it be. Tyrone is moving forward in his music career by his middle and grandfather’s first name, Golden. tyronecarreker.com, musicisgolden.com

“MUSIC HAS ALWAYS MADE ME FEEL LIKE I WASN’T ALONE.” Tyrone plays “EX TO SEE” with The Sam Hunt Band.

FOOD

LADY OF THE HOUSE

CANDLE LIGHT DINNER

at Chef Kate Williamsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; with lamb sausage and split peas.

From dinner around the table with family to hosting at her own home in North Corktown, Detroit, CHEF KATE WILLIAMS is the ultimate hostess. PHOTOGRAPHY: M O L L I E K W I E K TEXT: A S H L E Y K

S CHEF KATE WILLIAMS at her

home in North Corktown, Detroit.

tories are shared, laughs are had, good eats, and special moments are spent around the dinner table. These are the moments that Chef Kate remembers growing up in Northville, Michigan. “I have always liked to eat and I am from a big family. Celebrating together always involved eating,” she says. Gathering around the dinner table was always an event that brought everyone together for Kate and her family. So for her, the passion behind each meal has always been about hosting and celebrating rather than the food part of cooking. Food is the equalizer. Trained at Michigan State in food science and then culinary school in New York, Kate has been exposed to some of the greatest chefs and restaurants in the country. Prior to her leave for New York, she didn’t feel like there was much opportunity for growth in the culinary industry in Detroit, but upon her return, she fell in love with the nature and elevation of the food environment. She welcomed the change, moved to the country feeling North Corktown, just blocks away from where her grandfather grew up, and has plans to open Lady of the House, a restaurant centered around being the ultimate hostess. Formerly the chef at Rodin, in Detroit’s Midtown, and recently executive chef at Republic Tavern, Kate is now taking on a few new ventures that are not only true to her style of cooking but a bit sentimental to the area she calls home. For now, “I like to sit at the dining room table by candle light,” she says. Added to that candlelight are dinner parties, welcome with friends, family, and wine. When it comes to what goes on her plates, special attention is taken to her locale. “I like to make food that is true to the region or the land. So other than fresh water 70

OYSTER SOUP with clams and bacon. opposite page top: CHEF KATE in her kitchen.

bottom: FARM CARROTS with arugula and crème fresh from local Detroit farm; LAMB SAUSAGE with split peas and Spanish olive oil. right: PUMPERNICKEL AND ALMOND BREAD PUDDING topped with

Crème Chantilly and sprinkled cinnamon.

“FOOD IS THE EQUALIZER.”

OYSTER SOUP with clams, bacon and fresh mint.

opposite page: THE DINING ROOM.

“I LIKE TO SIT AT THE DINING ROOM TABLE BY CANDLE LIGHT.” fish, we have really awesome meat in Michigan. From hogs to lamb, beef, chicken, and duck, we are really lucky I think,” she says. In the midwest people eat a lot of meat and potatoes so, in that spirit, she has been interested in humane butchery and coined one who is certainly a master at it. “Doing it the right way is absolutely a craft,” she explains. Having recently traveled to Spain, she creates dishes that have many Spanish flavors. “The seafood in Spain was so unbelievable that I have been using more of it in my dishes,” says Kate. Nonetheless, her mood, interests, seasons, and what’s just simply “good to eat” incite each menu. In addition to this she’s excited to start a dinner tour soon, making appearances in New York, Chicago, Napa, Salt Lake City, and Detroit to name a few.

hen outside of her own kitchen, she is inspired by Chef David Chang’s irreverence and thinking about food in a different way that isn’t trying to be anything other than fun, and Chef Christian Puglisi of Copenhagen, and his brilliant way of delicately honoring the ingredient and bringing out the best of it. The culture of Detroit chefs is one of camaraderie and friendship. “I don’t feel different here. Everyone supports each other and are held to the same standard,” she says, which is nice. Chef Kate Williams has made a home in Detroit. While more places to dine are popping up in and around the area, talent is attracted to the city and people are offered yet another opportunity to come out, enjoy themselves, and sit around tables full of laughs, good eats, and special moments. 74

COMMUNITY Karleah Patterson, student, studies during tutoring session. opposite page: Xavier Johnson, Solomon Foster, and Seth Haynes are strategic as they play Jenga. bottom right: Student, Raymone Moore. bottom left: Scrabble, board game.

STARTING WITH

ONE KEITH INSTITUTE provides

Detroit students measurable tutoring programs to improve reading, math, and science.

