Vulture Magazine Issue 07: Cattle by Vulture Magazine

V U LT U R E M AG A Z I N E MAR 2 0 1 4

Issue 07

CATTLE J U N YA WATA N A B E MELITTA BAUMEISTER DANIEL ARSHAM ADEL ABDESSEMED NYMPHOMANIAC LAUREN DAVIS AI WEIWEI

ÂŠ 2014 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without permission from the publishers. The views expressed in VULTURE Magazine are those of the respective contributors, and are not necessarily shared by the magazine or staff. VULTURE welcomes unsolicited contributors, but cannot accept responsibility for any possible loss of damage of the submitted material.

Issue 07

CATTLE

Editor-in-Chief

Managing Editor

Art Director

Nabil Aliffi

Clifford Loh

April Lee (Kitchen. Label)

Editor

Contributing Editor

Writer

Tan Qian Rou

Melanie Chua

Lesley Chee

Press Assistant

Editorial Assistant

Designer

Sara Ng

Sean Tay

Chris Madsen

Kerry Tang

Contributors

Front Cover

Alvelyn Alko Violet Foo Jill Tan

Photography & Styling by Clifford Loh

Begum Kocum Stuart Chen Masaki Kataoka

featuring Lauren Trotter (Mannequin)

Masayuki Ichinose Woo Jekjin Justin Seng

in Saint Laurent S/S 2014

Shawn Chua Ajay Ahluwalia Joshua Ong

Hair & Makeup by Raudha Raily using

Zara Salahuddin

MAKE UP FOR EVER

Editorial Enquiries

Distributed by

For advertising & sales

Allscript Pte Ltd

contact@vulture-magazine.com

MCI (P) 159/12/2012

With Special Thanks Ryan Wong Michelle Pisciotta Kirsty Ka Ng Ee Leng Jeanette Lim

VULTURE Magazine Pte Ltd 113 Somerset Road, NYC Academy Building Singapore 238165

CONTENTS

Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Shortlist

Je Suis Innocent Text by Joshua O.

Daniel Arsham Text by Sara N.

Melitta Baumeister: 08

Innovation In Our Time Text by Kerry T.

Celine S/S 2014 18 09 Masculine Romanticism Prada S/S 2014

Text by Justin S. 48

Text by Kerry T.

Odeur

Photography by Clifford Loh

The Brit Rhythm 58

Text by Nabil A.

22 Open House: Text by Jekjin W.

32 12 Towards a New Agriculture Novelties

Text by Qianrou T.

Exhibit Photography by Stuart Chen

100

116

Wools Worth

10 Simple Rules for Living

Text by Melanie C.

On The Periphery Text by Jill T.

106

Manifest Man

To Rise Again

Photography by Masayuki Ichinose

Text by Shawn C.

76 Dégradé Photography by Alvelyn Alko 119 82 110 Vanitas Photography by Clifford Loh

Asylend Photography by Begum Kocum

Nymphomaniac: An Introduction Text by Sara N. 126 112

On The Moodboard

In Conversation: Heka Lab Text by Qianrou T. 127

94 Elusive Mythmaker Text by Lesley C.

Stockists

EDITOR’S NOTE

“Hiding Figure”, 2012 by Daniel Arsham Photo : Guillaume Ziccarelli Courtesy Galerie Perrotin

On 15th April 1989 the Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, England witnessed the staggering effects of mob mentality. The shoving of a few

rowdy fans quickly escalated into a full-blown stampede with spectators

climbing over each other to reach the fence– 96 were found dead and 766 more injured.

The morbid tragedy that ensued is a curious study in “crowd mentality”,

first put forth by French social psychologists Gabriel Tarde and Gus-

tave le Bon. It is an observation that could have benefited many prior to the financial crash of 2008, a recent parable that demonizes reckless

collective behavior akin to that of the stampede. It manifests itself as the

leitmotif of 21st century living, where communities gather in pockets of

interests and powerful resources like Youtube and Google rely on user-

generated content that builds upon the wisdom of the masses.

Like a mirror to society, fashion always seems to reflect this phenomenon

most vividly. In 1899 Thorstein Veblen detailed in Theory of the Leisure

Class that the trickle down effect of fashion styles hinge on this very sociological behaviour. But even in today’s post democratization of fashion, journalist and author Teri Agins still attributes the source of fashion to

the power of the masses.

In this issue, we go back to etymological origins of ‘Herd Mentality’,

where the black and white motif of cattle becomes an unlikely source for

our visual direction. It seems to suggest the binaries of collective thinking, of seeing the world in black and white, like a referendum, like the

matrices of a computer program or the undulating currents of market

trends. Black and white echo this uniformity and rigidity of urban life

and helps us understand modern day design as a series of two opposites.

In that vein, we are honoured to feature artists like Ai Weiwei and Adel

Abdessemed who are unafraid to separate themselves from the herd. The

Cattle Issue is a chance to celebrate outliers, whose work defy modern day gentrification and restore legitimacy to the individual.

Nabil Aliffi

N O V E LT I E S Want precedes need in thi s shor tli st inspired by S ei Shonagon's "Thing s that Q uicken the Hear t" featur ing the Spr ing/Summer 2014 C ollec tions

02 03

04 05

06 07 08

DKNY X OPENING CEREMONY bag MARC BY MARC JACOBS iphone case DANIEL ARSHAM X STAMPD jumper KITMEN KEUNG watch LE GR AMME bracelet (from Mr Por ter) SCORE + SOLDER terranium CAT PEOPLE book VALEX TR A handbag (from Net a Por ter) BYREDO per fume

PUMA X MCQUEEN sneakers

L ANVIN bag

CHANEL necklace

13 15

16 17 18

CHARLOT TE OLYMPIA clutch (from On Pedder) GIVENCHY necklace PROENZA SCHOULER clutch PR ADA heels 3 .1 PHILIP LIM handbag VISVIM jacket

CELINE S/S 2014 O ur favour ite look s f rom the S/S 2014 C ollec tion

PRADA S/S 2014

TEXT KERRY T.

Art appreciates, and it won’t be surprising if a Prada SS14 mural dress is inaugurated into the Musuem of Modern Art or auctioned off at Christie’s in a decade or two. This season, Miuccia’s reinterpretation of political art through fashion infiltrated stores worldwide like an infectious ideology. Reminding us of her background (Ph.D in Political Science, Communist and Women’s Rights activitst in the seventies), Miuccia recruited muralist Via Fogazzaro to create works of power, feminism, and multiplicity to incorporate into her fashion and show.

BURBERRY'S BRIT RHYTHM

Ne w women’s f rag rance s ets brand off to a ne w beat post Angela Ahrendts TEXT NABIL A.

Two days after the huge announcement that former Chief Ex-

the first global fashion brand to appoint its Chief Creative Of-

successful tenure at Burberry, the international press was called

celebrate the launch of Burberry Brit Rhythm for Women could

ecutive Officer (CEO) Angela Ahrendts was ending her wildly

in to Horseferry House almost as if to receive a good explanation. Ahrendts’ departure from the brand came as nothing short of a surprise, given Burberry’s stellar performance in recent years, especially in dominating the sphere of digitalised fashion.

ficer as its CEO. This little gathering at Horseferry House to

not have been better timed – a symbolic gesture by the brand

to forge forward to the rhythm of its confident beats under the

stewardship of the man who has become his own brand, Christopher Bailey.

With many new initiatives such as the runway made-to-order

The introduction of Burberry Brit Rhythm as the fifth pillar of

the models walk down the catwalk, and the introduction of

ty – seals the influence of music on the British house. “In the

service, where customers can purchase merchandise online as its first stand alone beauty store in Covent Garden, Ahrendts seemed to have left the company in a much more envied posi-

tion than when she had found it. It has managed to shave off its once “chavy” reputation and muster up its share prices. Now it bears enough conviction in its seamless infrastructure to be

the brand – following fashion, accessories, timepiece and beausame way we talk about the men’s fragrance in September (2013)

Brit Rhythm Women is inspired by the energy and adrenaline

of music – music is a huge part of our DNA”, says Bailey. “It is the reason why we wanted to capture music as a fragrance. We

talk about fashion having huge emotional value – that’s exactly

Burberry Brit Rythmn: White Lies Concert in Singapore (on left) Suki Waterhouse for Burberry Brit Rythmn Women

what music does. That feeling when you listen to something

and the hairs at the back of your neck stand up. That’s the spirit that we want to capture”.

