ISSUE NO. 3
HERRINGBONE FASHION STYLE WE LOVE WINTER!
OUR EDITORS' FAVOURITE ACCESSORIES BEYOND THE BINARY CELEBRATING GENDER THROUGH FASHION MEN'S STYLE—UP CLOSE & PERSONAL ANYTHING GOES TECHNOLOGY IN FASHION THERE IS NO FUTURE, IT'S NOW
FASHION REDUX
RUNWAY TRENDS & LOOKS FROM TORONTO WORLD MASTERCARD FASHION WEEK SS15
HERRINGBONE FASHION STYLE
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EDITORS NOTE Time flies when you are having a blast... It is with this issue that we celebr ate our f ir st anniver sar y! Even though it seems like a short period of time since we launched, it re presents a milestone in our gr owth as a team. 2014 has been a year of amazing experiences and reaff ir ming lessons. Our commitment to bring consumer awareness and shift perce ptions in the areas of diver sity, inc lusivity and sustain ability has been at the centre of our values and will continue to be part of what Herringbone stands for. To ever yone who made this third issue possible, we thank you for sharing with us your cr aft and amazing talent. To our reader s, thank you for your letter s of support and enthusiasm. We'll continue to work bringing f eatures that wake up your curiosity but also your awareness about the world that surr ounds us. We would love to hear from you! Drop us a line at: info@herringbonemagazine.com
ENJOY THE READ!
LUIS ZULAYHKA
BEATRIZ JUAREZ
FASHION DIRECTOR
CREATIVE DIRECTOR 3
HERRINGBONE
OUR COVER
Model, Andrea (Spot6Management, Toronto) wears a PINK TARTAN fur collar and a SUNO layered dress (available at The Bay). Photography, Michael Kai Young; Hair & Makeup, Brodine (judyinc.com); Fashion Direction, Luis Zulayhka; Creative Direction, Beatriz Juarez.
CO-FOUNDERS Luis Zulayhka
Beatriz Juarez
Fashion Director
lzulayhka@herringbonemagazine.com
Creative Director
bjuarez@herringbonemagazine.com
ART DIRECTOR
Corissa Bagan
cbagan@herringbonemagazine.com
Copy Editor
Kevin McGowan
General Inquiries
info@herringbonemagazine.com
Our Address
HERRINGBONE MAGAZINE CENTRE FOR SOC IAL INNOVATION 215 Spadin a Ave. Suite 400, Tor onto, ON, MT5 2C7
TABLE OF CONTENTS
IN EVERY ISSUE 3 EDITOR’S NOTE 6 CONTRIBUTORS 8 PROFILE LAURA SIEGEL 12
VIEWPOINT THE SHOP EXPERIENCE
16 HAUTE KINETICS 20
MONOCLE JUST THE RIGHT STROKES
26 VIEW POINT NOW, VOYAGER 30 FOCUS BEYOND THE BINARY 38 VIEW POINT WHAT THE FROCK? 50 PICKS THE TRAVEL CHRONICLES OF A RISING STAR
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SPECIAL FEATURE PRINT-À-PORTER
66 PROFILE IN GOOD SPIRITS 114 EPILOGUE FASHION DRAW 118 STOCKISTS
FASHION STREET VIEW
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84 WE LOVE WINTER! 90 ANYTHING GOES 102 THE MISSING PIECE
HERRINGBONE FASHION STYLE
CONTRIBUTORS
Our amazing creatives
For this issue, fashion photographer Andy Lee, captured the amazing images in our feature "Beyond the Binary” (p. 30) and challenged us with “Print-à-Porter” (p. 54). In both assignments, Andy brought once again, his thoughtful eye and amazing experience. Being on set has never been this fun.
ANDY LEE
MICHAEL KAI YOUNG
For our third issue, fashion and beauty photographer, Michael Kai Young brought his magic to create our cover story “Street View” (p. 72), which shows Michael's ease at working with unexpected moments while creating beautiful and timeless images.
MARIO MIOTTI
LAURA GULSHANI
"I chalk it up to my Italian heritage…love for coffee, design, colour, and quality. A bottle of champagne is always in my fridge, because a celebration should be in arms reach. Creating beautiful photography is so rewarding to me, that I could do it for the rest of my life. "Find something you love to do and you will never work a day in your life." These are the wise words of Photographer Mario Miotti, who brought his incredible sense of style and playfulness to "Anything Goes" (p. 102).
"A BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE IS ALWAYS IN MY FRIDGE, BECAUSE A CELEBRATION SHOULD BE IN ARMS REACH"
Annalie Chernin is a recent graduate from the Fashion Communications program at Ryerson University. As an avid reader of fashion content, the language used in fashion inspired her final year capstone project. The final product is a book entitled What The Frock, from which we present an excerpt on page 38. Playing with visual techniques such as highlights, disruption, juxtaposition and intrusion, the intent of the book is to motivate the reader to investigate how words are used to articulate meaning in fashion. Currently working in the visual communications department at Pink Tartan, Annalie has an appreciation for all things fashion, art and design.
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Laura Gulshani is a Toronto-based fashion writer and illustrator with the goal of visiting every art museum in the world. It takes only one second to recognize you are dealing with serious talent here. Her impressive power of abstraction and contouring made her the perfect choice to interpret key international fashion trends in our features for Fall/Winter 2014 and Spring/Summer 2015. After completing her thesis at Ryerson University on fashion illustration and interning at ELLE Canada and Canadian Living magazines, she decided to dive headfirst into the world of illustration and began to freelance. Check out her impressive work in "The Missing Piece" (p. 84) and our special report on Toronto Fashion Week "Fashion Draw" (p. 114).
ANNALIE CHERNIN
BENJAMIN EDWARD
"Contrast is interesting; it draws attention to similarities and differences simultaneously". Benjamin likes to mix elements to complement the focal point of his illustration. Constantly observing and dreaming, finding patterns and noticing differences is how he enjoys spending his time. Benjamin’s freeform watercolour technique can be found throughout all of his work. For this issue, Edward took on the mission to interpret our Canadian Models highlights for the International Shows in "The Travel Chronicles of a Rising Star" (p. 50).
CONTRIBUTORS
Our amazing creatives
CHRISTOPHER LEWIS
THE BEAUTY MAKERS
Breeyn McCarney has been designing and evolving her eponymous line since 2005. With a focus on time-intensive hand-work including beading, leather work, embroidery and knitting, her pieces are an exploration of layering and texture. McCarney has built her label in Toronto, showing at Toronto Alternative Fashion week, Rogue Fashion Week and independently. Her work has appeared in publications such as Revive, YYZ, Now Magazine, Eye Weekly and Alice Magazine.
BREEYN MCCARNEY
Christopher Lewis is a Toronto-based creative technologist and photographer. He explores the potential of technology through digital and physical installations. Christopher believes that the DIY community is essential to driving the development of mainstream technologies by making interactive hardware inexpensive and ubiquitous. His goal is to enable everyone to use technology to create solutions for their own exceptional and everyday problems. Lewis and McCarney have been collaborating in multidisciplinary projects for a while. They put their abilities to play in “Print-à-Porter” (p. 54) and shared it with us first-hand. Lewis also shared his wealth of knowledge by penning the story and interviewing some of the most prominent personalities in the fashion and technology fields.
"I BELIEVE THAT WE ALL HAVE DIVERSE LIFE EXPERIENCES, AND IDENTITIES THAT HAVE SHAPED THE MANNER IN WHICH WE EXIST AND NAVIGATE OUR WORLDS."
We want to thank to our always loyal hair and makeup artists for bringing their expert eye and criteria to all our productions.
Onn a Chan, "Anything Goes" ( p. 102)
GianLuca Orienti, "Beyond the Bin ar y" ( p. 30)
RYAN PAYNE
DEN TEMIN
Den is a passionate board-certified sexologist and the founder of Sexplore with Den Temin, an organization that provides healthy sex-positive environments in order to sexually empower folks. Curiosity has fueled her craving to live and sexplore the ways in which people experience intimacy, connection, vulnerability, desire, and pleasure. For the past fifteen years, she's lived in five different countries and travelled extensively throughout diverse corners of the world studying and working in the fields of gender and human sexuality. For this issue, she helped us plan and write "Beyond the Binary" (p. 30), an exploration about gender and fashion. Visit www.sexplorewithdentemin.com.
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Ryan Payne, a specialist and researcher on consumer engagement, brought his enthusiasm once again to our pages. In NYC, he sat down with Mr. Paco Underhill— the world authority on consumer behaviour—to talk about the future of shopping in "The Shop Experience" (p. 12). Payne (always the inquisitive and restless soul) interviewed creatives across the globe to look for an answer on how to ride the tides of uncertainty while in search for their professional dreams, in "Now, Voyager" (p. 26).