PHOTOGRAPHY: T I M L E O N TEXT: M A L I S S A M A R T I N

s with many urban communities, Detroit continues to rebuild a new foundation that includes education, the hot and cold topic at the forefront of many community issues. The Keith Institute (Ki), founded by brother and sister masterminds, James and Kharena Keith, has taken a front seat for direct involvement in contributing to reviving Detroitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s educational infrastructure. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We saw there were multiple needs in the city: especially in the field of education and

subject matter expertise. So we thought that by building Keith Institute we’d be able to provide multiple types of resources to Detroit and the surrounding areas,” says James. After research and business planning, the siblings structured a tutoring program—focusing on reading, science, and math—that provides measurable results for kindergarten through twelfth grade students. PARKVIEW recently talked to the pair about Detroit’s current education system and learned all about their passion to 77

PHOTO: CHRIS COLEMAN, COLDCAPITALFUNHOUSE.COM

in a small group environment. We’ve noticed that the small group is something they’re not getting in school but is key to helping students succeed. Unfortunately our schools aren’t able to provide that for students and creates a need for supplemental help that can always be a blessing.”

restore extra academic curriculum in urban communities. One of Detroit’s own, a graduate of Cass Technical High School, San Diego State University, and Marygrove College with a Master’s Degree in Education, Kharena Keith, Chief Educator, worked as a biology teacher and tutor for years in Metro Detroit suburbs before realizing the actual need for tutoring programs in Detroit communities. She told her brother James, an engineer, businessman, and chairman of the board, about the idea and he immediately espoused the development of Keith Institute. Ki’s mission is to help bridge 77

Detroit’s educational gap between high and low ranking students. The formula Ki uses to pinpoint problem areas is to first give students a diagnostic online test that divides their education level into eight sub-areas, highlighting both their strengths and weaknesses. Next, the student is given an individualized learning plan based on their test results. Finally the student is placed in a small group with a 3:1 studentteacher ratio for academic enhancement. In addition, students are tested periodically to measure growth throughout the program. “Everyone’s working on something individual and it’s based on their diagnostic test

i uses volunteer tutors for reading and certified teachers, who are familiar with the Common Core Curriculum for math. This curriculum is a set of math and English Language Arts standards for kindergarten through twelfth grade, that leaves many parents scratching their head, says Kharena. “I think that’s a big piece. We must enlighten parents on the structure of the education system, the different pieces of the Common Core Curriculum, and why their child’s teacher grades the way they do. Oftentimes, I have parents who have a relationship with me, but don’t have a relationship with their child’s teacher. Once they understand the differences and the benefits of these types of curriculum based programs, they’re more open to it,” she explains. James and Kharena talked to parents in the local communities to get their expectations from tutoring programs in order to provide measurable results. “We looked at ways to prove results to parents by examining

Students Reanna Washington and Kendall Foster share laughs. bottom: Student Mariah Lang. opposite page: KHARENA KEITH, Founder of Keith Institute.

the students at the beginning of the program. We set milestones throughout the program, depending on how long they had been participants, and evaluated their progress by testing them once again at the end. We noticed that similar programs did not provide these same kinds of milestones that, to us, are an essential piece to documenting the efficacy of the services we provide. We understood the climate of tutoring because we’ve been in the educational arena for years,” says James. In addition to tutors and teachers, successful students need foundational support including regular attendance

and parent involvement. “When these components are lacking, it makes it difficult to educate a child. Furthermore, it becomes a challenge to keep the students that are proficient, when you have a group of kids in a class that are not. That’s what Keith Institute addresses: how can we pull these kids up and get them where they need to be,” says James. While children are truly our future, it takes collective efforts amongst teachers, parents, students, and programs like Ki to foster an environment of educational achievement and success. The main goal for Ki is to make sure that students born,

raised, and educated in Metro Detroit are literate. “We want to be involved in Detroit. We think Detroit has started to turn the corner but there is still a long road ahead and we want to want to be a part of that journey; making a difference and investing in the city.” keithinstitute.org 78

FASHION

A HIGHER

LOVE

RANDAL JACOBS takes a

journey through life, love, and navigation to Detroit through his love for fashion and self-expression. PHOTOGRAPHY: T I M L E O N TEXT: A S H L E Y K

Designer and stylist RANDAL JACOBS in his studio at the Detroit Riverfront.