Truth be told, Bailey who also founded Burberry Acoustic, a “launch pad for emerging British artistes”, takes his music very

seriously. He invited the press to trade their mighty pens for dancing shoes instead to experience the spirit of Brit Rhythm

first hand in a closed door concert by English post-punk band, White Lies at London’s iconic Velvet Underground. As much as the evening was a stage for the musical talent, it was also a

Than Us”. Strobe lighting, ambient smoke, the smell of leather mixed with the top notes of English lavender, pink peppercorn and Neroli together with the sheer adrenaline of live music felt like a scene from the campaign – a moment suspended in time rich with sensual energy and exhilarating vibes. The intensity was as palpable as the chemistry between George Barnett and Suki Waterhouse in the campaign video. Judging from the scenes of fellow journalists and friends of Burberry bobbing to the down beats at the gig, the powers that

showcase of Burberry’s tightly orchestrated branding. The lab-

be seem in tandem with the exciting prospects that lie in store

ing press conference culminated in a euphoric display at night.

music as medium to communicate evocative storytelling and

showered the audience during the high-octane finale of “Bigger

company. And as they say, the proof is in the juice.

yrinth-like logistics of flying the world’s press in for the morn-

for the brand. Bailey’s strong creative vision and clever use of

Brit Rhythm Women-scented confetti shaped like the bottle

lasting iconography have earned him the top position in the

EDITOR SHORTLIST A quar terly round up of g reat ess ential s f rom the Spr ing/Summer 2014 C ollec tions by the Editors

M EN â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

wo M EN ’s

MEN ' S

WOMEN ' S

02 03

04 05

06 07 08

SAINT L AURENT jacket MR P ORTER book SAINT L AURENT backpack COMME DES GARCONS per fume BURBERRY shir t BUSCEMI laptop case CHRISTOPHER K ANE shor ts ACNE shoes AESOP grooming kit

02 03

ACNE dress STELL A MCCARTNEY clutch ISSEY MIYAKE handbag

NARS primer

COS skir t

07 08

BALMAIN hair spray ALEX ANDER WANG slip ons FENDI handbag TOPSHOP nail polish

BAUMEISTER: I nnovation in our T ime

Re v ie w ing one of recent fa shion’s most e x pe r ime ntal collec tion s “In a world that tends toward ever-newer technological methods to create threedimensional objects, imagining alternatives to traditional garment construction becomes more than a simple inquiry into established ideas of clothing. It opens up new possibilities to think and make fashion.” - Melitta Baumeister

TEXT

P h oto g rap h y

KERRY T.

Paul Jung

Creating a tactile experience from a visual perspective, new-

itself a philosophical statement: the mould, ‘with its capa-

in her graduation collection at Parsons – The New School of

metaphor for the repetitiveness of the fashion industry it-

comer Melitta Baumeister displayed a whiter shade of pale

Design, where she attained her MFA in Fashion Design and Society. As a German designer based in New York, Baumeis-

ter’s aesthetic encapsulates Aryan, avant garde and minimal-

bility for endless repetition’, in her collection ‘becomes a self’. Ironic, perhaps, that such a statement should arise out of a collection as innovative as this one.

istic elements – evidence of her cultural roots growing into

It is noteworthy that Bauimeister uses her philosophy of

recently showcased at the New York Fashion Week, focused

speculate, that her main inquiry for this collection is “can

urban territories. Her ‘Graduation Collection’, which was on sculpted shapes, futuristic material and stark whiteness.

Baumeister’s innovation is essentially technical. Her col-

lection is remarkable in its unprecedented manipulation

design to answer questions she sets up for herself. We can creativity still be born in the recurring nature of the world

today?” Indeed, it is the inquisitive nature of her mind that allows her designs to answer in the affirmative.

of material – quite revolutionarily, Baumeister’s clothes

As a creature of the 21st century, Baumeister examines the

is individually cast in a single continuous layer of silicone.

styles through her works. The collection mimicks this grow-

are not conventionally cut from cloth: instead, each piece Consequently, an extreme degree of structure inheres each Baumeister piece – as much structure, in fact, as is possible

to incorporate into material, without actually impeding

pervasiveness of the Internet and social media on our lifeing virtual presence through futurisism and a heightened sense of hyper reality.

physical motion.

In the final analysis, therefore, it is Baumeister herself who

Hence it is only natural that Baumeister should cite sculp-

toned graduation collection, through its focus on sculpted

ture as one of her main influences. Indeed, her production

methods more closely resemble the techniques of lost wax casting used in fine art than they do of those in fashion. Baumeister claims that this use of the silicon mould is in

gives the lie to her own theme. Her minimalist, almost single silhouettes and futuristic material, has brought to our attention an aspect of clothing that has evaded the human

eye: tactility. With this, Baumeister has demonstrated the human capacity for innovation.

MASCULINE ROMANTICISM Si xL ee Spr ing / Summe r 2014

TEXT

COLLAGE

JUSTIN S.

E R N E S T O A rtillo

The promise of new love – set against the pain of that self-

same love’s possible end. This conflict is the basic premise

of Six Lee’s Spring/Summer 2014 collection, a result of the eponymous Hong Kong-born designer Six Lee’s collaboration with Spanish artist Ernesto Artillo.

Blue is this collection’s dominant hue. An unusual choice,

perhaps, since the collection is essentially about love, with which pinks and reds are more usually associated – but for Lee blue ‘represents a sophisticated heart’, and is further-

more ‘the deepest emotion within’. Metallics and whites

feature alongside the predominating blues to present a distinctively masculine interpretation of romantic love.

Strength and defense are required to protect oneself from the pain of a relationship’s end, and Six Lee makes this clear in his choice of material: almost every piece in the collection

is completely waterproof, whether made out of coated wool, cotton, or polyurethane finished fabric.

Yet, Six Lee’s collection also acknowledges that foolproof

To cast our gaze backwards, at both individuals’ histories: Six Lee, founder and chief designer for the brand “SixLee”, was the first Chinese to graduate from The Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, Belgium. Six Lee’s collections are motivated by the desire to break away from the stagnation that has dominated much of the recent Hong Kong fashion scene; his interest is in the quirky and distinctive aesthetic of Japan, the very style that sparked his interest in becoming a designer in the first place. Ernesto Artillo, on the other hand, is distinctive for his use of entirely collaged, surrealistic images that reposition modern day idols – usually models – onto classical backdrops. His inspirations are diverse, and aptly form a sort of collage in themselves: Artillo has cited as influences modern, 20th century artists such as Picasso, as well as more traditional elements from Spanish culture and folklore, such as the flamenco. In Raf Simon’s AW12 collection for Christian Dior, Ernesto interspersed images of his mother during her youth

protection is often impossible. The scattered petal prints on

with present-day on-set shots, to striking effect.

only infuse the collection with a hint of femininity, but also

Lee and Artillo’s collaboration has produced a collection

and hence vulnerable to the pain of heartbreak.

most masculine; this is also a collection that firmly estab-

Lee’s three-quarter trouser pants and sleeveless shirts not draw attention to the models’ bodies that are still exposed –

that overturns conventions to display romanticism at its lishes SixLee as one of Asia’s finest fashion houses.

OPEN HOUSE An annual showca s e of the yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s f inest store desig n s

As spatial design becomes increasingly popular, almost antidotal to the urbane, the ever-changing architecture of storefronts makes for an interesting scene. These spaces exhibit different styles of modernity, some choosing to pursue it through futuristic, Scandinavian designs, others updating traditional spaces. In this issue of Vulture, we bring you the most ingenious interior space in some of the most unique global storefronts.

TEXT JEK JIN W.

S A I N T L A U R E N T , BE I JI N G

Adorned with contrasting black and white elements, Saint Laurentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new store at Shin

Kong Place invokes a sense of chic minimalism, distinctive of the French fashion brand. Designed by the brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s creative lead Hedi Slimane, the concept boutique employs a blend of mirrors, marble and glass to achieve an angular symmetry in the space. Above all, the neat

rows of steel and monochrome reflect minimalism at its best. It is simply mesmerizing in its spacelessness and its artful illusion through the use of mirrors.

PA U L S MI T H, L O N D O N

In a blend of local architectural tradition and the modernity of Paul Smith’s aesthetic, the

exterior features a bespoke, cast iron panelled façade and balustrade set against distinctive black, quietly presenting Smith’s own hand-drawings. Designed by 6A Architects, the

interior is divided into three sections, consistently presenting a composition of sculptures,

paintings and furniture throughout. The furniture section features a splash of yellow on clean modern walls, complemented by limestone floors that age beautifully over time. The fashion section features a mix of end-grain wood and marble, utilizing various color

schemes. Notably, the women’s shoes section features an installation of 30,000 dominoes, with cobalt stairs and a bright green suspended walkway, elements that contribute to the vibrancy that is Paul Smith.

ME L I N D A G L O S S , PA R I S

Located in the 6th arrondisement in Paris, the new Melinda Gloss flagship store on Rue Ma-

dame, presents a savoir faire in sync with that of the creative class. A collaboration between

the founders and architecture firm Ciguë, the store’s interior is an eclectic mix of concrete, aluminium, galvanised steel, sycamore, hard oak and leather. One cannot miss the mini-

malist visual merchandising, and the contrast between raw concrete ceilings and polished

oaken floors. The integrated atmosphere speaks volumes of the collection’s aim of achieving ‘perfection through simplicity’.

D A G MA R , S TO C KHO L M

Consistent with the origins of Swedish fashion brand Dagmar, Guise has invented a hybrid

spatial language between Swedish design and Art Deco. Presented in a clean, almost futuristic palette of white with a hint of black steel and the occasional copper, triangular shapes dominate the walls and furniture of the store. These shapes, which are featured heavily in

the furniture, instill an immaculate order â&#x20AC;&#x201C; everything falls simply in place, be it on the rack or in line. The geometric modules and tables further exude striking character coupled with multi-functionality, characteristic of Dagmar.

KR I S VA N A S S C HE , PA R I S

Grounded in a modern sense of ‘sharp brutality’, French architects Ciguë present a cleancut layout for KRISSVANASSCHE’s Parisian boutique. Sharp contrasts set by an expanse

of steel, oak and rubber dominate the interior. Abrupt angles, a monochromatic palette,

and the use of mirrors present the feeling of a spacious and carefully curated gallery, invoking what is described as ‘luxurious industrial’ by the designers. The composition of furniture and pieces suggest that movement is temporarily suspended; mirrors distort and expand any sense of space as we enter the world of KRISVANASSCHE.