Rachel Smith, "Print-à-Porter" ( p. 54)
Br odine, "Street View" ( p. 72)
PROFILE
LAURA SIEGEL/ THE MINDFUL ART OF
TRANSFORMING
FASHION INTERVIEW BY BEATRIZ JUAREZ
LAURA SIEGEL
The Mindful Art of Transforming Fashion
I
t’s rare to find a talented designer (a clear and strong design vision), with the right ideas on how to influence society in a positive direction. Laura Siegel is that designer. She collaborates with artisans in rural villages around the world to sustain traditional crafts by employing skilled locals. She talked to us about fair practices and the art of fashion with a conscience. Tell us about your upbringing and how did this influence you as a fashion designer. In grade 12, I decided I wanted to go to Fashion Design School but I remember telling my Dad that I didn’t know how to draw and I didn’t have a portfolio. So, I spent the entire summer learning how to draw and submitted my portfolio to Parsons. As I continued my education at Parsons and travelled around the world. I saw craft being used and practiced in developing areas that I was learning in school. I was fascinated by all of these crafts and its origins. It was beautiful and inspiring. I wanted to start my own label soon after when I saw all of the opportunities that were surrounding me. I met so many different people and saw so many new ways of creation that I wasn’t even aware existed. I knew that there was a lot of potential out there, and I wanted to turn that into something meaningful. What were the best lessons learned from Parsons and Central Saint Martins? Persistency is the key to success. You are quite a multidisciplinary designer, how do you consolidate
so many interests and inspirations into one collection? Where do you take inspiration from? My inspiration comes from the communities of artisans I work with, my travels, and my family and my friends. I am constantly drawing inspiration from my surroundings no matter where I am and from the people I encounter with each day. What is your design philosophy? How would you describe your approach to design? I collaborate with artisans from around the globe and blend ancient culture and modern style aesthetics through handcrafted and timeless fashion. I design for comfort and sustainability which allows the consumer to connect with the hands that create their clothing, bring a global culture to their closets. The result of this is a sense of pride in quality natural clothing that encourages social consciousness and an ultimate connection between creators and consumers. How does your design process evolve? My design process evolves each season as I learn from the previous season. I consistently seek out mentorship and feedback in order to keep growing. I think it’s important to stay on your toes even if you’ve had a good season. There is most likely always something that can be changed to create my efficiencies. Do you think there is a right or wrong way to design? I don’t think there is a right or wrong way to design. Each designer has its own method
of right or wrong and it is up to the creator to figure out what that is. What does the term CRAFT mean to you? Craft is a strong and loaded word. For me, it represents and defines culture. It is a way for me to feel connected with the artisans I work with. Your collections have a very raw quality, a very primal feel, but also carry a very modern and urban feel. How do you keep the right balance between these 2 sides? I like to combine traditional techniques and fabrics to create unconventional textiles and shapes. For example, in my FW14 collection, I combined the fabric of leather and knitting to create a knit
Designer Laur a Siegel
“THE RESULT OF MY WORK IS A SENSE OF PRIDE IN QUALITY NATURAL CLOTHING THAT ENCOURAGES SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS AND AN ULTIMATE CONNECTION BETWEEN CREATORS AND CONSUMERS.”
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LAURA SIEGEL
The Mindful Art of Transforming Fashion
“COMFORT IS A KEY FOCUS OF MY DESIGN PHILOSOPHY. COMFORT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE SACRIFICED FOR STYLE” leather textile. Another example is from my latest collection where I created a handwoven recycled saree fabric by collecting used sarees from rural india. We then stripped the sarees into pieces and handwove them into garments. I enjoy mixing prints and pushing the limits of my print design process. In my SS15 collection, I combined a modern tye-dye print with a traditional Indian shape (Kaftan). Do you think it is necessary to reinvent traditional craft techniques to create new textiles and garments? I don’t necessarily think that there needs to be a “reinvention” of traditional crafts. The whole point is to sustain and preserve these traditional crafts which ultimately preserve culture. What I do is take these traditional crafts and combine them with new textiles and shapes, and even sometimes develop new textiles using these traditional crafts. It’s a way for our world to relate to these crafts. Based on your philosophy, what makes a product desirable as a consumer? Comfort is a key focus of my design philosophy. Comfort does not have to be sacrificed for style. These two things go hand-in-hand for me. When I think about what my customer wants, I think about comfort and how this piece can be transitioned from day to night. Layering and multi-purpose items are also very important to my philosophy and customer. How do you develop an identity as a designer? It’s important to know what your brand is and why you are doing it. What drives you? Why does it drive? What connection do you have with it? For me, I knew I wanted to work with artisans globally after travelling throughout South East Asia. I felt connected with these artisans and I knew I could help create change in our industry. With all of these goals in mind, my brand identity is aligned because I know what the purpose is.
What elements do you see as key in the development of a young designer? Continue to seek feedback from mentors in the industry. Don’t be afraid to ask for criticism and put your designs out there for the public to see and judge. This is key to building and growing your business and the relationships formed will be helpful. How do you balance imagination and creativity with a business sense? This is a really important question. I am constantly reminded how important the business side is. Over the years, I have learned to think about how my designs will impact the rest of the business. I seek out advice from mentors, buyers, and consumers to help me create with an audience in mind. I am also conscious of different price points associated with different techniques and fabrics. I have to take all of these items into consideration for each season. What you have learned from your collaborations? I am constantly collaborating with artisans and other designers. I continue to learn from what their design process is, what techniques they specialize in, and how they run their business. As a young designer, all of these interactions help me in shaping and growing my brand. Ethical design practices and environmental concerns play a role in
Looks fr om Siegel’s Fall/Winter 2014 collection.
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your creative direction. How much do you think the fashion industry should respond to these aspects? My goal is for both buyers and consumers to start demanding products that are ethically made and produced. When this happens, it will eliminate any factory using unethical business practices from the supply chain. This is a serious problem that will affect our future generations. What is the role for design in creating a sustainable fashion industry? I am consistently mindful of the materials I use for my collection and I will continue to work with artisans and NGO’s to produce my collection. How do you design for ethical production? The design process is only a small part of ethical production. I design based on what artisanal crafts I will be using for the season. But what primarily changes is how I choose to manufacture the product. I choose to collaborate with artisans who are skilled and trained in their traditional craft and work with NGO factories that can help liaison with all the communities. How would you like to see the fashion industry (and yourself) in 20 years from now? I hope that there will be rules and regulations passed to enforce change in how the industry is affecting our carbon footprint. The laws will help regulate what fabrics and processes can be used and to what extent. I hope that in 20 years, we no longer hear about building collapses and fatality in developing areas due to the fashion industry. This is something that can be changed for good but only if we all are in it together.
TAKING ACTION WITH PROJECT ELEVEN27 Project Eleven27 was founded by Laura Siegel after the tragedy of the collapse of Rana Plaza affected the lives of many workers in Bangladesh. Laura aims to honour the lives of those affected by this accident. “When Rana Plaza collapsed, unfortunately, I wasn’t surprised that this happened. I work in these areas each and every day and I know what these factories look like. I started my label to show consumers and buyers (everyone in the supply chain, really) that you can produce a collection, ethically and at a reasonable price. So naturally, the Rana Plaza collapse hit close to home”, says Laura. Project Eleven27 is fighting for safe working conditions, fair wages, and ethical treatment of workers in developing areas. It represents a movement to ensure the right and just treatment of garment workers in their production processes; both of which will have a positive influence on the artisans and their communities—socially and economically. Laura and her team of artisans have handcrafted limited edition scarves to remember each life lost. Each scarf is hand-woven using a custom silk-cotton blend and pieces of recycled sarees collected from women in rural villages. Interested in being part of change? Please go to: shop.laurasiegelcollection.com/collections/all-products/ products/projecteleven27
Looks fr om Siegel’s Spring/Summer 2015 collection.
VIEW POINT Ever walk into a store and notice that the immediate entr y has a diff erent flooring? You’ ll ste p onto str aw at Potter y Bar n, stone tile at the Ga p, and hardwood at Williams-Sonoma. This is a decompression zone. The diff erent flooring is enough to trigger your br ain to recognize a new setting and quickly calibr ate and assess the situation. It pre pares you to mentally regr oup for the store ’s experience. Notice a smell next, as it brings back the memories of the last time you were here—smell has been shown to have a highly str ong link to memor y. Gr ocer y stores place flor al shops near the entr ance (origin ally to stop the smell of hor ses fr om f illing the shop), so you experience a n atur al perf ume and assign this “freshness” to the pr oduce section when you start shopping; this is pref ered to smelling the f ish de partment which suppresses a ppetites or the baker y, whose smells makes you f eel content and therefore less likely to purchase.
THE SHOP EXPERIENCE Long gone are the days when Valentino Garavani stayed up well into the morning writing orders after his first shows at the Parisian salons. We are in an age of fierce retail competition, in which branded content and the selling of ideas define a designer’s success more than the clothes themselves. The key issue seems to be: What unique experience is offered to the consumer? TEXT BY RYAN PAYNE
You might also notice the next time you walk into a c lothing or home decor store that the newest and most expensive items are at the fr ont. Fr om the outside, new items make the store look fresh and new, like a world ready to be discovered. This pushes sale items to the back so customer s have to walk thr ough the entire store to reach sale r acks. Along the way, you may unintention ally discover and purchase these new f ull-priced items in your quest for a deal.
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THE SHOP EXPERIENCE
What Are We Offering To Consumers?
The cash desk is usually located in the middle so employees can see the entire store and manage theft and customer needs if they are alone. Also, customer s can exit the store quickly once a purchase is made. This reduces the time for a customer to change their mind while still inside the store. Once out the door, people will typically go home to reconsider if there is any doubt about their purchase. While walking away fr om the cash desk, you are surr ounded by new items reinforcing your new item as a symbol of belonging.
Images, Creative Commons.
Have you ever f elt indecisive about an item and opt to wait and think about it, until the associate suggests you to buy it and bring it back if you change your mind? Retur n policies are so gener ous because once you purchase the item, even if you retur n it, 65% of customer s are likely to put their money back into the store with a diff erent item, yet only 35% retur n items they purchase and are unsure about, according to an IBM centre study. Remember when Jessica Simpson on her television show was too embarr assed to go back and retur n underwear which cost over $5,000? Superher oes, celebrities and the rest of us alike, nobody wants to disa ppoint another. As a result we end up with unwanted, unneeded c lothing inside our c losets. The time to don ate is now: put a bag in your car and add to it until you can drive to a don ation bin or event.
If you need to tr y something on, the f itting r ooms will typically be in the back. This is to get you isolated fr om the outside world and make you f eel invested, like you are a part of the store. You have already n avigated the store, so mentally you are committed to the item (and begin evaluating its merits). People r arely question the need of the gar ment once wearing it, but r ather evaluate if they look good in it. 28% of people will purchase what they tr y on—hence why sales associates are always quick to off er you a f itting r oom—and the shar pest of the associates oper ates this important station. Ever notice stores with f itting r ooms mid store? This is because they have a slow tur nover of pr oduct and need their staff to help multiple customer s while still per son ally serving those tr ying on new c lothing.