Walls decorated with VINTAGE BLACK AND WHITE COLLECTIONS.

below: RANDAL JACOBS. right: Hats and shoes in Randal’s design studio.

FASHION

is defined as a popular way of dressing during a particular time or among a particular group of people. Style, however, is a way in which something is done, created, or performed. Randal Jacobs, co-owner of Savvy Gents in Detroit’s Eastern Market, has always had a love for fashion, and has been ingrained in it for a large part of his life. But his style is what sets him apart. About fifteen minutes from the Savvy Gents boutique shop, on Iron Street along side the Detroit River, is his design studio where fittings are done and costumes are made for theater and local musicians. “I needed a space to display what I’ve collected in my travels; some place where I could see what I was working with and the materials I have. Styling is a real art form, so when I can look at and touch the fabrics, it brings on a whole new life,” says Randal. It’s a very comfortable place, full of personality and character, just like Randal himself. Having collected clothing and vintage items for over fifteen years, everything he chooses has been resurrected and has a feeling and spirit to them. “It’s what makes them special,” he says. PARKVIEW had the opportunity to learn about the man behind the fashion and his genuine love for Detroit.

Randal Jacobs was born in Alabama, spent a lot of time in New York, and has traveled the world. But prior to making the transition to Detroit, he had outgrown New York for a number of reasons. He reminisces about his origins in the fashion world. His love for fashion started off with fun in Atlanta while at Morehouse College. “We had no clue. We were just playing around, dressing up, and doing photo shoots,” says Randal, until he decided to take things a little more serious during his junior year. His first taste of the professional fashion industry was in advertising and working as a stylist for Ralph Lauren. While “The City So Nice, They Named It Twice,” is full of fashion and style, Randal was worn out by its commercialism. “I knew I was attracted to fashion but New York was not the place.” So he went to study abroad in Europe, but decided to fully enroll in school instead, obtaining a full-fledged education there. “I had my southern roots and New York experience, but I grew up in London. There is a certain growth that you can’t do from home. Atlanta was still home to me and I couldn’t grow in that environment because I was too comfortable there. I knew no one in London but felt this was where I was supposed to be,” says Randal. 84

The first job out of college was quite overwhelming. Coming from a place that barely had a GAP store, let alone, Alexander McQueen, Randal went from a place of unknowing to being in the thick of the fashion industry. In New York, it was a bit cold and consumed with celebrity culture. “There was a hustle, bustle, and energy that didn’t align with my spirit,” he says. In Europe, on the other hand, he socialized with and sat next to Kanye West, Usher Raymond, and other celebrities at fashion shows where they were all treated like normal people. “People were actually more interested in the fact that we were all black than their celebrity,” says Randal. “I didn’t even understand my blackness and appreciate it before then because of the way I felt and was treated here in my own country. I was not recognized as a person. In Europe no one was worried about what I did and who I was. I needed that,” he explains. Randal appreciated an environment that revolved around producing good work and less of who you were connected to. Coming to Detroit was a place to do fashion on his own terms and fully express himself. He had never been to Detroit prior to being commissioned to do a fashion exhibition for the Charles H. Wright Museum in 2011. “Detroit wasn’t even on my radar. But when we got here, it was kind of magi85

“WHEN I GOT TO DETROIT, IT WAS KIND OF MAGICAL.”

left: Randal Jacobs’ DESIGN STUDIO. right: Hat by MILLINER PIAZZA. Shoes, PIERRE CARDIN.

cal,” says Randal. He wanted to do something more creative, in a new place. He even traveled to Tokyo to search for employment in preparation to move there but his spirit was still led to Detroit. “While I was in Tokyo, I was just open to explore and learn, to receive, and be inspired creatively,” Randal explains. He was then offered an opportunity to write a screenplay back in New York, so he returned. There for only a week, he met someone. When Randal finally decided to make the move to Detroit, he told his guy if he was serious about the relationship, he would join Randal in Detroit. Although they are no longer together, that relationship served as a catalyst to get him to Detroit. “I’m glad I tried out love because I ended up being in a city full of it,” says Randal. Detroit was a place to cleanse. Randal notes that he didn’t touch clothes, besides his own, for a year after coming to Detroit. It was then he realized what filled his wardrobe were objects from styling closets. “I couldn’t even afford the clothes that I was working with and styling for,” he says, “but it felt nice to buy things for myself.” Being so caught up in the chaos of the fashion industry, he was also caught in a lifestyle that he needed escaping from. “It was like one of those times when your mom says, ‘Boy sit your 86