AC N E ST U D I O S , PE L HA M S T R E E T, L O N D O N

Infused with an undercurrent of Scandinavian minimalism by Acne’s creative director Jonny Johansson, the 2,289 sq ft store is a modern and functional interpretation of an artist’s studio.

The industrial aesthetic of raw, perforated aluminium walls is set in stark contrast against the tasteful display of terrazzo and rug floors. It induces a raw yet luxurious feel, balancing the rough facade with soft and subtle undertones. The store’s interior strikes a cord with the indi-

vidual’s inner rebel, with strip florescent lighting and raw steel railings hinting at irreverence.

ST U A R T W E I Z T MA N , MI L A N

In a bid to inspire playfulness and curiosity, the new Stuart Weitzman store by Zaha Hadid

in Milan presents an enchanting dialogue between geometry and materiality, integrating

functionality and ergonomics. Dipped in a palette of subtle monochromatic shades, curved modular seating is constructed from rose gold fiberglass. A division is created between cus-

tomer and collection, enhancing the induced experience of discovery. This delicate equilib-

rium is strengthened, by the glass-inlaid concrete walls, a precarious balance of solidity and precision characteristic of architect Zaha Hadidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s signature curved forms.

AE SO P , C O V E N T G A R D E N , L O N D O N

Another spacious and intelligent use of interior space designed by French firm Ciguë, Medi-

terranean architecture makes its mark on the smooth white walls of Aesop’s Convent Gar-

den Store. The curved alabaster plasterwork, coupled with smooth chamfered edges, evoke the soft and classic tones of Greek or Spanish architecture. The composition of plaster,

lime, brass, concrete tiles and hardwood balances modernity with class, expressed in the ex-

posed copper plumbing and lush green flooring – an homage to the area’s Italianate piazza.

Photo Courtesy Takumi Ota

T HO M BR O W N E , T O KY O

Perfectly reflecting the aesthetic of Thom Browne, the contrast between a cold, narrow

exterior and the spacious, welcoming interior drives home an impressive image. Masamichi Katayama together with his firm Wonderwall flawlessly translate the creative and vision of

the American brand into space through his use of grey and cream contrasts, occasionally injecting hints of yellow. The use of deep oak and steel furniture creates a comfortable environment, while maintaining an air of avant garde sophistication.

TOWARDS A NEW A G R I C U LT U R E In a city where the re i s no more room to g row, how w ill we feed our f uture ?

TEXT QIANROU T.

"Vertical Farm Stacks" Rem Koolhaas, Delirious New York

It was on the brink of the 19th century when we first saw it;

into city centers, away from their homesteads and farms,

lation of the power of man. They called it a skyscraper, for it

but up.

first built it. A construction of altitude, the physical articusoared beyond our vision, rising higher and higher with each iteration. It seemed to graze the edge of the sky, never quite touching it no matter how hard we tried.

Rem Koolhaas called it the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;utopian deviceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, a generator for

potential sites in dense and tired city centers. The implica-

tion was clear: if skyscrapers were the vertical limit, then everything below the peak was fair game. The obsession was

understandable: having scattered ourselves across the map, the only way left was up.

This compulsive colonization, coupled with the onset of

the industrialization of the 18th century has left us with a conundrum. A blind pursuit of capitalism lured the masses

and we grew so packed that there was nowhere else to build

Coupled with the subsequent stagnation of agrarian practices, the continued growth of cities was, and is essentially

leading us into a projected food shortage. Skyscrapers may embody our technological accomplishments, but it is be-

coming increasingly apparent that they are also monuments to our folly.

It was energy and climate change that first made us aware of the need for sustainable practices in the late 20th century. Vehicular transport required too much gas. Building

construction left staggering pollution and energy costs. And as skies turned grey and days grew hotter, a call to action became irrefutable.

Rice Field at the Main Entrance Lobby of Pasona Urban Farm Project by Kono Designs Photographed by Lucia Vignelli

Predictably and necessarily, architecture has latched onto

stacked upon themselves endlessly. The idea is to pack our

artificial wetlands have become theoretical battlegrounds

ple for over a century. The benefits, proponents argue, are

sustainability. Zero-energy buildings, passive houses and for the ecologically concerned. Inevitably, as sustainability establishes itself in mass consciousness, they have also be-

come breeding grounds for mercenary projects. Too many buildings hide their staggering energy consumption beneath a green, gardened veneer.

The concern over edible produce has only figured into the

agriculture in the same fashion as we have done our peo-

twofold. The physical proximity of these farms to the ur-

ban populace would both eliminate the carbon footprint produce transportation generates, and serve as an educa-

tion process. More importantly, Koolhaasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; s assertion still

applies. Without wasting large patches of valuable land, we could, quite literally, pull farms out of the air.

sustainable debate in the last decade. While architect Ken

Perhaps, part of the reason why many architectural offic-

spaces in the early 90s, it was Dr. Dickson Despomierre that

farming is that the concept is highly problematic. The infra-

Yeang spoke of incorporating agriculture into building

gave the idea a form. He called his theoretical construct the vertical farm. It soared towards the sky.

It is not hard to visualize: rows of lettuce, tomatoes and other produced packed into land of a pre-determined size,

es are, as of yet, hesitant to commit to the idea of vertical structure required to irrigate 60 meters of farm, or even to

provide them with earthly platforms is expensive and pol-

lutive. These isolated green towers fail to integrate with the existing urban fabric of cities. The energy consumption of building and sustaining megastructures are impractical.

Most importantly, from a conceptual point of view, the sup-

double duty as both visual attraction and thermal barrier.

enough to appease a fraction of our current demand. While

HQ’s microfarm is a highly technological experiment in ur-

ply generated from a single vertical farm would be nowhere the intent is understandable and perhaps even admirable, as long as we fixate on the idea of a ‘vertical farm’, which is

at its core a skyscraper incorporating greenery, we submit ourselves to the hubris of man and architecture.

Another solution to the problem exists: urban farming. Of-

ten community-initiated and almost guerilla in nature, these

farms spring up in small patches. They reject formalization, choosing instead to inhabit rooftops and empty lots. Their

caretakers place the utmost importance on sustainable practice, transforming these plots into low energy consumers.

Rather than a wistful nostalgia for natural living, Pasona ban farming. Intelligent control systems establish a climate suitable for both agriculture and human living, creating an ecosystem between the produce and the employees.

Beyond immediate aesthetic and environmental benefits,

Pasona HQ also plays a role in ecological education. Seminars and internships not just in the methodology but also management and financial aspects of urban farming are held

on the grounds. In a country where farming is not viable due to scarce arable land, Kono Designs has provided a feasible solution which is not merely symptomatic but generative.

Unable to comprehend, architecture has, in the subsequent

Across the Pacific, New York bears witness to a steady in-

farming into built space. This often ends up in tragedy,

deserted land, sustaining local restaurants and communi-

existential crisis, attempted to absorb the idea of urban with the agriculture either flaunted as decoration or as an

afterthought, stitched on to some building in spectacular, Frankenstein-esque fashion.

The true brilliance of urban farming is that it occurs in ex-

crease in urban farming. Rows of crops cover rooftops and ties. This movement is born not of the same architectural

capitalism which engenders our current built landscape, but

a revolution in ecological thought affecting a collective social consciousness.

isting spaces. Architecture, ironically, often fails to realize

As long as technology burgeons, there will be no end to the

grammatic voids; farming and other functions can occur in

particularly in an urban context, is entangled in a confusion

that these existing spaces don’t necessarily have to be prothe same physical space.

Located in downtown Tokyo, Pasona HQ by Kono Designs is an astounding example of architected urban farming.

Vines creep suspended over conference tables, fruit trees take the place of folding screens and beans fatten quietly un-

der various benches and chairs. The produce, often cared for and harvested by employees, is served in the office cafeteria. A dynamic green wall composed of seasonal flowers pulls

sustainable issue. Generating congruent arable landscapes, of political, social and architectural agendas. Perhaps a step forward would be to detach ourselves from our instinct to

build and create, instead, returning our built environment to nature, one rooftop at a time.

JE SUIS INNOCENT Adel Abdess emed v indicates the common man through declaration s of innoce nce

TEXT J O S HU A O .

PI E R L U I G I TA Z Z I : A WO R K LI KE Y O U R S I S AN AR T O F STR U GGLE I N THE PO L I TI C A L S E N S E O F TH E TER M . AN D STR U GGLE, CO N FLI CT, I S I N THE W O R K I TS E LF, WH I CH I S N O LO N GER A FO R M O F I LLU STR ATI O N O R C O M ME NTAR Y O N TH I S STR U GGLE. N O TH I N G TO D O W I TH P R O PA G A N D A . ” A D E L A B D E S S E ME D : TH E STR U GGLE ALR EADY EXI STS. AN D WE HAV E TO C O N TI N U E WAGI N G I T. TH E M EAN S O F STR U GGLE AR E F I N A L LY A L L TH E S A ME TO M E.”