Most people are right handed, so they look and walk to the right—more than the left— when entering a store. Gener ally, when women enter a store they will look right, and if they see men ’s c lothing will think about what their male friends might want or need before n avigating to the left side of the store. On the other hand, men tend to walk in, look to the right and will hopef ully see men ’s c lothing (or a male mannequin showing them where the men ’s c lothing is located). Men won ’t ask for directions to the men ’s section upon seeing women ’s c lothing f ir st, but instead will assume it is an all f emale store and will exit to continue on their quest. Which is exactly what it is, a quest, or something to accomplish. Men shop f unction ally to f ind x or re place y in their established wardr obe (that has possibly been long set by their mother and girlfriends). The sport of shopping—to discover a hidden designer gem—is not their reason for being in the store and, as a result, men will not continue to look ar ound to solve their pr oblem if unsuccessf ul at f ir st. Men also tend to purchase signif icantly more while shopping in gr oups; friends take each other into unn avigated stores and, once inside, kee p each other there for longer periods of time exposing themselves to more items. The more time they spend looking at an item the more they a ppreciate it—and friends often pressure each other to purchase more impulsively. Research shows you spend 8% more on other s and 12% more on your self when you are in a good mood—which is likely to be the case if you’re with friends.
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A chat with Paco Underhill
THE GROWTH OF THE
OMNICHANNEL TEXT BY RYAN PAYNE
PROGRESSIONS IN STORE LAYOUTS AIDED BY ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS have, over the years, trained retail designers to increase sales in a multitude of subtle ways. They seem to have created a strategic formula for how much square footage each element is allocated within a store. However, e-commerce and online stores have not been around long enough to allow for an extensive trial and error period, resulting in a time of experimentation and practice for the future. To better understand retail’s future, I sat down this past New York Fashion Week with Paco Underhill, author of the wildly successful retail environment book The Science of Why We Buy, and asked how he sees online commerce progressing. “The online shopping world is now mobile, and not simply through using a mobile cellphone,” he pipped. His words were simple and delivered with no importance yet the gravity of his words was clear upon reflection, as well as why almost every Fortune 500 company relies on his Envirosell firm’s advice. Letters from Microsoft, Samsung, LVMH and Kering requesting his services were visible in his office, though upon finding out my nationality his examples were all Canadian clients—a subtle but nice touch to ensure relevance and my understanding. This reaffirmed my belief in Underhill as the best person to talk to about projecting the future. We continued to discuss the increasingly important role of the visual merchandiser as both, online and brick and mortar stores become more about looking at items and less about functionality. For example, in many modern stores, sales associates will now check stock on a tablet and request it be brought out to you rather than having a row of the same item displayed. However, the increase of mobile commmerce significantly dominated our conversation. When I thought about mobile stores, the notion of pop-up shipping containers instantly came to my mind. While recently in Christchurch, New Zealand I observed how they have used shipping containers
stacked on top of each other to create an entire shopping village. Last year while in Zurich, I used the Zeitag store of containers stacked upon each other as a navigation point as it towered over the city. But Underhill was just warming up. I came to realize his vision: local stores will no longer be necessary. He believes pop-up stores won’t exist in the future either and that they truly were a fad. Instead, large ‘cathedral’ flagship stores are being erected to anchor a brand, and the local parishes around the world will close. The internet will fill in to allow customers to purchase products, and highly generous return policies will overcome any reservations one might have of purchasing online. This will also come at a cheaper cost for retailers than creating a dozen small local parish stores or (pop up shops) and still having to deal with returns, staffing and location costs. As we become accustomed to no longer requiring a permanent local store, but simply hold a permanent location in the world, the opportunities for retail expansion will become endless. This is why advertising for new, bigger, bolder, tech savvy stores of ‘cathedral’ sizes has grown tremendously over the past year. There are no longer simply ‘starchitects’ but star retail architects. Mass communication from the stores allow those of us who are distant and unable to visit these ‘cathedrals’ to feel we are experiencing the brand. With this new omnichannel model of flagship, physical and mobile—as well as internet—storesand intimate events hosted by brands, will become a new reality for selling. Similar to Parisian salon shows in Coco Chanel’s time, small shows and collaborations can become a new method where people can interact with the brand in controlled, curated environments. Yet as is emerging now, these events will increasingly become less and less accessible to the public and will focus on targeting influencers and bloggers. Those with the guts to have a voice and who can communicate the brand and their experiences to the masses will be given
AS WE BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO NO LONGER REQUIRING A PERMANENT LOCAL STORE BUT SIMPLY HOLD A PERMANENT LOCATION IN THE WORLD, THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR RETAIL EXPANSION WILL BECOME ENDLESS. 14
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THE SHOP EXPERIENCE
What Are We Offering To Consumers?
TOP
Images, Creative Commons.
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a red carpet welcome. The rest of us are then expected to find our leader—or collection of influencers—to follow and gather our product information from. As the online world becomes flooded with noise and endless searching, these influencers pick up the slack to become super-reviewers and ‘curators’ with religious followings. For large purchases, customers won’t mind investing into visiting a cathedral flagship store, packed with an overload of sensory experiences: illustrators and painters capturing a perfume’s notes on paper, craftsman working to produce Hermès bags before our eyes, denim shops to colour, fade and style our jeans to our personal perfection, quiet rooms for those who need a moment while shopping, candy shops, chocolates and champagne, fish markets and places to craft your own cereal, augmented reality shopping apps…the list goes on and on. Truly, buying rich soft cashmere would only be more wonderful while sipping champagne at the latest and greatest events. Mr. Underhill laughed in our conversation when I shared my concern for how those sporting a large beard might drink from a small champagne flute. We worked through niches and influencers over super influencers. Yet after our conversation, as I entered the subway in New York, I began questioning what will happen with transit shopping. In Switzerland, SSB, the large train company, has cubby holes with groceries inside for the ride home (a text message with a QR code is sent upon ordering through their app). I know I would pay a premium if my groceries did not arrive at my house at 6am, while away, or in a large window of time, but rather I can order them at three and by six pick them up like a drive through on my daily commute home. Dinner for one just got a whole lot easier. And on the New York platform, rather than old tiles and tired graffiti, why aren’t the walls covered with pictures highlighting options with little QR codes for purchasing, as done by Kate Spade for a pop up store last year? What if inside a wall of cubbies lie products available for purchase—opened by a credit card—and if taken, the purchase is determined by weight or some other magical measure (If Japan can sell used underwear in a vending machines, anything is possible). If physical clothing boutiques and grocery stores are not needed, what happens to people in the city? Do we become highly-dense living areas with suburb warehouses bringing the products in daily? Strip malls become unnecessary and driving to places becomes an adventure?
Peter Marino (Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior)
David Chipperfield (Valentino Men’s Store, Paris)
Duccio Grassi (Max Mara Shop, Chengdu)
pure creative (Van Cleef Arpels, Hong Kong)
Zaha Hadid (Galaxy Soho, Beijing)
Micheal Neumann (Ralph Lauren , Shanghai)
Foster + Partners (Cacharel, London, UK)
Pedrocchi (Iria Degen Interiors)
OOBIQ Architects (Cantomotto Store, Guangzhou)
Torafu Architects (PMQ x MUJI, Hong Kong)
These standardized experiences and easily accessible items only work when people purchase standardized goods and uniform experiences. A little bit of creativity and uniqueness unravels this whole militant process. How do you mass sell one of a kind products without ending up with bloated websites that take years to navigate? Similar to Chanel’s time, people wanted her custom goods but were not always able to access her stores for them. Today, sites like Etsy make access to selling possible, but the experience becomes about searching through dozens of items, all uniformed in nature. I imagine as the world becomes focused only on ‘experiences’, just as the first bloggers and street photographers gained fame, we have yet to see the trend of curated online experience and retailing fully emerge and these new hot stars of the fashion world be at every major event and online newsfeed. New hashtag suggestions and names for this retailing celebrity group are welcome. (Write us back and let us know your thoughts!)
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HAUTE KINETICS SUPER-MODEL COCO ROCHA GIVES US A THOUSAND LESSONS ON THE POWER OF THE HUMAN BODY.
“PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE THAT MODELING SHOULD BE THOUGHT AS A PERFORMANCE, JUST LIKE AN ACTOR, A SINGER OR A DANCER” —COCO ROCHA
HERRINGBONE Magazine sat down with super-model Coco Rocha to talk about her next big venture (and great contribution to the art and fashion world), Study of Pose: 1,000 Poses By Coco Rocha, a meticulous examination on body movement, shot by Steven Sebring. Coco, what prompted you to participate in this book? How did this project come about? Fashion photographer Steven Sebring and I had been working together for a few years before the book. He works with a digital technology called “the rig”, which consist on 100 cameras lined up in a ring in a 360 degree setup. The model is shot in 100 different angles. In the past, he had said to me about wanting to do an encyclopedia of pose, but he just couldn’t find the right model to do it with. He was just joking about how this would had been a great idea to do. My husband James and I thought “Well... let’s take this seriously and actually do it! Let’s call it “A study of Pose”, shoot a thousand poses using this technology. We also developed an app, where you can see the poses in 360 degrees. You can turn around each pose which is pretty amazing to see. How do you come up with 1000 poses? I think when I hit around the 800th pose I was kind of lost; I mean there is definitely my point of view of what I can bring to the table, but my husband James and Steven Sebring were there too to give me references; if they were art, pop culture or film references, I would try to represent them in the best way I could. We thought it was important not to include just random poses. This book is a way to show my appreciation to art history, so I tried to represent those poses in the best possible way, so people who look at this book can appreciate a variety of cultural and historical backgrounds.