“MY STUDIO REPRESENTS FREEDOM; THE FREE ME.”

top: Vintage ASIAN CHANDELIER from Indian Village estate sale. right: Randal Jacobs in front of SAVVY GENTS.

ass down.’ I really just needed to sit my ass down and Detroit was the place for me to do that. It was like a palate cleanser,” says Randal. Detroit is a very special land and Randal has built a comfortable life here. His studio, while very different from the boutique, is his place of refuge. Savvy Gents has taken a life of its own, but is very commercial. “It’s a part of me but it’s not all of me. My studio represents freedom; the free me. It’s the hyper-creative part of me,” says Randal. One of the most welcoming things about Detroit is that expanding your mind is accepted and there is less judgment than in other cities. “When people ask, for example, why I have on a ball gown, it’s because they really just want to know. I appreciate that,” Randal laughs. There is a certain kind of southern gentility in Detroit where people respect you; they might not understand you, but they respect you nonetheless. “I am at a place where I understand my responsibility. My goal is to help people see clothing, not just fashion, as a visual art. I can take something in fashion and make a socially conscious movement of it. My freedom allows other people to be free. If there is one thing I am here on this earth to do, it is to let 87

people be fully self-expressed,” says Randal. He has his parents to thanks for that. They encouraged him to be different and never questioned who he was. Somewhat of a black sheep in the family, Randal was never pressured to be like his siblings who, in essence, are all very different from him. Being somewhat distance, in age and emotionally, from his biological family, was a blessing because he now feels that he doesn’t have a sense of home. “The world is my home,” says Randal. College friends became his family and his rock. It was never difficult to go any place and find a family. That’s just who he is. “There is a tribe that I’m looking for and I bring them with me throughout my life’s journey. Interesting enough, in Detroit, my connection with people is quicker and stronger than all the years that it took me to develop my relationships with people in other places,” says Randal. It’s a higher love; a soulful love where barriers are broken and everyone is already stripped down. There is a deep connection that he finds here in Detroit. A romantic love brought him here but it was more of a universal love that has kept him. savvygentshop.com 88

PHOTOGRAPHER’S PORTFOLIO

BOSWELL HARDWICK’S

Doors.

Before the show - backstage at Rick Owens. opposite page: Rue Boissy dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Anglas.

Centre Georges Pompidou. opposite page: Eiffel tower.

Le Marais. opposite page: Rue du Faubourg Saint-HonorĂŠ.

Designer Rick Owens after the show. opposite page: Karlie Kloss backstage at Lanvin.

Tricky. opposite page: Michele Lamy, Rick Owenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wife and muse, at home in Paris.

Head in the clouds. opposite page: Float - Rick Owens runway.

102

Window. opposite page: Fashionistas heading to the Dior show.

104

Backstage at Alexander McQueen. opposite page: Rick Owens runway.

106

DETROIT AND PARIS HAVE A SIMILAR

Internationally renowned photographer, Boswell Hardwick, whose work has been seen in Berlin, Barcelona, London, Paris, and throughout the United States shares his bold collection of images from Paris. From a risk-taking youth to an adult who dines and drinks with celebrities, Boswell is full of culture, building a bridge, one photograph at a time, between Paris and Detroit. BOSWELL:

I am an artist, designer, and photographer. I used to be a punk. I was into drugs, shaved my head, and wore my clothes inside out and backwards. I was struggling to express myself. The 1970s were extreme times and I played a part. Life could have been really bad for me but I was given oil paint at the age of three and started painting. I live by the principle you get what you give. That has been my saving grace and people have been good to me. INSPIRATION:

I love creativity. My work allows me to be that, creative. I was a painting major so my profession was fine art, which was really frustrating because it is really subjective. I think with fine art, people like what they are supposed to like which was really disappointing for me. I was at the sewing machine from a young age, inspired by LL Cool J I decided to make a hat. People loved it so I made more. It became a business and I had critical success in local and national media. Nobody was wearing hats so I stated taking photos of models wearing them. As a painter, I had a similar eye as a photographer and the instantaneous movement and stillness of images was gratifying. I believe in experimentation and education. Playing around with stuff and experimenting is something you have to do. It’s how you learn. PARIS: BOSWELL HARDWICK

has been taking compelling photographs most of his life, specializing in print design, editorial fashion, beauty, portraiture, and architecture. Through his international travels and worldwide exposure, he has made a place for himself in digital and print media alike. Boswell’s appreciation for all things classy and sophisticated is represented in his work. He has made a second home in Paris and working on projects to link the Paris and Detroit connection. boswellstudio.com