Décor, 2011-2012 Razor wire. Four elements, dimensions vary. Courtesy the artist and David Zwirner, New York/London © Adel Abdessemed, ADAGP Paris 2012

changes that swept through

(Excerpt from Adel Abdessemed:

Conversation

his homeland in the early 80s

with

and 90s. His confrontational

Pier Luigi Tazzi; published by

approach can be attributed to

Actes Sud, September 2012)

the civil unrest and rampant

Adel Abdessemed’s exhibi-

religious fanaticism he wit-

tion at the Musée National

nessed growing up. "I spent

d’Art Moderne in 2012, ‘Je

my entire youth in terror and

Suis Innocent’ or ‘I Am In-

nocent’, attempts to establish itself as a voice for those who

struggle to have their pleas of injustice heard. A series of

aptly abrasive and impactful

violence. Even if it isn't conJe suis innocent, 2012 Courtesy the artist and David Zwirner, New York/London © Adel Abdessemed, ADAGP Paris 2012 Photograph by Gérard Rondeau

visuals draw attention to the

scious, it's there." This influence comes through in Abdes-

semed's work, unabashed and forceful in the presentation

of its often uncomfortable themes and contents. Abdesse-

silent cries and protests of the

med has been on the receiving

innocent.

end of numerous death threats

for his 2008 media exhibition,

The titular image, 'Je Suis In-

'Don't Trust Me', where six

nocent' (2012), depicts the artist on a sidewalk, set aflame. The

video loops of animals being slaughtered for consumption were

self-immolation. By putting his own life at stake, Abdessemed

opening at the San Francisco Art Institute due to certain secu-

shown. The exhibit was cancelled five days before its scheduled

immediate connection is to highly publicized protests through

rity concerns.

emphasizes a limitlessness in his creative process; if need be, he will struggle, and he will fight. He may even be willing to die.

In a way, Abdessemed is setting himself up as martyr, which is etymologically connotative of the term 'witness'. Known for

Typical of Abdessemed as well are the titles of his pieces, often

creating situations that he describes as 'acts', his documentation

directly referencing the image he presents to the audience. In

process is more suggestive of testimony and declaration than

'Hope' (2011-2012), Abdessemed fills a found motorboat with

pure concept. These testimonies feed back into his work, where

resin replicas of bloated garbage bags. The piece can be read as

graphical reminders of the 'act' are juxtaposed against sculptural

a discourse on the illegal immigrant, and the uncertainty of the

representations, exposing his states of mind during each situa-

American dream. In the same vein, the documentation of his

tion.

self-immolation summarizes and comments on the motivation behind 'Je Suis Innocent'.

Often, Abdessemed draws from imagery and sources that are

familiar to many. Yet, in the employment of these common mo-

Born in 1971, Constantine, Algeria, and of Berber origin, Ab-

tifs, he often subverts or overthrows them through his repre-

dessemed experienced first hand the huge political and cultural

The centrepiece of the show, ‘L’âge d’or' (2013) is a gold-plated

sentation. The contrast between the conscious representation

and subconscious connotations leaves behind a sort of duality

brass bas-relief, a depiction of Abdessemed's four daughters at

in Abdessemed's work.

play. The titular piece translates to 'The Golden Age', a reference to the materials used in the artwork. Abdessemed associ-

In ‘Décor' (2011-2012), the emaciated figure of Christ, as seen

ates the material value of gold with a portrait of his children,

in Matthias Grünewald's Isenheim Altarpiece is rendered in

with all their vigour and innocence, implying a contentment

razor wire. The soft sheen of the wire and an overall symmetrical composition make for a highly and deliberately decorative

absent from his previous work. Whether this signals a more

darker underbelly to the human condition, despite the air of

now the suggestion lingers.

mellow turn in Abdessemend's work remains to be seen, but for

piece. However, the deathly sharp edges of the wire hints at a serenity which often imbues the motif of Christ.

It is easy to see why Abdessemed's work incites such a strong

Abdessemed's most recent show, ‘L’âge d’Or’ at the Mathaf:

reaction. It is a spectacle: part theatre and part sculpture. The

Arab Museum of Modern Art displays an intriguing shift in

forming of each piece is akin to a silent protest, eye-catching

his artistic discourse. The exhibition showcases a growing op-

and uncomfortable all at the same time. Perhaps it is this aspect

timism absent in his previous work. For both Abdessemed and

of intrigue, coupled with familiar, relatable images which in-

the museum to present such provocative work in what is essen-

vokes such a cerebral reaction; and for Abdessemed, the more

tially a largely conservative part of the world is also in itself a

volatile the reaction, the better.

new development.

Detail of Décor, 2011-2012 Razor wire. Four elements, dimensions vary. Courtesy the artist and David Zwirner, New York/London © Adel Abdessemed, ADAGP Paris 2012

DANIEL ARSHAM

An ex clu sive conve rs ation w ith conte mporar y Ame r ican mi x ed media ar ti st D aniel Arsham

When Daniel Arsham was a child, his house was destroyed by a hurricane. This life event seems to have been seminal for the multidisciplinary, New York-based Arsham, whose work recurrently explores notions of decrepitude and destruction. Arsham's sculptures look like 20th-century archaeological excavations uncovered far in the future: "I'm taking the past and jumping over the present into the future," Arsham says. "You don't quite know where you are in time." In this exclusive interview, Vulture speaks to Arsham about the conceptual and psychological underpinnings of his multidisciplinary work in sculpture, architecture, and dance to better understand his unique artistic output.

INTERVIEW

TEXT

IMAGE COURTESY

SHAWN C.

SARA N.

GALERIE PERrOTIN

“Crystal Eroded Movie Camera” 2013 Crystal, shattered glass, hydrostone (38,5 x 75 x 21,5 cm) #FUTUREARCHIVE at Gallerie Perrotin

You recently premiered your Future Relic series at Art Ba-

way. I’ve always had a particular fascination with the future

sel. The title is a peculiar oxymoron that juxtaposes the

and in some way the potential that can exist in the future.

tension in time. What is your relationship with time and what are your thoughts on the future? How do you relate to the ‘now’? Time for me is something that in many ways comes out of my works, the paintings that I do. For many years I made

paintings that in some ways floated in time. The subject

matter often depicts architectural constructions in picturesque natural landscapes. The architecture within these

landscapes was often sort of purposeless, or kind of functionally undefined. Meaning, you would look at it and not

How did you decide on your choice of ‘relics’? Do you have a private relic of your own? I spend hours and hours trolling Ebay, looking for these things from the past and I’ve often said that Ebay is the contemporary library of Alexandria. Every single thing of human existence can be found on Ebay, it’s this treasure trove of material from the past.

necessarily know what the architecture was for, although

You categorize your works into “dimensions” as you move

placing figures in these paintings because I felt that it would

into the realm of film, and what new dimensions has film

were wearing or how their hair was cut. So removing figures

and painting?

you could tell that it was manmade. And I always resisted

through different media. What prompted you to move

link the image to a specific time period based on what people

opened for you compared to dance, architecture, sculpture

from these works allowed the pieces to float in time in some

“The Eyes” 2010 Gouache on mylar, frame 233,3 x 178 x 5 cm / 7.7 feet x 70 inches x 2 inches

Much of the work I’ve done over the past few years involves

of know, that use everyday, and projecting them into the

them in materials like volcanic ash and crystal to project

tecture, cameras, telephones, bottles, computers, all of these

this notions of taking objects from the past and reforming them into the future, as if they have been uncovered on your archaeological site in 1000 or 10,000 years. II often wonder,

future. Everything that’s ever been made or created: archithings they will never go away.

when people view these works, what kind of world they are

Nothing that’s been made disappears. These things exist

can sort of create a narrative around that.

don’t think that this is necessarily a way, or has any relation-

imagining. It occurred to me that I can control that vision, I

The Future Relic film series is really about creating a story,

forever and in some way I’m using that idea in the works. I ship with my experience with the storm.

a future around this piece. Obviously I’ve worked in many

How do ruins inspire you?

the same to me in the end. They are executing a particular

I’ve always had a particular fascination with ruins. I visited

me, it’s often about finding the right collaborators to work

and the Moai statues. This kind of archeological notion of

different disciplines and in some ways they kind of all feel idea or vision within a certain set of tools or mediums. For with on projects like these, other designers, musicians, fashion designers that can help me execute the costuming.

The world you invoke in your film seems to be a postapocalyptic one. It is haunted by the spectral aftermaths of disasters. I understand that your experience of Hurricane Andrew had a huge impact on your work. Was this series a

Chichen Itza and Angkor Wat, the ruins in Easter Islands looking at the past and generating a story. Archeologists

are tasked with pulling things from the past and creating

a story so sometimes when I’m making these Future Relic films – when I’m writing the script – I’m trying to forget

everything that I know about now. I try to look at one of these objects and pretend like I’ve never seen it before, as an

archaeologist would and see what story I can generate, what

way of exorcising ghosts of your own?

world this object comes from, how is it used etc.

I don’t necessarily see it as a post-apocalyptic piece. Some-

Many of your works dwell in the realm of the uncanny, in

thing has occurred in the future; if you were a Native American living in New York, Manhattan Island 1000 years

ago and you envisioned yourself standing in the middle of Times Square, in the future, what would you feel? It’s a completely different universe that I’m trying to create, that

is in some ways a fiction, but also taking things that we sort

the specific commingling of the familiar with the unfamiliar, whether it is making the ‘present’ uncanny with future relics or through the juxtaposition of materials with your ‘fabric walls’. What are you hoping to achieve through your deployment of the uncanny?

I think that the uncanny does play a large part in what I’m creating, not necessarily intentionally. Anytime you disrupt

the everyday, anytime you take things that people have a fa-

miliarity with and shift them not drastically but very subtly, this is when you can provoke a feeling, a reaction, an im-

is in many ways very ephemeral. Architecture often lasts a very long time.