How did you prepare for the project? We were so excited, we just went for it! You hit a point where you think, “what more can I do?”. It’s amazing how the body can do way more than you can think of. Using references were so important and useful; I mean, we didn’t even get to play with Michael Jackson’s dance moves! How hard it was to work with “The Rig”? With this technology, you are being captured at every angle. In a photo shoot there is just one angle, you make sure everything looks perfect (the clothes, the makeup, the pose) but what specifically works for one angle and one camera. With “the Rig” everything is shot in 360, which means, everything is going to be shown, every curve, every weird looking shape. You better not be nervous or overwhelemed by that fact. The technology itself is very intricate, so with every
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pose you have to allow around 10 to 15 seconds for the camera to reboot. It can be frustrating. You are so into it and then you have to pause and wait for the technology to process the work; you could lose concentration. But also allows you for time to figure out what to do next. We had been playing (and testing) with this technology to see what it could or could not do—even before coming up with the idea about the book—so I am familiar with it. How do you approach creative movement: as a dancer (we know that is part of your background) or as a model? Dance was part of the performance, but modeling is a performance too. People don’t realize that modeling should be thought of as a performance, just like an actor, a singer or a dancer. It wasn’t only one way to look at it: we covered dance, super-model era and couture poses; we also referenced art poses from early 20th century. There wasn’t only one way to approach the project. Was there a soundtrack playing in the background? There was! Steven Sebring is an artist, a poet, a photographer; his kind of music was very eclectic and hillarious. It went from Be-
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yoncé to Liza Minelli, Barbra Streisand and many more. There was a lot of Patti Smith playing in the background. Did you propose or decide on the outfit you wore during the shoot? We wanted a classic look, not time-sensitive. I want this book to be sold tomorrow or in a hundred years from now. I want it to be a reference in the arts. We thought if we chose an outfit that was too current, it would be dated in the near future. We went for something really basic that allows you to see the body, the form and the lines the poses create. Same for the hair and makeup; we decided to go black and white because we want a very neutral and timeless colour palette. Is there a mission in mind by launching the book? Yes! This past August I celebrated my ten years of modeling and wanted a fun way to announce that. I am known to be “the model who moves”, “the model who poses”; that is my thing. Ten years ago, I went to Taipei and started to learn how to model there. I went through my own version of a modeling “boot camp”. When attending a casting [in Taipei], you find yourself with clients that will say “today’s catalog is a “sexy” catalog or a “cutesy” one, and you have one minute to show them the variety of poses you can do. If you ran out of ideas, you were out. When I went back to New York, I thought that was the way you were supposed to do it. But that wasn’t the case! The clients in New York had never seen a model do that. If you put all these factors together: my 10 years of modeling, Steven wanting to make a book about pose and me being known as someone who knows how to pose, the whole project just made sense. How far do you think the influence of the book will go besides models and photographers? I think it’s reached the art world already. I’ve seen people sketching from it and talking about it. To see sculptors, painters and people interested in human figure and creative movement using the book for their projects is one of the mission of the book, and that feels great!
“COCO IS A MODEL WHO BREAKS THE STEREOTYPE. HERE, SHE IS CREATING AND PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES IN ONE THOUSAND WAYS. SHE EXPRESSES HERSELF AND CONSTANTLY SURPRISES ME; WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST WONDERFULLY IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE: TO BE SURPRISED” —JEAN PAUL GAULTIER
Study of Pose: 1000 Poses by Coco Rocha, Photogr a phs by Steven Sebring. Published 2014 by Har per Design, an imprint of Har perCollins Publisher s.
STORY HED
Story Dek
MONOCLE
RUNAWAYS, f ashion illustr ation piece fr om his solo exhibition OVEREXPOSED, London, 2012.
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JUST THE RIGHT STROKES
SPIROS HALARIS HAS SET A NEW VISUAL INDUSTRY STANDARD WITH HIS BRILLIANT INTERPRETATION OF STYLE AND ART. HE SHARES HIS CAREER C HOICES AND INSPIRATIONS THAT HAS MADE HIM ONE OF THE MOST SOUGHT-AFTER ARTISTS IN FASHION. HOME SWEET HOME I was born and raised in Athens, Greece. Athens is a fun place if you know the city’s tricks. Looking back, I always treasured the memories I have from my childhood. I grew up holidaying on the Greek islands every year, playing out in the streets as a kid (yes, I was lucky enough to be part of the last generation who enjoyed that kind of entertainment) and having a combo of a rural and big city lifestyle.
SETTING YOUR OWN PATH During college, I started illustrating stuff I liked and started putting them out there with the intention of being seen. However, I didn’t intend to make a career out of it, never mind sustain a lifestyle by illustrating pretty things! I had not been illustrating (or drawing) since I was little, as many illustrators did. I was creative in numerous ways but nothing close to what I’m doing today as an illustrator. So when things started to roll, I kept on illustrating and I haven’t stopped to this day!
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS I started working on a lot of fashion-related works of my liking and people from the industry started noticing the work. This led to various projects. One of the major reasons I chose fashion was the multifaceted ideas and opportunities that it offered me as an image-maker. The year I covered the Mayfair Hotel lobby windows with fashion illustrations for the launch of London Fashion Week was a great opportunity to showcase the work and a really successful project for the hotel.
BACK TO THE BASICS I use various illustration techniques and I am always exploring new ones. Primarily, I create my work on paper as a rough sketch that I then finalize and color digitally. This process also involves a lot of handmade elements such as acrylics, watercolors and ink that I scan and manipulate digitally. As a typographer, I use watercolors and ink for calligraphy.
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WORK ESSENTIALS My iMac, my tablet and coffee (the last one is often replaced by Redbull based on pressure and stress levels) are the 3 most essential tools in my studio.
LIFE-LESSONS
I’ve lived in several places: the UK, Greece and NYC. They each had and still have their own story (and influence) for me as an artist and as a professional. The latter has been undeniable. I went from a college in Athens to working on projects for big labels when I first moved to the UK. I learned a lot about the industry, about the people and the work involved. Running a studio and handling all kinds of projects, has been an important lesson to me. You can only learn by working in such fast-paced environments. Now, I live in New York but I still work a lot in London. I think the combination of these two worlds suits me best; it’s a great multi-stimulating balance!
ATELIER PARFUM, illustr ation series.
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SPIROS HALARIS
Just the Right Strokes
METROPOLIS, editorial illustr ation. An explor ation of lif estyles, peculiar habits and time consuming obsessions in big cities.
Campaign illustr ation for the debut accessories collection of NYC br and Natalie Marie Gehrels.
“MY PERSONAL WORK AS AN ILLUSTRATOR WILL ALWAYS DIFFER FROM THE NEEDS OF COMMISSIONS THAT I WORK ON AS CREATIVE IN THE INDUSTRY. BUT THAT’S A BIG PART OF BEING AN ILLUSTRATOR.” 23
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SPIROS HALARIS
Just the Right Strokes
AESOP, Pr oduct series 24
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ROISIN, art direction and design. (Re-edition Roisin Mur phy “Over powered” LP).
THE PRETTY THINGS, illustr ation series, mixed-media.
“I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF FAMILIARITY AND FANTASY (OR GRAPHIC ABSTRACTION) IN MOST OF MY WORK” RITUALISTIC BEHAVIOURS While working on various ideas I edit, edit, edit until it feels right. I dive straight into my work. I am not sure if I ever refine my ideas completely, but I know that they generally start big and then I cut a little bit here and a little bit there until the idea is balanced and strong. The process of adding and removing is a really important ritual in my work.
SECOND LIFE I always said that I wanted to be an astronaut, so if I weren’t an artist, I guess I would try that (although I hate flying!).
IT’S ALL ABOUT BALANCE My artwork is usually
ABOUT FAST-FASHION I don’t think my work has
well-balanced with marketability and I never feel that I have to compromise much. At the end of the day, my personal work as an illustrator will always differ from the needs of commissions that I work on as creative in the industry. But that’s a big part of being an illustrator. I try to work on a lot of personal projects and exhibitions as often as possible, which gives me the opportunity to share that type of work. I also think it is important to have a little bit of familiarity and fantasy (or graphic abstraction) in most of my work. There is a strong balance in familiarity and realistic elements merged into a graphic/abstract environment.
been affected by this phenomenon, I think it’s a new and different way in production which has its pros and cons.
HOBBIES I am a proud extreme inline skater, passionate mexican food eater and I am a sucker for any kind of getaway trip.
THE BEAUTY EFFECT It was really rewarding working with the Sephora team [here] in the US recently. We worked on two beautiful campaigns that I was able to create, almost freely, the deliverables. It was great to see the work executed and produced in all their outlets and showcases.
THE REWARDS Print! I love seeing things in print and I love seeing things take 3D dimensions. I work a lot digitally and most of my works live in a digital environment so seeing things in print is very rewarding.
THE MEANING OF CRAFT Craft to me is the enjoyment you get out of something that you are passionate about and so intimately tied with. A good craft requires intimacy.
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Sunday Times Style magazine for their Big Spring Issue 2014. The series inc luded 3 cover s f eaturing Karlie Kloss, Joan Smalls and Lar a Stone.
VIEW POINT
Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they are your s...
As long as habit and r outine dictate the patter n of living, new dimensions of the soul will not emerge...