107

Paris started off as a ten-day vacation and turned into a love affair. I’ve been about 19 times in seven or eight years and have developed a life there. It’s become my heart. I may consider moving there one day when I’m older. As an artist, I plan to work until my death so as long as I can pick up a camera or let someone else hold it for me, there is no rush for me to do anything. I can’t forget my love and life here in Detroit anyhow. I’ve been committed to building a bridge between Detroit and Paris. Parisians are wild about Detroit. The more they are ingrained in fashion the more they love this city. It has always been a badge of honor for me. It’s really nice to have friends that were raised in Paris that just love me because I’m from Detroit. The view of Detroit from Paris is a positive one. Oftentimes that surprises people but they think Detroit is a cool place. I use it as an opportunity to educate them about Detroit. DETROIT PARIS CONNECTION:

Detroit and Paris have a similar spirit. It’s one of grit, determination, and style, both with a rich history and beautiful architecture. Detroit is stylish. Detroit was known as the Paris of the Midwest for its Gilded Age buildings and architecture. It’s changed. I remember using dilapidated buildings, as a reference point for paintings but the landscape is a lot different now. PARIS PHOTO COLLECTION:

These images in black and white show the graffiti and grit of Paris a little bit while still capturing the elegance and grace of fashion. These images embrace the modernity of today against the timeless backdrop of the city. I love the contrast of the new cars, current fashion and construction against the age and rich history of the architecture. I love fashion and I love the mystery of reflections; almost ghost like. The images are not always about the person in the photograph rather all the frenzy around her. I’ve been at fashion shows that have been insane and almost having been trampled. Some of the fashion images are out of focus on purpose because I think it gives great texture; it gives a different point of view that I don’t always see.

Palais de Tokyo.

MENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FASHION

109

1701 Bespoke STREET SIGN with a selection of fabrics and patterns to choose from.

opposite page: Clothier NELSON T. SANDERS, JR.

THE CLASSIC MAN IN MIND With custom tailoring, 1701 BESPOKE breathes new life into men’s fashion, revamping Detroit’s signature style. PHOTOGRAPHY: K E E N A N R I V A L S TEXT: M A L I S S A M A R T I N AND A S H L E Y K

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PHOTOS (3): NIKI WILLIAMS

clockwise: The customizing process, measuring. MAX SCHMIDT, Co-Owner. Silk tie collection. TOM DAGUANNO, Co-Owner. Layers of fabric on design mannequin. opposite page: Tom Daguanno. The customizing process.

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1701 BESPOKE is a boutique shop for custom-made suits,

shirts, overcoats, and tuxedos. Co-owned by Max Schmidt and Tom Daguanno, the origins of the business began with the need for a reasonably priced custommade suit for a wedding that propelled into a menswear line. The name, paying homage to the founding of Detroit on July 24, 1701, and bespoke simply means “made to order.” When it comes to Detroit’s men’s fashion there are no rules because of the unique makeup of the city. However, there are classic clothing pieces that Daguanno, Schmidt, and Head Clothier Nelson T. Sanders recommend every man have in his closet. “If you’re a suit and tie kind-of-guy, a charcoal, navy, and black look is a must,” says Schmidt. Brown and black shoes are too. In terms of shirts the three basics are white, light blue, and salmon, or pink, depending on whom you’re talking too. Clients of 1701 Bespoke choose from an extensive fabric collection from Europe’s finest mills, hundreds of design options, and combinations that make the hand-finished garments one of a kind. While each product reflects fine tailoring and classic styling cues, the garment you take home is personalized to your style and fit preferences, feeling like the skin you’re in and by far the best garment hanging in your closet. 1701bespoke.com 112

WOMENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FASHION

top: Rectangular Signet Ring in oxidized silver with a polished face by LEE BRENNAN DESIGN. bottom: Hinge Ring in bronze by AMY GLENN. right: Button down shirt with beautiful off center styling and cropped leather top by SERIENUMERICA. far right: The Orleans and Winder SHOP AND SHOWROOM in Eastern Market.

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AGAINST THE GRAIN Slow fashion and niche design is the conceptual framework of ORLEANS + WINDER, an upscale retail showroom.