How has your work with dance inflected your understanding of architecture? Might architecture be more ephemeral

pression in an audience. My work is not about prescribing

than dance?

potential scenarios in which a viewer can project themselves.

Dance is probably the most ephemeral art. This is some-

What is most uncanny to you now?

when I worked with him – about the sort of sensation that

a certain idea or vision, it’s about generating possibilities or

Even these future relic objects and many of the other creations that I am engaged in have an uncanny quality. Taking a basketball and re-forming it in volcanic ash as if there had been some scenario in which this thing had been compressed and sort of re-formed – when I think about the ruins of Pompeii, these figures that were calcified and turned into ash in a second – in some ways I’m generating a story out

of these objects, and sometimes that story can certainly pro-

thing that Merce Cunningham often talked to me about dance is an idea. It’s encapsulated in the moment of the performance, but it doesn’t ever exist. You can’t say that dance

is a thing. In some ways it’s quite similar to music. Although

music can be recorded and played back, it’s a simulacrum

of the experience of live musicians playing – but dance is something that really doesn’t exist, except in the moment that you’re viewing it.

Do you have any daily rituals? What do you do when you

voke strange feelings.

want to escape from your work?

Why the obsession with architecture and babies?

I’m in the studio every day, and my work is my practice is

I think this question (about an obsession with architecture and babies) comes from a quote that I was quoted in once,

my life – everything is bound up together.

What is the most decisive way in which chance has played

where I said that the two most important things – gestures –

a role in your work and process?

babies, and what I mean by that, is that our children, our

I think it’s often the opportunities that I come across in my

The world that we create is their world, their future; archi-

potential projects, opportunities, this is really where chance

we can make as humans are making architecture and making

future, and the way they carry and inhabit it (is important.) tecture for me is the most permanent, lasting gesture that I see we can make. Art, any other sort of cultural expression

world and what – who I meet and how I’m presented with comes into play.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sideways Clockâ&#x20AC;?, 2012 Clock, fiberglass, paint, joint compound 137 x 196 x 14 cm /54 inches x 6.5 feet x 5 1/2 inches Photo : Guillaume Ziccarelli

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wrapped Figureâ&#x20AC;? 2012 Fiberglass, paint, joint compound, mannequin, fabric and shoe 200 x 250 x 38 cm / 6.6 feet x 8.2 feet x 15 inches Courtesy Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, London

“Steel Eroded Radio” 2013 #TOMORROWSPAST

You have become a very prolific artist at a relatively youth-

you like to remind yourself a decade from now, to your 43

ful age. What failures have you encountered while embark-

year old self ?

ing on this journey? Plenty of failures, the vast majority of them occurring in the studio. And in some ways, all of my work is about failure

– the idea that nothing is really perfect or lasting. This is encapsulated in these objects from the future. There are breaks

in the material, things are eroding and decaying, nothing is permanent and lasting.

And I think in a more practical sense there’s a lot of trial

Certainly the Future Relic film series is a massive endeavor of mine. I’m very excited about it and its new avenues for

me. So when I’m creating paintings or sculpture or other things in the studio I’m also thinking about the props that

are also going to be used in the film. And I’m afforded a free license with these objects because in many ways these props

have to exist for a very short amount of time. They can be made differently. I can use materials like ice within the film.

and error in the types of work that I make because I’m ex-

I’m not a believer in fate. I believe in my own sort of will to

art-making – volcanic ash and crystal, and glacial rock dust.

tinue to do what I did.

perimenting with materials that are not typically used in

How are these things formed? A lot of these things are a process of experimentation, trying to find out how I can refine these things into objects that have potential for meaning.

Returning to the theme of future archives, what advice would you now give to your 23 year old self ? What would

do and make things happen. So I would tell myself to con-

I would probably tell (my future self) to remember to keep

time to paint. Painting is the most time-consuming of my

practice and really the only part of my practice that’s solitary. In all of the other aspects I often have other collaborators but painting is really at the core of my practice.

pan t s CE L I NE

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STUART CHEN

APRIL LEE

HAIR & MAKEUP

MODEL

R A U D H A R A I LY U S I N G

LAUREN T.

MAKE UP FOR EVER

(MANNEQUIN)

ALL CLOTHES I S S E Y M I YA K E S/S 2014

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MASAYUKI ICHINOSE

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VANITAS Finding beauty in an ephe me ral life

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PR EVIO US PA G E.

t op & sk i r t M AX . TAN THIS PA GE.

n e c k l ac e C H ANEL b i b M ARNI c oat CÉ LI NE b a s ke t C R ATE & BARREL rin g A L E X ANDER M C QU EEN fro m ON PED D ER

j ug, decanter C RATE & B A RRE L per fume S E RGE L UTE N S

Skulls posed on canvas next to rotting fruit, wilting spring bouquets rendered immortal. The vanitas embraces the ephemeral nature of all things, creating out of them a profound, eternal image. Decay, halted in its tracks, becomes a memento mori, a constant reminder of death. Delicate fabrics and glassware invoke the same sense of temporality, through fragility rather than the heaviness of morbid symbols. The beauty of the object conveys its temporal nature, forming the trajectory for a contemporary vanitas. If everything is fleeting, then beauty may become the means through which we can derive purpose in a ephemeral life. Inspired by the concept of Vanitas, the Aspidistrafly duo offers a preview of their upcoming album release where April Lee instills an unconventional spirit of the bucolic through these unexpected womenswear pairings in this shoot for Vulture.

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shoe s VA L ENT I NO f ro m O N PED D ER FA C ING PA G E.

t op, sk irt M AR NI s h o es C HANEL

FA CING PA GE.

v e st, br ac e le t & rin g C H A N E L to p 3. 1 P H IL L IP L IM fr uit bow l C RATE & B A RRE L T HIS PA GE.

ca n dle DIP TYQY E n eck la ce C E L IN E

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E lusive M ythmaker

An O de to Watanabe

In the words of T.S. Eliot, “Only the genuinely new can ever be truly traditional,” and perhaps it is this sentiment that Junya Watanabe tries to embody in his collections, time and again. The Japanese have always been adept at turning the normally reviled into brilliant, why-didn’t-I-think-of-that moments; since Rei Kawakubo’s first debut on the Parisian runways in the 1980s, Japanese fashion has been unequivocally tied to a deconstructionist aesthetic, of clothes that think instead of just are.

TEXT

ILLUSTRATION

LESLEY C.

CHRIS M.

everything that was old is made new again, but somehow still retaining a seamless sense of continuity: a masterful retelling of ancient stories revamped for a new generation of listeners.

For his Spring/Summer 2014 collection, Watanabe contin-

were undone by two inches of fringed fabric at the hems;

bo, presenting looks that seemed to be inspired by an alarm-

aforementioned boots. And lest anyone forget that he could

ued to follow in the footsteps of his ex-mentor Rei Kawaku-

ing disarray of sources. The Digeridoo-inspired soundtrack

(created specially for the show by Aphex Twin); the apparent D.I.Y. aesthetic of the ripped, tasselled shirt dresses;

hats perched askew on savagely tangled, dreadlocked braids;

and the pointed, studded python-skin boots—everything

that is old is made new again, somehow retaining a seamless sense of continuity: a masterful retelling of ancient stories revamped for a new generation of listeners.

loose, formless drapes juxtaposed the aggressiveness of the still cut a fine form, Watanabe also presented perfectly constructed, polished leather jackets. The distinct denim ele-

ment of Watanabe’s collections were still at hand, but liber-

ated from their usual forms. One look in particular played on the breezy white shirt and blue jeans combination: here,

the tee was draped, pleated, and turned inside out, the jeans pulled apart at the seams and worn back to front, like an apron, over a flowing black skirt.

The majority of looks were extravagantly tasselled, beaded,

The pheasant-feather headdresses and frenziedly tousled

collection suggesting tribal without the symptomatic ‘eth-

instance of Watanabe’s close working relationship with his

macraméd, shredded, and fringed, with the sepia tone of the nic’ prints. The primness of coats, jackets and long skirts

locks and braids of the SS14 collection were yet another longtime collaborator, milliner Katsuya Kamo, in whom

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Watanabe has found a creative soulmate. The duo first

ing. Straight out of Tokyo’s Bunka Fashion College, Wata-

and since then this dream pairing has irrevocably turned the

1984 where he honed the complex technical skills that he

started working together at Comme des Garçons in 1996, runways on their heads with collaborations that resemble bizarre, surrealistic dreams come to life.

An unassuming, diminuitive man, Kamo’s own simplic-

ity in his dress—plain t-shirt, loose-fitting pants, practical trainers, as worn to the recent unveiling of his 100 Head-

pieces exhibition in Tokyo—belie the immensely elaborate and detailed work that he crafts. Pass by this bald, bespec-

tacled man on the streets and you would never for a second

nabe started as a pattern cutter at Comme des Garçons in

would later apply to his own line. Junya Watanabe Comme

des Garçons debuted in 1992, with financial backing from Kawakubo, but with little creative help and interference

from his former mentor. That Watanabe never receives feed-

back from Kawakubo, as he told Vogue in 2006, has given him the space and freedom to grow as a notable designer in his own right, without the pressure of constantly being tied and likened to one of the most influential names in fashion.

imagine the skilled dexterity of his fingers or the fantastical

And while Kawakubo has told The New York Times in 1982

of the most distinguished designers and magazines of our

continues to reinvent the past, present and future. Much of

conjurings of his mind. And yet Kamo has worked for some

time, creating headpieces for Maison Martin Margiela, Cha-

nel, Undercover, Vogue, The New York Times, and Dazed & Confused.