Ever yone has talent. What is r are is the cour age to follow the talent to the place it leads... THE JOURNEY OF A BRAVE SOUL who takes a non traditional career path is hard. There is no set path, and the opportunities to lose your way far out number the chances to succeed. When you add in the uncertainty of what you are struggling to achieve may not even happen, it makes the journey seem impossible. (I always imagine it as struggling to stay afloat in the ocean at the base of a giant cliff.) It is not always the financial struggle which consumes and destroys many, as bank advertising would have us believe, it is the mental anguish of trying to figure out if you have what it takes and should keep sacrificing everything in a life to give a 110% to your craft. Or, if perhaps this is not your true dream then you should move on to a different pursuit to be inspired again elsewhere. The worst of this is there is no right or wrong answer. Nobody can make the decision for you. There is no “Hallmark card” answer to solve this internal drama saying, “Happy (you are highly doubting yourself, but if you spend 2.3 more months it will all work out) Day!”. It makes the question of ‘what do you want to do with your life?’ a complicated hurdle that is, at times, paralyzing when asked. It is overwhelming to think a person’s skills might be artistic, but that becoming an artist won’t pay the bills. The impact of not knowing your future or making a slip in judgment that derails this journey is a pressure that weighs down today’s generation. The question on many students minds becomes: Is going into debt worth the years of school? This stress of the future’s uncertainty is often described as a suffocating wave overcoming people. The freedom and escape is that some people have their goals FA R SH OU L D W E AL L G O and passions early in life. These lucky PURSU E OU R DRE AMS. few are truly blessed to have grasped what they want to do. It sets a passion in their hearts which guides them through BY RYAN PAYNE their daily struggles; surfing through life with balance and grace. This group seems to work for their ideals and in the pursuit of their dreams throughout life, not for a single goal or the fleeting desire to feel accomplished. Those with an established passion, have the attitude to overcome obstacles and accomplish anything. I wonder though, is it that they know the path and are navigating it well or is it that they are so focused on moving forward, they don’t see the harrowing road before them? What happens when those with passion look up, or people begin to question their focus? What if you know your passion and hold your dreams close but can’t realize them where you are living? Or if you hit the career ceiling for your city, how do you know when it is time to move on? I sat down with established and emerging international artists to ask how they tackle these dilemmas we all go through in an attempt to solve our internal struggle. I was overwhelmed with the responses. Paragraphs, long letters, even voicemails poured in with stories outlining how each had struggled/still are uncertain of their career path. All, not some but ALL, said they had to leave home to grow. The story always started the same: they worked
NOW, VOYAGER
Images, Creative Commons.
HOW TO
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NOW, VOYAGER
How Far Should We Go to Pursue Our Dreams
OU D ID Y NEEDE D R H OW W YO U O R D E N K N O E AV E I L TO ROW ? G TO
hard to learn in their closest big city: Toronto, Dublin, México City, Sydney, Denver, etc. However those interviewed, found they outgrew it or were “spinning [their] wheels much of the time”. They had to take the plunge to another city or in many cases, another country, to continue pursuing their dreams. It seems the grass is always greener some place else. For this article, I chose 4 subjects representing different goals and creative motives. a) Meagan Morrison, a Toronto-born, New York-based fashion illustrator who this past season alone worked with Missoni and Saks (even the New York Times promotes her work). b) Elaine Barker, Irish-famed turned Sydney photographer. c) Corissa Bagan, former designer at Elle Canada Magazine, now Art Director of Herringbone Magazine along with running her own graphic design practice in Berlin. d) Beatriz Juarez, our very own Creative Director of Herringbone Magazine and former Art Director of Canada’s top fashion magazine, ELLE Canada.
MEAGAN: “It became quite obvious that you hit the ceiling pretty quickly when it comes to opportunities for growth (unless you start your own business). The coveted positions are nearly impossible to land unless someone retires or a new publication/department is developed.” ELAINE: “I found myself at a very young age being a successful public relations photographer, a successful girlfriend of 4 years and a new home owner with my partner at the ripe old ago of 22! I remember moving into my house, hopping for carpets and thinking ‘this is not my life’. After six months of playing house and experiencing the ball and chain that is a mortgage I had a bit of a melt down and decided life needed to change fast... I went off to discover the world, life, different cultures and of course to photograph it all!” CORISSA: “It wasn’t so much about leaving where I lived as it was being somewhere else. You can be creative anywhere, but it’s important to realize where your work will have the most value. Some places just have better creative resources for certain types of projects than others. Berlin had a huge draw for me because of the fashion industry, the start-up industry, the artist culture, and it’s central location in Europe. The fashion and publishing industries are simply more developed, populated and, dare I say, open-minded here” BEATRIZ: “In Mexico City, all the positions I wanted were “taken” by the daughters and friends of the publishers, so I knew if I wanted to get the same positions but based on my own merits I had to go somewhere else. I also wanted to work in a more open-minded environment, where differences on race, social status and gender weren’t an issue.”
“THE IMPACT OF NOT KNOWING YOUR FUTURE OR MAKING A SLIP IN JUDGMENT THAT DERAILS THIS JOURNEY IS A PRESSURE THAT WEIGHS DOWN TODAY'S GENERATION”
I T B EE N W H AT H A S G A ND LIKE LIVIN A B R OA D ? W O R K I NG
MEAGAN: “I felt like I was spinning my wheels much of the time while I was working in Toronto. I decided to pursue a career as a fashion illustrator/artist in the most competitive city on the planet, New York, where I would ultimately need to qualify for an O-1 Outstanding Artist Visa to stay. Everything from riding the subway, to renting an apartment here, is an absolute struggle. I’ve had four different visas in the 5 years that I’ve been here. But the flip side is that you know deep down that you broke the glass ceiling, that you succeeded in winning over the hardest place on earth. I still have a LOT of work to do, a lot more to prove, but by doing it in New York, I’m ultimately doing it the world over.” ELAINE: “I have never felt so free. Freedom is such a gift and not enough of us appreciate it or use it! Take advantage of your freedom and live every day, experience everything you can while you can. I released myself from the burdens and
pressures of ‘find a job, find a man, buy a house, get married, have babies’ it just wasn’t for me. My heart was in photographing exciting new places. I’ve gained a Carpe Diem attitude!” CORISSA: “I gained trust in the universe, strength in my relationship with my partner, the ability to manage moments of panic (still working on that one), and a deep appreciation for REALLY basic things. “ BEATRIZ: “Certainly, the easiest part is the actual job, but understanding people from different cultures and getting to know how they perceive things is challenging. What I consider funny might be rude to somebody else. What I think is ironic is that, after 15 years of living abroad and having worked in the major fashion magazines in this country, I find myself in the very same position as when I left Mexico City. I want new creative challenges.”
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NOW, VOYAGER
U O YO S T, D T W H A YO U LO K THIN THING? Y IF AN
How Far Should We Go to Pursue Our Dreams
WHAT WOULD MAKE YOU RETURN HOME?
MEAGAN: Being able to have independence in New York was by far the biggest challenge. Unless you are American, marry an American, or have dual-citizenship, you have to be sponsored by an employer to stay in the country. For me, the idea of working for only one employer was stifling. The very nature of fashion illustration is being able to work for a multitude of clients, not just one. Fortunately this year I co-founded a company and my issue was resolved. ELAINE: Nothing at all! CORISSA: If there was any morsel of myself that feared change, I’ve lost it. It’s incredible how much the most basic routines and comforts support you in times when you’re trying to create something, and how disorienting it is when you don’t have them anymore. Things that were easy become hurdles, such as figuring out where to buy art supplies and the groceries you need. The first time I bought face cleanser in Berlin was an overwhelming 20 minute long experience because the only word I recognized was Nivea. Of course you don’t lose your friends and professional relationships when you leave as long as you work on maintaining them. However, it’s much harder to find jobs and to make projects happen when you don’t know many people in your city. If you change time zones, you also miss being able to call your friends in the high times and the low times. I also lost three quarters of my wardrobe and my “perceived need” for a lot of material things. BEATRIZ: “I lost my fear. That’s all...which can’t be bad!”
Images, Creative Commons.
WH AT AD VI CE WO UL D YO U GI VE OT HE RS TRYI NG TO DO TH E SA ME ?
MEAGAN: I don’t feel comfortable speaking on behalf of anyone else’s journey but if I can give any advice would be to launch your career in the biggest city imaginable. You’ll end up having to do it all over again if you don’t. When you prove yourself in New York against the greatest talent on the planet, by default you’ve proven yourself everywhere else too. ELAINE: Get up and go! CORISSA: If there’s a part of you that wants to try living in another place, it’s probably coming from your gut. Even if it’s just a curiosity, it will not go away until you satisfy it. Don’t wait for the “right time”, create it. Set a brave deadline for yourself that you’re comfortable with. If you start to freak out just remember that even if it all blows up in your face, at least you tried. And finally, the most boring answer—save every penny that you can! BEATRIZ: “Doesn’t matter where you are and where you want to go. Life is all about learning and unlearning. So, my only advice is: choose to live with no fear and be honest to yourself about what you REALLY want. Sometimes what you think you want, is just the beginning of the search of what you really came to do to this world. And that might be at the opposite side of where you are.”
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FAMILY (UNANIMOUS ANSWER)
After reading their answers and knowing each of their successes, it seems obvious that all would move and pursue their dreams. Yet, what was interesting is none of them see themselves as having “made it.” All four today are hustling and working to improve their lives to what they want them to be, rather than aspiring to a job which will provide it for them. On many ocassions, I’ve had the chance to ask successful designers about “making it”. Karen Walker, the international designer, talked about making her life—and the life of her family—the best possible. That even amongst her empire of success, she still works daily as she loves what she does. Christopher Raeburn, Swiss Army/Victoria Knox designer, told me he still wonders for the future and what will happen next season, next collection. Antonio Azzuolo, talks about how perfecting an idea is the ultimate goal. I think this is the key to all of their successes. The money they make doesn’t propel them to work long hours, or determine how much of themselves and their time they put into a project. Each of them are working for their personal pursuit of happiness, an ideal which can not be moved, hidden or taken away by anybody else. To all those muddling through, you are only in a race with yourself, don’t worry what others are doing/experiencing. They don’t have the memories and experiences you do. Keep being inspired and be curious by what only you can create. Life is not a journey to race through, but an adventure to unfold.
“YOU CAN BE CREATIVE ANYWHERE, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO REALIZE WHERE YOUR WORK WILL HAVE THE MOST VALUE. SOME PLACES JUST HAVE BETTER CREATIVE RESOURCES THAN OTHERS”
FOCUS
P H OTO G R A P H E R A N DY L E E , E X P L O R E S O U R DA N C E W I T H G E N D E R AND IDENTIY
BEYOND THE
BINARY P H OTO G R A P H E R A N DY L E E , E X P LO R E S T H E O U T E R L I M I T S O F T H E P E R C E P T I O N S T H AT H E L P U S E X PA N D O U R D E F I N I T I O N S A S H U M A N B E I N G S .