PHOTO: SARAH RAHAL

PHOTOGRAPHY: L I S A S P I N D L E R TEXT: A S H L E Y K

top: The Balance Ring by Detroit based XENOPHORA in sterling silver. right: Soft goat leather ankle boot by GUIDI. bottom: Button down shirt by

SERIENUMERICA.

top: Oversized leather bag with long and short straps by SERIENUMERICA. right: A set of five sterling silver circle rings by AMY GLENN.

ORLEANS + WINDER began in a old

brewery, named for the cross streets where the building sits, but now finds a home in a beautiful loft space welcoming natural light and sunshine each morning in Detroitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eastern Market. Conceptualized by Erin Wetzel and JT McCluskey, O+W stems from a love of design, and pieces well-made by hand. Going against the grain of mass production, there is a focus on slow fashion and a niche frame of design, offering an inspired view of collaborative artwork, mystery of the artistic process, and functional style. Walls decorated with images from their limited edition offering of Plethora Magazine and installations from a partnership with Cranbrook Academy of Art, Metals Department, this upscale showroom is bound to inspire. With a selection of about eight to ten European designers, Detroit based jewelry collections, Italian made leather footwear, essential oil based candles from the south of France, and other beautiful dry goods, each item is hand picked, special, classic, and timeless. orleansandwinder.com 116

POETRY

W. A.R.

(Weapons Are Relative) BY MAE DAY

Bang bang Bang bang Everyday it’s the same thang I maintain They’re shipping my main man to cold war Just so they can bang bang More more

Before you step out on this battle field, please understand that this battle’s real. So, grab that steel handle off the mantle if you feel threatened, that’s what that weapons for. Oh, you thought this was all about rappin’ hard as hell? Heavens no…but if you ain’t ready to step thru heaven’s door… Lesson O-N-E… N*ggas love knocking you off your pedestal… Gaddafi. They’re shooting seven year olds in their heads, and (oh) that’s over by where I be. Po’ Po’ said “they bad” 118

My one girl sleeps with the enemy… She said she can’t trust where she lay at. Her n*gga gets mad then stays mad. Insecure with his issues that he inherited from his papa, he takes it out (on her) when he socks her, talking about “Don’t leave” “can’t live without ya” I said let that n*gga lay dead then… WITHOUT YA. You’re better off with that outcome. I really wanna be like Martin But I feel way more like Malcolm Or Assata. Bush put a million dollars on her head, God bless asylum, otherwise it’s… So you think the only war was with Al Qaeda and Obama missiles in Libya? Mm. Meanwhile, they’ve gentrified your schools, communities and (they’re) splitting your cities up. See I be in the burbs and I’ve been in the ghetto… So, you can’t try to sell me Payless and call that

MAE DAY, Detroit born

PHOTO: DAVIDE ANDERSON, DAVIDEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

and raised on both sides of the city’s famous 8 Mile Road, is the razor-sharp lyricist, delivering rhetoric that is magnetic and deliberate. Rhymes full of wit, alliteration, simile, and metaphorical Mae Day brings thought provoking, emotion evoking, stories that everyday people live. She stands out amongst her male counterparts in the hip-hop and soul arena and has a duality to her personality that comes from aggression, balance, and peace. maedaymaeday.com

sh*t a Louboutin stiletto. I know what it is bruh. They’re closing half the schools down, (with) sixty (students) to a class (and) one teacher do the math now. ‘Cause sadly your child might not be able to, no more, if and when that goes down. Oh, it goes down. Believe it. For real. Somewhere between heart disease, AIDS and abortion lies the number one killer of blacks, according to the facts, I mean according to the stats. Wow. Yet, they love marketing to us (all this) promiscuous, ignorant music and some damn KFC double downs. Cuz got shipped off Bruh is getting shipped off, again…(I’m) gettin’ pissed off. Government is on some other sh*t that you’re

praying that they get off. Go hard. Don’t get soft. Poke your chest out…this is the part where you knuckle up on these fools. Double up on your profit, ‘casue you’re trying to hustle up on new shoes. But granny ain’t got no insurance… Budget cuts on you fools. Fam better muster up dues because they’re unplugging up ma’ dukes if ya’ll ain’t got it. Now you’re turning that whole IC Unit into John Q, Doin’ that… Bang Bang Did thangs change? They’re talking about Emmett still… Then Tray(von) came. Coppers need Oscars for Oscar’s kill. Some thangs are the same. Some thangs are the same. Some thangs…some thangs… The bangs the…..BANG! 119