The sheer diversity of materials that Kamo works with is astounding; from the usual feathers, flowers, and hair, to the use of broken mirror fragments, dangerously sharp

nails, screws, safety pins, spikes and studs, even delicately folded origami-like paper. This experimentation of medium and form and the pushing of the boundary between the real

and the incredible are echoed in Watanabe’s own work with his clothes—a vein that is evidently drawn from their time together under Kawakubo at Comme des Garçons.

Kawakubo’s influence is seen heavily in both Kamo’s and Watanabe’s work—the challenging of accepted notions and

standards of beauty; an innovativeness that still manages to

astound season after season; and an irreverence and disre-

gard for whatever that the rest of the fashion world is do-

that she wanted to “get away from the folkloric”, Watanabe

Watanabe himself is shrouded in mystery, and his interview

responses are often cryptic and impersonal, as if he can’t quite understand why anyone would be remotely interested

in him and his life. This leaves his intellectual and conceptual shows all the more open to individual interpretation, never providing any fixed plots, never settling on one final

ending or conclusion, and ultimately, allowing anyone to create their own stories.

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WOOL WORTHS All of haute coutureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on wool , along w ith Madonna , Julia Robe r ts , Top shop and the Pr ince hims elf. How did knits retur n to reclaim its stand a s a g iant among f ine tac tile tradition s ?

Alexander Wang for Woolmark phootgraphed by Annie Leibovitz

TEXT MELANIE C.

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Karl Lagerfeld& Yves Saint Laurent for Woolmark

About a decade ago, knitting was hailed as the “next big

great effect by the Olsen twins themselves on red carpets.

impetus. People laughed and shrugged off the lint. But by

womenswear, alluding to the material’s soft tactility and al-

thing”. Wool was gaining popularity, thanks to the hipster

2013, the old dame of fashion materials had swamped the fashion weeks of London, Milan, Paris and New York,

These have become coveted items in the high fashion of most human warmth.

making regular appearances from Chanel to Michael Kors. Haute couture was trotting out knitwear so finely manufac-

tured, it resembled silk. It cemented a trend that was already

Making a fashion reinstatement

happening in highstreet stores.

Leading a rediscovery in the love of suits, formalwear and

Wool’s comeback was most marked in the return of formal

steady rise in haberdasheries from John Lewis to Rowan.

menswear. However, recent statement pieces in womenswear include: Michael Kor’s wool coat in buffalo checks; a

fiery red coat by Comme des Garcons; biker jackets by Diane

von Furstenberg, and sleek classics by The Row, carried to

knitwear are luxury fashion houses. Yarn sales have kept a

Between 2011 and 2012, luxury Germany yarn brand Gedifra posted increases of 126 percent. Ralph Lauren, Burberry and Louis Vuitton have all taken to pushing the fabric in collections of tweeds and tartans. Karl Lagerfeld reinvented

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Deauville Chanel and Capel, 1913

Chanel’s famous love for tweed (or bouclé, referring to a

the woolly fibre (and perhaps a little more hardiness in the

and paint splashes.

nearly killed off wool, and along with it, the UK’s wool in-

Wool’s unique crimp makes the material easier to spin,

the luxury fabric was only lost, never quite gone.

Knitting remains a hugely complex skill that turns out or-

Unpick the knits and an awesome tale comes to light. Aim-

and incredible softness.

ings and everyday life, the global community of sheep farm-

A constant champion of locally-manufactured wool, Dame

rallied to champion the treasured fleece. China deserves a

signer, well over 30 years ago, I succeeded in re-introducing

it now accounts for more than half the world’s wool ex-

washing machine). At a tenth of the price, manmade fabrics

novelty yarn) in its 2014 S/S collection with leather, denim

dustry. But, with such enduring respect and love, it seemed

giving it a bulk and versatility superior to other materials.

ing to highlight the versatility of wool in fashion, furnish-

nate projects. The result is a sumptuous blend of structure

ers, retailers, designers, manufacturers and consumers have

Vivienne Westwood said, ““When I began as a fashion de-

nod—as the single largest market for knitwear and apparel,

into fashion the idea of fine knitwear, the English twinset.

ports, and almost three-quarters of Australian wool.

fortable.” Everyone was loving those styles such as the ‘over-

2012 marked a turning point: Chanel added another feather

to the catwalks.

mere mills, when it acquired Scottish Barrie Knitwear. (No

Yet, less than forty years ago, the appeal of wool has lack-

in 1924 with both the Duke of Westminster and his High-

seemed relegated to a fate of grandmas keeping the tradition

most important fabric show for the fashion industry - fea-

Everybody loves this fine knitwear, it’s so light, it’s so com-

to its artisanal cap. It saved one of Scotland’s oldest cash-

sized’, ‘the man look’, ‘English heritage’ and ‘vintage’ back

doubt this was also a homage to Coco; she had fallen in love

lustre as the sweaters off grandmas’s lap—wool actually

land tweeds.) That same year, the Première Vision - the

of knitting alive on their laps. The manufacturing boom

tured a knitwear section for the first time.

nylon enter the market, knocking over wool in the competi-

Subsequently, Dame Westwood created a luxury 12-piece

of the sixties saw manmade materials such as polyester and

collection made from the finest Australian merino wool for

tive market. But these had nothing more than price over

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CHANEL F/W 2011

Making of knitwear at the Barrie Factory

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Cruise 2012-13 © CHANEL 2012

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the Woolmark Company. This brings us to the institution

the Chairman of the IWS, Sir William Vines, decided a

tional fleece.

position. Monsieur Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent,

unique label was needed to guarantee a wool product’s com-

that has been instrumental in spinning new life into tradi-

then unknown adolescents, won in the coat and dress categories, respectively. E M P I R E O F WO O L

“I don’t think consumers in emerging markets want to buy

something that costs a fortune only to discover that it was

Part of this revival is the support of royals. Literally. Prince

made in China,” said Peter Ackroyd, president of the In-

Charles’ started the Campaign for Wool in 2010, backing the

ternational Wool Textile Organisation. After a decade of fe-

annual Wool Week in an attempt to reignite the world’s love

verish fast fashion, people wanted traditional quality again.

for Britain’s (and other major wool producers) most natu-

They were looking for something they could keep, and wool

ral, eco-friendly and durable yarn. Other initiatives include

was for life.

Wool School, where design students were challenged to create jumpers for some of Britain’s top fashion stores.

The appeal of wool remains ironic. Its normality is part of the anti-luxury statement of the mall clothes trend. Natu-

Why the extraordinary support? The British wool industry

ral, renewable, biodegradable and sustainable, wool hits all

is integral to the nation’s history and culture. There are a

the eco-credentials, and represents an innocuous antithesis

billion sheep in the world, and the UK has a third of them.

of a sometime uneasy relationship with the ephemerality of

The nation’s 90,000 wool producers churn out 40 million

fashion in current times.

kg of fleece a year among their 40 operational mills. Even

as clothing manufacturers were looking for cheaper alter-

Helpfully, wool has exploded across pop culture. Google

natives, Asian markets simply couldn’t reproduce anything

searches for “knitting for beginners” rose 250 percent in

near the quality.

2011. Wool counts Julia Roberts as among its devotees. “It’s

just great to make things," she says - "to have a pile of yarn

By the 15th centuries, English looms had quickly achieved an

and make it into something.” “Yarn bombing” by artists has

international reputation. England’s chief export propelled

created some of the most provocative urban art with this

the Industrial Revolution as spinning and weaving were

soft fabric. If you count popularity in adoption and trans-

mechanised. “Taking the piss”—a Brit institution of a slang

ferability, wool is well on its way to being understood, ap-

if there ever was one—was a throwback to Tudor times. In

preciated and properly valued.

its heyday, 13,000 gallons of “London urine” were exported to Whitby in the north for tweed production where the liq-

uid was used to soften the wool. Embarrassed of their urine cargo, captains would claim it was wine. Called out, they would be said to be “taking the piss”.

The wool revival is a renaissance of traditional material and production. In 2008, the Woolmark prize was reintroduced.

As the sixties approached, wool was in dire straits. In 1957,

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TO RISE AGAIN

An ex clu sive convers ation w ith conte mporar y Chines e ar ti st Ai Weiwei in hi s B e ijing studio on f inding the voice that lif ts a g e ne ration

BEIJING, CHINA - On 22 June 2013, Ai Weiwei released his ﬁrst music album “Divine Comedy.” It was a day that also marked the second anniversary of his own release from a controversial 81-day detention. In a conversation at his studio in Caochangdi district the Chinese artist discusses his time in detention and his hopes for a rising generation of Chinese youth. In spite of the political pressure to be silenced and the uncertain future before him, Ai Weiwei is compelled by a strong moral imperative to continue with his work as part of a broader cultural struggle. One gets the sense that he is indeed “damaged but not beaten” as he champions the courage to ﬁght for the truth and for the integrity of oneʼs voice:

TEXT

PORTRAIT

SHAWN C.