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BEYOND THE BINARY
An Exploration of Gender and Fashion
COCO RIOT
GENDERQUEER POLITICAL ARTIST
“MY NAME IS COCO RIOT AND I AM A SPANISH VISUAL ARTIST based in Toronto. In my work I love visualizing lost/forbidden stories through drawing, and I identify as a genderqueer political artist. Gender is a subject I deal with in my art, in my life and in my closet. Going to public washrooms and looking for clothes are some of the most challenging public moments for me. I love clothes and I love dressing up. I like choosing my clothes depending on my mood of the day. In the morning, I ask myself what I will be doing and how I want to feel during the day. Sometimes, I want to feel warm and comfortable. Other days I want to feel proud and strong. Some others, I just want to stay in pajamas. In my closet you will find men’s clothing that looks feminine and fun (which is rare). They are my size, they are good quality and inexpensive. I like clothes that defy gender as much as I do and I am very selective with my clothing, my haircut and my shoes. All these things help me express outwards the gender I am inside. Clothing is important but also challenging, so I know the stores where I can find what I am looking for without people making stupid rude comments about my gender. I always go to the same stores and the same hairdresser because I trust them. In Toronto, I love the Korean fashion design stores; size and design are perfect and I enjoy supporting the work of these fashion designers. Most of my shirts come from a small cheap store in Madrid, and many of my shoes come from another small store in my hometown in Spain. I don’t have much money but I love quality, so I look for good clothes that I can wear in different occasions and are going to last long time. I love bright colours and patterns, the special touch of jewelry and mixing styles. I also have confidencebuilding clothes (like a sweater my partner gave me) and memory-recalling clothes (like the hat my grandmother offered me when I left Spain). When I am not wearing anything special outside, I wear special underwear and socks. It is my inside joke and gives me strength: fun socks, men’s colorful underwear that often matches with my outside clothing. I also wear a binder, which is the only piece of clothing I don’t like. It hurts my back and I am convinced it squeezes my emotions. I know it is bad for my health, but I wear it and will continue to do so because it helps me to show myself and my body the way I really feel.”
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Some f avourite pieces fr om Coco’s c loset.
“IN MY WORK I LOVE VISUALIZING LOST/FORBIDDEN STORIES THROUGH DRAWING. GENDER IS A SUBJECT I DEAL WITH IN MY ART, IN MY LIFE, AND IN MY CLOSET”
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Check out Coco Riot’s work at cocoriot.com
DEN TEMIN
SEXOLOGIST, SEXUAL EDUCATOR & COAC H
OUR UNDERSTANDING OF GENDER IS CONSTANTLY SHIFTING and with it, fashion has allowed us to express the evolution of what is perceived as male or female. What space exists within and in relation to the fashion industry for those who break normative constructions of gender? As a genderqueer sexologist, I’ve been able to live and study the manner in which fashion has been reclaimed, transgressed, and redefined by genderqueer folks who transit in between and beyond the normative gender dichotomy. Genderqueers embody gender variance and live beyond the boundaries of normative gender codes. How you see an individual might not always be how the person defines who they are. Gender is a mirror that reflects who we perceive to be rather than what genitals we were born with. It is a journey that constructs, and defines us as individuals. Fashion plays an important role in the portrayal of gender, influencing how individuals feel about themselves and how others perceive them. Contemporary western society has a very limited, constrictive, linear, and binary understanding of gender exemplified through two opposing identities masculine and feminine. We are expected to fall within one or another, and this gender construct is reflected and maintained through a clear and rigid division of products and services. Within fashion clothes, shoes, accessories, and hairstyles are designed within this framework. Stores and fashion environments clearly divide their spaces into male and female sections. Fashion can be a political statement for genderqueer folks who use clothes, accessories, and grooming practices as a vehicle to break down strict boundaries in order to create spaces that empower, and celebrate diverse gender expressions. We bring
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BEYOND THE BINARY
An Exploration of Gender and Fashion
a political element to the fashion industry by drawing attention to the manner in which it allows us to perform and express our particular vision of gender embodiment. The question that remains is; is there a genderqueer fashion? The answer is simple yet fairly complex. There isn’t a specific definition of genderqueer but rather an existence that is unique to the experience of each individual. There are elements that can support the expression of our own understanding of the queerness of our genders but each genderqueer individual defines their own identity and gender journey. When I was approached by Herringbone magazine to write on fashion and genderqueer folks, I decided that this piece would really reflect the above definition of genderqueer. I cannot be the voice for the many genderqueer folks that transit within and through various communities; this is then a personal conversation about my daily journey with fashion as a genderqueer individual.
my attraction. My desire does. My gender is a perception of who I am not who I want to be with. How has fashion helped you define your identity? Expressing my genderqueerness in a visual manner has been a complex journey. First I had to put words and concepts to how I understood myself to be, and then I needed to find a way to express that physically. The closest I have come to that is through fashion. I needed to visibilize a blurred image of strict gender codes, and I could achieve that through clothes, accessories, and daily grooming practices. I find clothes that are strictly attached to normative masculine and feminine gender codes; like heels and ties. I also look for clothes that are more unisex and could be worn by either; like t-shirts. I am also very aware of colours, and choose the ones that mostly catch my attention, which tend to be purple and turquoise. I mix and match all of these elements based on the visuals that I want to express. I want to express transgression, and the breaking of normative gender codes. In order to do that I need to incorporate traditional pieces that visualizes masculinity and femininity. I think of my body as a canvas. My naked body doesn’t really represent who I perceive myself to be. Hence I use clothes, shoes, and accessories as art to decorate my body, in order to be able to express what I see on the inside. I am not looking for an androgynous presentation; I am trying to go beyond that. How easy it is to find fashion to help you define your identity? If I were to shop in a traditional manner, extremely hard. Stores have a very rigid understanding of where people need to shop in order to dress their bodies so that they fit a certain look or presentation. I go for the aesthetic, the visual expression. Sometimes there are pieces that I really like but unfortunately they are not cut to fit my body. They are designed, and made to fit the stereotype of a body that coincides with the normative gender. There are some masculine pieces or shoes that I would absolutely love to add to my wardrobe, unfortunately they don’t fit my body at all. They are cut a certain way to fit only normative male bodies. Finding fashion that defines my identity has been like my gender: a journey. It’s still a journey in process; I am learning how to make fashion work with me as a tool rather that constrict me into a category. It’s still a complex journey that feels like a maze. Sometimes I feel very lost trying to find fashion that can define who I am, and other times I feel as if I were a catalyst for change where rather than fashion defining me; I define fashion through my choices. Accessories that I find are very specific to genderqueer and trans identities are those that allow us to be playful with our genders such as in my case binders, and packers. These accessories support a visual body transformation that makes clothes fit and look a specific way. Binders make my chest look flat and give an illusion of a certain type of masculinity that I can incorporate to my gender expression. Binders also allow fabric to drape differently around my body, allowing for certain pieces to fit better.
HB: What is Genderqueer? There isn’t one definition for genderqueer. I imagine my gender to be a galaxy rather than a linear symbol. The linear image is too constricting for my gender, only allowing me to transit between two conceptions of feminine and masculine. In my gender galaxy I go beyond this binary and exist in a conception that is vast, multidimensional, and where there is fluid motion. Masculine and feminine do exist, but they do so amongst many other different definitions that might encompass certain elements of masculinity, femininity, a combination of both, or neither. Queerness has always carried a political connotation for me, it is not a stance that exists on its own but rather intersects with the many other identities I carry as an individual. Following this understanding, genderqueerness for me is a political understanding of my gender. I reject the gender binary and embrace a gender that is fluid and infinite. The pronoun that I choose to define myself is They. This is an example of the multiplicity and plurality of my gender. As a genderqueer I transit beyond the boundaries and the normative notions of masculine and feminine. What are the most common misconceptions of what Genderqueer is? In my own experience gender is usually confused with sexual orientation. People assume that my gender expresses not who I perceive myself to be but rather who I am romantically, emotionally, and sexually attracted to and involved with. The normative manner in which my gender is usually read is as female. Although that has been changing lately as I experiment with different clothes and looks. Since I’m usually read as a female and I am in a relationship with a person that identifies as a woman, the way that I dress and express myself is most of the time related to the fact that I am perceived to be in a same-sex relationship, rather than to my gender expression. People generally confuse the two, gender identity and sexual orientation. In reality these identities are not the same thing. They intersect, like every other identity that makes me who I am, but they are not the same. Who I am as an individual doesn’t dictate
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IT IS A MAGICAL EXPERIENCE TO BE NAKED IN FRONT OF A MIRROR, SLOWLY ADDING LAYERS THAT PORTRAY TO OTHERS THE IMAGE THAT YOU HAVE OF YOURSELF. IF I WERE TO WALK NAKED AMONGST PEOPLE, I WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO EXPRESS MY GENDER IN THE WAY I UNDERSTAND IT. MY GENDER WOULD BE MISREAD AND MISINTERPRETED ALL THE TIME. I WOULD BE IMMEDIATELY CAST INTO ONE OF THE BINARY CATEGORIES WITHOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE READ IN A NON-NORMATIVE MANNER. DRESSING UP EVERY MORNING IS A RITUAL, A SPACE IN WHICH I GET TO VISUALLY EXIST FOR MYSELF AND FOR THE WORLD. EACH PIECE CARRIES A MEANING AND AS I AM PUTTING IT ON, A REVOLUTION IS HAPPENING. MY EXISTENCE THROUGH FASHION IS A VISUAL, POLITICAL TRANSFORMATION OF THE GENDER REVOLUTION THAT I AM PART OF. —DEN TEMIN
Hair & Makeup, GianLuca Orienti (TRESemmé Hair/ judyinc.com); Creative Direction and Pr oduction, Beatriz Juarez.