GAO YUAN

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" W H E N I WAS I N TH ER E TH E GU AR D S ASKED ME TO S I N G A SO N G. I R EALI SED TH AT TH EY A R E PR I SO N ER S, J U ST LI KE M E.” "

“The album really ﬁrst came about as a result of my detention, both my physical detention and later my “soft detention” (when I was unable to travel, ﬁrst within China and then abroad). I had plenty of space and time – you could say I was in a moment. Sometimes you feel your soul is restricted, limited, but in that condition you can come across a large undiscovered area. Because we are working in mental conditions which relate to expression – that freedom of expression can only be produced out of restriction. When I was in there the guards asked me to sing a song. I realised that they are prisoners, just like me. Only a song could help their sensitivities to time and space – itʼs very poetic. So you can see even in the hardest of situations people are always looking for a possibility to escape. So in those ways [my detention] gave me the possibility to explore new areas and to see my limit.

I wanted to see how far my own voice can go. My effort is to

try to discover myself, and to realise the potential that we all

have within us. We all have a voice, it comes with us – from our ﬁrst cry till the last – and can be just like music, with feelings, messages and expressions. It would be a tremen-

dous waste for someone who calls himself an artist not to

recognise those properties or voices. [The voice] may not be pleasant, but it has its own identity, character, and quality.” The voice, for Ai Weiwei, represents the crystallisation of

oneʼs individuality that emerges from the necessary struggle for self-discovery:

“Recognising yourself is a question of practice... you always have to ﬁnd your own way in the real ﬁght. Many people

are not ﬁghters. Throwing yourself into a ﬁght is a way to recognise your life. You may be beaten, but hopefully not damaged – but it is necessary.”

SACRED, Saint Antonin. Venice 2013

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In a rapidly changing cultural zeitgeist, Ai Weiwei fervently ad-

in China, so he is also ﬁghting as a symbolic gesture to catalyse

to “become a person.” As the future of our society, they carry

out the internet. Thatʼs why Iʼm still staying on the internet,

vocates for the freedom and space for Chinese youth to grow,

the hope for cultural transformation which must not be extinguished by lies. They must have the courage to fall:

“In this new condition, young people need more space to learn, to make mistakes and have the freedom to adjust themselves in

a natural way. To get this we have to really respect life and seek

truth, avoid lies, and have the free flow of ideas and information. That is the only way young people can make judgments

- and that is how balanced views and collective wisdom emerges, from the free society.

Every society (even in the West) tries to scare people with the

idea of safety and securing yourself. With that concept you have a different code of learning and behaviour, and – you become

the emancipation of others:“Many people have no chance with-

because many people still can climb over the wall. They say they

watch me for a few months and say I changed their life – but it is so difﬁcult, you need a lot of these kind of people, and then society can change. It is difﬁcult. You canʼt be afraid to get into

trouble. How can you avoid trouble if you live in this society?

If I fully try to become a real person by exercising my rights, I already get into so much trouble!”

Ai Weiweiʼs words resonate with strong conviction. He is wis-

ened but undefeated in his aspirations for the cultural and per-

sonal growth of China and the Chinese. He stoically persists in his activism, leading by example as one who grows by having the courage to fall, and the strength to rise again:

like an animal, like a snail, or an ocean shell, simply concerned

“I want my son to live in a different world. I donʼt want him to

real persons. Itʼs like a fast driving car on a track - if a body ap-

possible, because man has to structure himself within the expe-

with saving yourself from attack and extinction. They are not

pears on the track, but the car is unable to move out of the way, then it doesnʼt matter how well it is designed. If they donʼt have those sensitivities to relate to a place, how can they be responsible, responsible to what?

Young people have to accept their condition, they have to travel,

know what I have been through, although I donʼt think that is riences of his ancestors or his nation. A human is not an indi-

vidual; he is part of society. But (I want him) to face the truth and be courageous – you need courage to face truth. That will

give him joy – I think that quality can make people have a real measure of joy. Facing the truth, and seeking the truth.

they have to go to the place which will fully let them grow and

That may sound naïve or innocent but that is how we grow.

they leave they immediately realise what is the problem. For

their young and help them to ﬁght. There is no other way to

exercise their rights. A lot of people are forced out, and once some, who may forget about their Chinese background, maybe one day something will call them back to contribute.

But ﬁrst, they have to become a person – a person who makes

mistakes, bears responsibility and recognises what they like and

donʼt like, who is not just simply told what they like by their parents and by society. They need to make independent choices for themselves.”

Ai Weiwei was himself surprised by the wellspring of support

from Chinese youth in the aftermath of his detention. People

would approach him on the streets and express their solidarity by saying, “We support you.” Still, he understands the difficulty of the process to “become a person”, to discover oneʼs voice

It is the same in the animal kingdom, where they take care of

grow – you have to have the freedom to fall down, collapse, and then rise again.”

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N ymphomaniac : A n I ntroduction A pre v ie w of controve rsial D ani sh w r ite r- direc tor L ars Von Tr ie râ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ne west of fe r ing

TEXT S ara N .

113

Nymphomaniac, Lars Von Trier’s latest film, will finally premiere in its full, uncut version this February at the Ber-

lin Film Festival. The shorter, less explicit version (still a

formidable four hours) was released in December last year.

Already, however, there is so much sex even in the edited version of the film that the act has, for supporting actor Stellan Skarsgard, ‘become as natural as seeing someone eating a bowl of cereal’. A selective catalogue of the content

revealed so far, culled from film stills and video clips: full-

frontal male and female nudity, including an extended montage of penises; BDSM flagellation; an interracial ménage a trois; and cunnilingus. The film’s particularly effective marketing campaign, which has been making its rounds on the Internet, centered around a series of character posters, each

featuring a member of cast in the midst of an orgasm - in varying degrees of attractiveness.

A sort of sexual biography, Nymphomaniac recounts the

erotic history, from birth to age 50, of female protagonist

Joe (Charlotte Gainsbourg, a recurring collaborator of von

Trier’s). The film features an impressive ensemble cast that includes Uma Thurman, Shia LaBeouf, and Scandinavian veteran Stellan Skarsgard; the young Joe is unknown Brit-

ish model Stacy Martin (who, incidentally, resembles Jane

Birkin – Gainsbourg’s supermodel mother – rather more than she does Gainsbourg herself). The secret history of

Joe’s sex life is recounted in chapters, of which there are

eight. Due to previously mentioned issues of length, Nymphomaniac will be released in two parts, consisting of four chapters each.

Substantial hints as to the film’s thematic concerns can be

discerned in the eight promotional videos that have been released so far. Each of the eight video clips represents a

chapter of the film, and is accompanied by aphoristic abstractions and a plot synopsis. The symbols that feature vary

from the pedestrian (the first, for instance, makes the stan-

dard link between sweets, in this case a bag of chocolate, and sex) to the clever - the fifth video, representing the chapter

titled ‘The Little Organ School’, operates on at least two levels: it plays on the meaning of ‘organ’, and uses Baroque

counterpoint (the use of two or more simultaneous, inde-

pendent musical lines or voices, also known as polyphony) as a metaphor for group sex.

As if the director were attempting to convince viewers of the seriousness of the film’s ambition, Mozart’s Requiem Mass

makes an appearance alongside Bach on the soundtrack - a

conventional move for a sexually explicit arthouse film eager

to distinguish itself from pornography, perhaps, but still, we’re all eager to see which side of the ‘art versus pornography’ debate Nymphomaniac comes down on.

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IN CONVERSATION: HEKA LAB

Remember ing whe n beauty wa s mystic i sm Lauren Davis is, first and foremost, an alchemist. She transforms the most mundane daily processes into deliberate and deeply personal explorations, imbuing the ordinary with a nuanced mysticism. A graduate from the Royal College of Art, Davis has done work in illustration, set design and art direction. This repertoire lends itself well to the sometimes-theatrical nature of her work, invoked in the ceremonial undertones to their experience.

TEXT QIAN ROU T.

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This is no coincidence; Davis is deeply interested in consumption. Process, interaction and origin are themes fa-

Often, the process of food preparation is itself a creative one. What are your thoughts about this? Is design culture

miliar to her portfolio, particularly in her dealings with

adequately embracing this aspect of consumption?

stripped us of an intimate understanding of food and other

I think we are in a time where people have a desire to delve

cover these lost ties.

hands and become more self-sufficient in certain ways. I

food. In an age where the mass manufacturing process has

natural products, Davis seeks to examine and perhaps redis-

The Alchemist’s Dressing Table is a key example of this ethos. By returning to hand-crafting, Davis aims to initiate through practice an exploration and understanding of beauty products. Delicate aesthetics imbue each piece of the Table with a preciousness and importance lacking in mass-

consumer goods. Analogue tools conjure up an air of alchemy, that fog of magic between the natural and the scientific. Davis demonstrates how design and art can describe impor-

tant attitudes in contemporary culture without being ver-

deeper and understand how things are made, to use their think worrying environmental factors concerning the planet are forcing us to re-trace the practices of our ancestors and

try to reconnect with nature, whilst also innovating in new ways through more recent discoveries. I think that designers

are searching for these answers, as well as catering for those

who wish to try and do the same. There is a real trend at the

moment for design projects where the emphasis is on process and there is a strong narrative and message.

The Alchemist’s Dressing Table is interesting in that it defies the traditional aesthetic associated with alchemy and

bose and complicated. In order to understand more about

ritual. Is there a statement behind this decision?

hind The Alchemist’s Dressing Table.