I WEAR A BINDER, WHICH IS THE ONLY PIECE OF CLOTHING I DON’T LIKE. IT HURTS MY BACK AND I AM CONVINCED IT SQUEEZES MY EMOTIONS. I KNOW IT IS BAD FOR MY HEALTH, BUT I WEAR IT AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO BECAUSE IT HELPS ME TO SHOW MYSELF AND MY BODY THE WAY I REALLY FEEL. —COCO RIOT
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Photogr a phy, Creative Commons.
VIEW POINT
CANDY
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WHAT THE FROCK?
A Critical Investigation of Fashion Language
CANDY
Photogr a phy, Creative Commons.
GENIUS
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WHAT THE FROCK?
A Critical Investigation of Fashion Language
GENIUS
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Photogr a phy, Creative Commons.
KILLER
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WHAT THE FROCK?
A Critical Investigation of Fashion Language
KILLER
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VIEW POINT
WHAT THE FROCK? A CRITICAL INVESTIGATION OF FASHION LANGUAGE BY ANNALIE C HERNIN
CONFECTIONERY
CONFECTIONERY
WHAT THE FROCK?
A Critical Investigation of Fashion Language
Photogr a phy (cake), Creative Commons.
“Elegant, yet timeless; the classic pearl earring goes bold. For fall, the iconic stud gets a modern twist. Oversized or ornate and edgy, the new way to wear pearls is both glamorous and sexy. Paired perfectly with more casual attire, pearls transform “prim and proper” to ultra-cool, making a chic statement for the season.” The previous paragraph highlights the ten most common words used in fashion language (and writing). The most common being chic followed by, perfect, classic, new, modern, cool, sexy, elegant, glamour, and iconic. Despite being used in language in general, it is in fashion where these words truly flourish. As an avid reader of fashion magazines, I set out to learn more about the role of language and how it creates meaning about what we understand to be fashion. To do this, I conducted a close text analysis of a year’s worth of content from four popular fashion magazines including, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle and Flare. As well, analyzed the content of four blogs over a month-long period. These included The Man Repeller, Susie Style Bubble, WhoWhatWear, and Refinery29. As a consumer and reader of fashion magazines and blogs, I am confronted by these words on an almost daily basis. The more I read however, the more the words and language used begins to blur. I have come under the impression that the descriptions, words and phrases have become redundant. This is not to say that all fashion media abuse the same language. I have always found that fashion magazines and blogs contain a great deal of information that conveys how fashion chooses to define itself at a given moment in time. Yet, even in the most established and widespread fashion media, there has been a notable and reasonably consistent homogenization of the language.
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The study revealed that, along with the established conventions and rules used to govern “fashion speak”, the speed of change and increasing cultural relevance of fashion has also contributed to a fast environment in which much of the same language (written and content) is being produced. Language is used to structure our world and how we experience it. However, in an industry like fashion, communication is largely dependent on images and visuals. Eventually, we do need words in order to structure our understanding of the image. What makes the issue more complex is the relation between fashion and consumerism, in which fashion is both: a cultural product and a commodity. Fashion can act as a mirror reflecting the current culture. At the same time, fashion is a commodity. It has to sell. Language used in magazines therefore, is not only based on specific modes of cultural understanding but also as a “sales pitch” to create desire. This often results in “tricks” such as the use of imperatives and reassurance in order to persuade the reader. In fashion magazines, the text included along with the image is usually minimal. There is typically a title used to set up a narrative or a one sentence lead that acts as an introduction (called dek in editorial terms). Any remaining text is often relegated to the corner of the page—set in small point font—with either a brief description of the mood or just a list of clothing and price, with little actual information. Cloth-
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WHAT THE FROCK?
A Critical Investigation of Fashion Language
ing is suggested through mood and feeling rather than what appears to reduce, new meanings are continually added, is, leaving the reader without an awareness of what is actually allowing words to develop new layers of significance. For represented. Image trumps the word, as the text can be easily example, fashion’s favourite word chic is simultaneously overlooked or disregarded. It is as if the fashion image is so losing meaning, while at the same time expanding. complex, that we cannot find the right words to describe it. Because of semantic bleaching (and in order to combat Yet fashion requires text in order to enhance and illustrate the the diluted meaning of words) there is an increased use of meaning of the image even if it is not considered a priority. modifiers that expand the words range, simultaneously perIn fashion, the image is instant. A photograph can be petuating its use and expansion forward. For the word chic communicated immediately while accompanying text must this has resulted in over 400 different modifications from geek be read, which takes time and attention. With the increase chic, to grunge chic, to überchic, day-night chic, minimal chic, in the immediacy of communication and social media tech- hopelessly chic…the list goes. Chic is not only a thing, it’s a nology, along with the number of fashion shows per year, state of being. It’s an emotion, it’s a feeling, it’s a style but the urgency and demand for providing information instan- when the meaning expands to everything, then I find myself taneously has impacted language (where fashion was once asking what is chic if everything can be? constrained to two seasons of runway With all the changes that have been shows it has expanded, with pre-seaoccurring in fashion, the language we sons, holiday and resort). Everything is use appears to remain stagnant, becomnow presented as the newest, the latest ing more homogenous as the perpetuTOP TEN and the greatest. ation of the same words, phrases and MOST USED With greater value placed on imfunctions are continually recycled and mediacy there is little time for words. re-used in mainstream fashion content. WORDS IN FASHION What is written is rich in metaphors This is not to say that all fashion writ(IN DESCENDING ORDER) and embellishment but there is a lack ing is the same. There are a multitude of detail. Emphasis has been placed on of alternative voices in both print, acaChic immediacy rather than content. We demia, and particularly online, where Perfect no longer have the patience to read there is a growing effort to write prothe words we use. They must become ductively about fashion. Classic stronger and more impactful, rather The trouble is when you try to come New than empty and arbitrary. They need up with an alterative—a new way of atModern to be strong enough to create meaning, tributing and describing something— while at the same time, meeting the nothing like the words chic, cool, glamCool constraints of new technologies (and orous, elegant, or modern seem to do the Sexy the augmented use of a limited numtrick. Yet, it is also these very words Elegant ber of characters). This scenario of urthat have given some people outside gency, makes it all too easy for writers of the fashion industry, the impression Glamorous to fall back on clichés and a formulaic that fashion (and fashion writing) canIconic glossary of terms. With the repetition not be taken seriously, is fluffy, or inof the same words and phrases across consequential. magazines, blogs, and social media, the In order to evolve, fashion media less meaningful they become. Words like chic and cool have has to continue to refresh written content. In an industry been over used to the point that they no longer mean what that is always on the pulse of what is new, the language must they initially “set out” to mean. This has diminished their progress, not only to maintain readership and cultural signifipower and effect. cance but also to move forward. This process of reduction is known as semantic bleaching As producers and consumers of fashion we should not that refers to the weakening of the meaning of words over only question the use of language produced but also find altime and over use. At the same time, as a word’s meaning ternatives to the clichés of written fashion. (USED ACROSS ALL FOUR MAGAZINES)
“must-have”, “of the moment”, “it girl”, “jet-set”, “cutting-edge”, “red-hot”, “clean lines”, “eye-popping”, “pop of colour”, “luxe it up” “In Full Bloom”, “Flower Power”, “Love Lace”, “Silver Linings”, “Pretty in Pink”, “Moody Blues”, “White Hot”, “Think Pink”, “Wild Things”, “Colour Theraphy”
Photogr a phy, Creative Commons.
COMMON EXPRESSIONS AND SHARED TITLES
CHIC TWEETS IN AN ERA WHERE INMMEDIACY IS KEY –AND THERE IS LITTLE TIME FOR WORDS– FASHION WRITERS HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED WITH FINDING WORDS STRONG ENOUGH TO CONVEY MEANING AND DRAW INTEREST WITH A LIMITED NUMBER OF CHARACTERS....
Look 19 from Sacai’s Spring 2015 ready to wear collection, features Rusian model Nastya Sten. Sten’s hair is worn straight and deeply parted with wispy bangs side swept to the left. She wears a high collared lace top, white lace trimmed skirt and black patent platforms. The top is a mariniere-stripe top edged in white guipure lace in a boxy t-shirt shape with white guipure lace trim on the shoulders (extending across the collarbone to the neck). The collar is a hybrid between a lace mock neck and a Zhivago collar extending to the jaw line with black trim detailing. The shoulders feature white epaulettes with a black trim. The body of the shirt, a marinnere stripe in white and black hits below the hips. Lace edging extends below the hem. The above-the-knee white canvas skirt, has a slight A-line shape and a wraparound side slit and is trimmed in white guipure lace trim.
Photogr a phy, courtesy of Sacai.
This particular look was featured, among many, during Sacai’s Spring/Summer 2015 ready to wear runway show in Paris September 29, 2014. The ensemble is a mash-up between military influences and floral motifs, while the entire collection featured looks combining military wares, seventies romance and lots of lace. Designer Chitose Abe is known for her play with juxtaposition between heavy and delicate fabrics, yet making them work together effortlessly. The collection appears to have a three dimensional quality, combining utility with femininity. Although each garment is intricately detailed, the whole range was artful, while emanating a sense of lightness and wearability.
This example explores the reduction of a written review fr om a c lose text an alysis of a collection, to a tweetable 140 char acter s.
Look 19 from Sacai’s Spring 2015 ready to wear collection, is a mash-up between military influences and floral motifs, seventies romance and lots of lace. Designer Chitose Abe plays with the juxtaposition between heavy and delicate fabrics, making them work together effortlessly.