My research into ritual and alchemy was vast and I came

Your projects at Heka Lab focus on our relationship with

ics. It was such an exciting process. However it was very

her work, VULTURE talks to her about the concerns be-

food and other natural products. What sparked your inter-

across all sorts of wonderful tools, techniques and aesthet-

important to me to come out of the process with a contem-

est in the topic?

porary design in order to engage with people in the right

I grew up spending time weekly at an organisation called

the future. Some of the manufacturing processes I used such

cooking sessions and go camping regularly. It was a very

gone by. I believe it is important to celebrate advances in

I had so many opportunities to spend time in the country-

technological timeline whilst also being responsible and

way and strengthen my message that this is about now and

The Woodcraft Folk. We used to learn all sorts of crafts, do

as water-jet cutting would not have been possible in times

special experience for me, especially growing up in the city.

technology and use them to mark a point on our evolving

side. The ethos was all about the outdoors, skill and team-

ethical.

I already had a lot of friends who attended but made new,

Why mix traditional materials with more modern compo-

building and working as a community on holistic projects.

lifelong friends too. I also have been very fortunate to travel

nents? Was it more practical, or about highlighting certain

a lot with my family and friends, and learn so much about

parts of the product?

tanning pits in Fez, Morocco, to cooking courses in Udai-

The introduction of the borosilicate glass was both a practi-

to shape the way I think and work today.

withstand very high temperatures so is ideal for use with

other cultures, traditions, flavours and aesthetics. From the pur, India, I have varied sensory influences that have helped

cal and conceptual choice. Practically, this kind of glass can

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heating elements. Conceptually, using this material gives the piece a sense of fragility and thereforeÂ preciousness,

Alchemy is usually associated with mystical and hermetic aspects, rather than the scientific. What is the significance

which is further highlighted by the mirror-polished copper.

of that in the Dressing Table?

was a comment on transparency within the beauty industry.Â

Alchemy was always based on the idea that progression

That being said, ritualism is a large part of the dialogue

al, spiritual progression. I believe that spending time work-

Also, it is possible to see how the processes happen, which

here; we seem to have lost the reverence associated with beauty in this day and age. What was your intention in

through material exploration went side by side with person-

ing closely with natural materials has the potential to have a profound effect on one's well being. The rituals I have

designed tools for allow for a moment of personal time, and

highlighting this forgotten aspect? As you say, we seem to have lost this reverence and I believe that much of this is due to a busy pace of life and a lack of

an understanding and appreciation for the things we do to look after ourselves every day.

self-sustainability. I feel that it is very important to be aware

Did you have any specific influences behind this work?

niting a relationship with our daily rituals is a physical sort

A lot of my research was done at the V&A and Science

these daily moments makes life more ceremonial.

found. The mirror is an homage to early Egyptian handheld

of the downfalls this can bring. Becoming aware of and reigof mindfulness. Being grateful for and finding enjoyment in

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Museum where there is such a wealth of inspiration to be

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found. The mirror is an homage to early Egyptian handheld

educational aspect to you?

is employed in extreme situations to obtain clean drinking

Education is the legacy we leave for future generations. It

mirrors and the distiller is based on a survival technique that

is everything and I believe that creativity, as well as being

water through condensation.

highly fulfilling, also leads to innovation. I personally learn

best when given some instruction but then encouraged to

You’ve suggested that the Dressing Table might serve as a

explore through play. Play is so important. Even as adults,

precedent for establishing a more personal touch with mod-

people should still be encouraged to play. I always want my

ern cosmetics; is this something you foresee in the near fu-

work to invoke a childlike fascination with a subject, a feel-

ture? What would it take for us to reach that paradigm?

ing that magic really exists, and that you are experiencing it whilst using my products.

I really hope so. The most important thing is that we are starting this conversation. There are so many ethical beauty companies making fantastic products out there, but I be-

What’s next in the works for Lauren Davies and Heka Lab?

day to return where contemporary recipes and rituals for

I am currently working on manufacturing The Alchemist's

as a kind of rite of passage, just as food recipes often still

laborations I am working on with fellow designers, a per-

lieve this is taking the idea a stage further. I long for the

Dressing Table so that I can sell it. I also have various col-

beauty products are passed from generation to generation

fumer and a pair of florists. I am brimming with ideas and

are. There is so much information available on the internet

inspiration so watch this space!

these days that we don't have to start the process completely from scratch.

With the Dressing Table and Cook’s Canvas, there seems to be an exploratory aspect to the use. How important is this

THE EDIT

C OM M E DE S GARC ONs

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COVE T LONDON

LUSH

f rag rance

lip tar

nail var ni sh

body lotion

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10 SIMPLE RULES FOR LIVING ON THE PHERIPHERY

TEXT JILL T.

119

In moving to Bodh Gaya, India, where she was far more likely to run into an actual cow on the street than an acquaintance from a party, Jill T. wandered further from the herd than she ever had before. While her classmates at liberal arts college were pondering the various -isms, she found herself living and meditating in a monastery, quieting her mind as horns blared in the streets, and being more comfortable with herself than she has ever been, stripped of most of her creature comforts, from the Internet to her wardrobe. These are some things that occurred to her while she was sitting on Himalayan mountaintops and staring at orange Varanasi sunrises, experiences which have obviously made her think she’s seen more of the world than you have, ye poor office drone. For her fellow spiritual tourists, she has just one question - “Have you seen the Rinpoche?” No, seriously.

There are those spine-tingling moments which come upon

Don’t eat unidentified berries like that kid from Into The

you, making you think over every decision that got you to where you are. Recognise every time there was a fork in the road and think over the choices you made, particularly the ones which went against the conventional stream. Cultivate this sense of time and place, of moments, and of wonder. Take time to ponder the alternatives, then, because they do this on sitcoms, and because it is fun, but also because it may make you all the more grateful for where you are right now. Life is damn hard and if you’ve ended up some place awesome, take a moment because you made it happen in part, and you deserve it.

Wild. I know they look purple and delicious, but do. not. eat. them.

Why be afraid of convention? Embrace what feels good to you - screw ironic appreciation and guilty pleasures. Get to

a place where you’re comfortable liking what you like. Not liking something because it is what everyone else likes is just

as bad as liking something just because others do. Look for flowers in hairline cracks in the ground, but also in the fields

where they are abundant. pends where you are standing, and

Now, think about all the people who deserve it too but haven’t ended up in the same place, maybe because they never had the luxury of choice that you did, and reach out to them in whatever way you can.

otherness and alienation need not be an unchanging part

of being. Critique and fight against the systems which opphighly suggest giving it a gander. It can be painful, con-

fusing, heart-stoppingly risky, and insecurity-inducing. Yet the luxury of feeling around for just the right place for you,

with or away from the herd, is one keenly felt, even as you go forth on slightly wobbly footing.

120

It is up to you to configure what you are apart from and

completely distanced ourselves from it, keep in mind where we came from each step of the way. By bearing in mind the past, we can move past the need to revel in nostalgia, and be

what you are a part of. “Normal” depends where you are

more present.

unchanging part of being. Critique and fight against the

munities that are more systemically supportive in order to

Don’t label yourself as an outsider. Don’t label yourself, pe-

explore, move and move again till you find a place to plant

no one who is generous. There is only the arising and pass-

now have the tools to thrive there. There is comfortable soil,

factors of mind, each one functioning in its own way.” You

standing, and otherness and alienation need not be an systems which oppress you, but carve out alternative com-

continue the fight against the main stream. Reposition and

riod. Joseph Goldstein wrote, “there is no one who is greedy,

your feet. Sometimes, it is where you started from, only you

ing of moments of consciousness concurrent with certain

somewhere.

are not kind, you are not selfish, and therefore you are not

‘kind but selfish’. Your style of dress does not have to be

consistently minimalist nor outré. Do away with labelling traits which typify you, and thereby with struggling to rec-

Forge new ground apart from what has come before, but

oncile perceived paradoxes which lead to an identity crisis.

the none-too-distant past because we have so quickly and

elry in how deeply complex in nature we are in comparison

rather than inevitably coming full circle and romanticizing

Not fixating on paradoxes also avoids the ego-feeding rev-

121

nature we are in comparison to the simpleton next door. When did we start to take pride in our neuroses, anyway?

all is less than certain, I highly suggest giving it a gander. It can be painful, confusing, heart-stoppingly risky, and insecurity-inducing. Yet the luxury of feeling around for just

the right place for you, with or away from the herd, is one keenly felt, even as you go forth on slightly wobbly footing.

Balance individualism and collectivism. Striking out on

your own may be the only way to go at times; often it is the

beit a metaphor-effacing one with critically thinking sheep),

A baby’s gotta do what a baby’s gotta do (sorry to rip of

bravest and boldest statement to make. Finding a herd (al-

though, can also be a good idea. Connection is enriching for those who have wandered alone a great deal of the way - it

Tommy Pickles, but you know it’s true).

can inspire in ways unexpected, and comfort in places you did not realise you were hurt.

Liminality should not be uncomfortable. There are certainly comfortable nooks and niches in which we ostensibly thrive.

But the inbetweens are not so very bad - if you can afford

to indulge the time and resources to figure things out when

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C H ANE L

SUNO

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ASYLEND

PHOTOGRAPHY BEGÜM KOCÜM

ON THE MOODBOARD Boris Petrovsky’s Army of 520 Lucky Cats. Pixel Drawing. Katharina Fritsch. Spencer Tunick. Mellitta Baumeister Collection. Margiela’s Office. Society of the Spectacle by Guy Debord. The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell. Hillborough stadium disaster. Odeur 53.

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