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DEMOCRATIZING FASHION Fashion Blogger Danielle Meder (Final Fashion), explores the current debates on the relevance of fashion language and criticism. Many magazines and popular fashion blogs use the same words and phrases to describe fashion. Words like chic, perfect, elegant and glamorous. Do you think fashion writing in the context of some magazines and blogs lacks variety? There is a lot of mediocre fashion writing out there. In an online world of unlimited options, there’s no need to read substandard stuff if you can find better. There seems to be a lot of content yet so little diversity in mainstream fashion writing. Do you think that fashion is a difficult subject to write about? All subjects are difficult to write about! I think fashion by its very nature attracts many visual-thinkers rather than analytical ones. People who can successfully bridge the worlds of images and words are rarer than people who are good with just one or the other. Fashion is historically feminized and therefore often regarded with condescension as somewhat anti-intellectual. I think that unfortunate attitude continues among certain influential types who like to write and think. It seems like the younger internet natives are much more open-minded about what fashion writing can be. Do you feel that many of the commonly overused words have been emptied of their significant meaning? Sure, but that’s fashion too! The words used in context tell us a lot about what fashion is, and what it thinks it is. Do you read fashion magazines? If so, which ones and why? I rarely read fashion magazines. I consume most of my fashion media through the Internet and books. Though I do have a love of perusing through back copies of all types of magazines, especially sequentially over a number of years.
So much of fashion is image-driven that we tend to focus on that more than anything else, it seems as if words are often secondary, yet they do have an important role to play. What role do you think written words have in creating meaning in fashion? Image searching is still rudimentary, so the words you use matter. The internet encourages the use of words. Written content on some mainstream fashion blogs are often short and ‘snippet’ in style. There seems to be a greater focus on image galleries and slides. Do you think viewing audiences pay attention to what is written? I think probably images are “read” more frequently, fashion culture is primarily image-based so that makes sense. With so much pressure on writers, do you think they are depending on fashion clichés and content recycling? If writers depend on clichés they are not writers. That’s something else, it should have a name. They should be called content regenerators. Initially fashion blogs were not well known, and written mostly by fashion enthusiasts. How do you think writing on fashion blogs has changed? The internet was much more fun when it was a few random weirdos and everything looked like crap. Fuzzy mirror shots, everyone using fake silly handles, much more fighting and gossiping, philosophical discourse and idiosyncracy on display. Fashion can often be perceived as being trivial and superficial. Do you think that how fashion is written and described in magazines and blogs contributes to this perception? Yes. We all tell our own story.
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WHAT THE FROCK?
A Critical Investigation of Fashion Language
Do you think that the language used on blogs has shifted with increased commercial interests? Do you see blogs becoming more like online magazines? Writing a sponsored post that isn’t totally awful is one of the most difficult things any writer can attempt to do. Seems like the majority of fashion writing is sponsored to some degree, so that’s a handicap. I follow young fashion blogger Bebe Zeva. She does it in such a frank, knowing way. I think her sponsored content might actually be organically melded with her art somehow. Of course blogging has also allowed for more alternative voices to be heard. Where do you see fashion blogging going in the future? Some blogs will never be bigger than the person who runs them, and those are my favourite blogs. I believe the way we consume all media is on the cusp of being radically transformed. So the future of blogging will probably be unrecognizable to us, just as a newspaper now seems quaint. With blogging, it’s been a fun ride, I’m less concerned about whether it survives, than I am with where it takes us. Only really gaining headway in the 1990s, in the past couple of years it seems that fashion criticism itself is under scrutiny. How important is fashion criticism to the industry? Do you think that fashion criticism needs to change? I never see show reviews posted on social media, except by designers. However, when-
ever someone posts woefully about the state of fashion criticism, it’s everywhere. Fashion criticism is dependent upon newspapers owned by rich old men interested perpetuating the myth of objectivity for their own benefit. Online criticism is a more hostile, subjective environment, and requires a wider readership to justify itself. Most fashion criticism is irrelevant to anyone outside the fashion bubble anyway; how do you get people interested in fashion? What is truly entertaining about fashion criticism outside of the occasional designer vs. critic twitter bicker? Where are the bigger stakes? Do fashion critics affect anyone’s taste? When they all age out, will we really be in a world of terrible, unexamined bad taste? Is criticism and the idea of authoritative good taste even relevant anymore? Do we need fashion to be criticized by and for the elite? How about reviews of high street retailers that might be actually useful to readers? How about criticism from the point of social justice instead of insider gossip? What do you think is needed for fashion criticism to progress? Much like blogging, I see its future incarnations as being full of as-yet unimagined possibilities. I’ve attempted some experiments with the form, treating it in a frankly subjective way, and I see others doing so as well. Experimenting is the only thing that will ever take anything forward. Also, lets stop calling it criticism. What a downer. It’s fashion writing!
“IF WRITERS DEPEND ON CLICHÉS THEY ARE NOT WRITERS. THAT’S SOMETHING ELSE; IT SHOULD HAVE A NAME. THEY SHOULD BE CALLED CONTENT REGENERATORS.”
Check out Danielle Meder at finalfashion.ca
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All images sourced fr om The Man Repeller, Susie Style Bubble, WhoWhatWear, and Refinery2 9.
FAVOURITE PICKS
THE TRAVEL CHRONICLES OF A RISING STAR IT ALL STARTS WITH PACKING... CANADA'S NEW GENERATION OF RUNWAY STARS, SHARE WITH US THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MODEL LIFE DURING THE SS15 SHOWS ILLUSTRATED BY BENJAMIN EDWARD
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THE TRAVEL CHRONICLES OF A RISING STAR
A Fashion Week Journal
RIMOWA Salsa Air Cabin Multiwheel 21.7” in Lime Green
SOPHIE TOUCHET,
Sophie at the Oscar de la Renta SS15 Show.
NEW YORK CITY AS I WAKE UP, LIKE EVERY OTHER MORNING, in a model's apartment in the Financial District, I can feel the excitement in the air among my roommates who come from all corners of the world. We’re all in the Big Apple for one reason. Over the past few days, all the designers presented their new collection Spring/ Summer 15. It is 5:30 a.m. and some girls are struggling with their wrinkled clothes, a few are already best friends with the coffee machine and some others are waiting for the bathroom. Just so you know, living with six girls in an apartment with one bathroom is a great exercise if you need to improve your patience and self-control. As I walk to the subway station on Wall Street, my leather shorts and my lotus flowers printed shirt make a clash with all the people in suits and ties I meet on my way. This morning, I will walk for Maison Martin Margiela and later today, I’ll be walking for Oscar de la Renta, which will mark my 15th show in NYC. Since I’m heading London tonight for the next fashion week, I have no castings or fittings during the day. By the time I get to the United Kingdom, it will be the morning and I am sure to have a long list of castings waiting for me there. With the time difference, tomorrow will not be easy. Like every day during fashion weeks, I wake up not knowing what time I’ll see my bed again. If you ask me if it’s hard, I’ll tell you that it is. If you wonder if it worth it, I would say this a huge wave of opportunities on which I surf at full speed and is the most self-demanding and the best thing that ever happened to me!
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THE TRAVEL CHRONICLES OF A RISING STAR
A Fashion Week Journal
RIMOWA Salsa Air Cabin Multiwheel 21.7” in Matte Blue
Logan at the Karen Walker SS15 Show.
LOGAN PATTERSON PARIS ANOTHER FASHION WEEK HAS COME TO AN END! It amazes me how fast time flies, especially in this fast-paced world of fashion. This time around, I decided to enjoy the little moments and have as much fun as I could amongst all the craziness. My highlight this fashion week was definitely my mom coming to visit me in Paris. The end of fashion month is always the hardest—everyone is running off of weeks of long days and little sleep. By that time, I was feeling tired and worn out, and all I wanted was to be home with my family and sleep in my own bed. We rented bikes and rode them to all the fittings and shows, stopping at cafés in between. It felt more like a vacation than work! (Shhh, Don’t tell!) Music is always my saviour during fashion week. Whenever I was feeling down, I listened to The Middle by Jimmy Eat World. This song never gets old! My morning pick-me-up was Don’t Let Your Feet Touch Ground by Ash Koley. It’s so upbeat that it actually made me want to jump out of bed! My friend in Milan introduced me to the band, Old Man Canyon, which I instantly fell in love with. My favourite song by them is called Phantom and Friends. I brought my yoga mat with me this season, which took up about half of my suitcase! It was really worth it, though. This fashion week, I decided to give myself some time every day to unwind. After a long day, I would turn on the song Tesselate by Alt J and de-stress with a bit of yoga. It’s hard to believe that it's almost time to start it all over again!
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HOW TO PACK A CARRY-ON (FROM THE RIMOWA EXPERTS)
Before you pack, list what you will be doing thr oughout the week, inc luding business meetings, c lient dinner s, parties or casual events, allowing you to put together outf its ahead of time. Always tr y to pack simple essentials and double-duty items, such as shirts that can be layered, solid pants that can work either for business with a blazer, silk top and heels or as a casual outf it with a layered t-shirt, a scarf and flats. Accessorize with a f ew chosen necklaces, br acelets and one belt that can do it all, one scarf and a couple pair s of earrings. Accessories can really change a look, dressing up a casual outf it. All of the accessories should f it into a small zippered bag, any more shouldn ’t make the cut.
RIMOWA Salsa Air Cabin Multiwheel 21.7” in Matte Br own
CARLY MOORE PARIS
Carly at the Her mès SS15 Show.
ONE OF MY FAVOURITE HIGHLIGHTS of fashion week is the last stretch in Paris. It is one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever been to. On the very last day of shows I got to finish by walking in Hermès. It was a special moment as it is Christophe Lemaires last season as head designer. That night we (my New York agent and a few friends) celebrated the shows ending by having an amazing dinner on George V, and then walking to the Eiffel Tower and going up to see the amazing city by night. I was excited to come back home and see all my family and friends, but most especially to relax! Show season can sound glamorous but it is extremely exhausting and it is nice to have a short break afterwards to get yourself back to 100%.
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Once you have completed the planning and set aside the outf its, start packing and use ever y nook and cr anny of the case. Start by folding the c lothing (not r olling) into one side of the case. Fold items flat and tr y not to fold too many times, therefore elimin ating extr a bulk. Start with larger items such as pants and blazer s, and f ill in the top with lighter items such as tank tops and scarves. On the other side of the case, f ill it with oddsha ped items such as shoes and non-liquid toiletries. Tr y to pack only one pair of heels and one pair of flats, both in neutr al colour s. These can be stuff ed into each other and don ’t take up too much space.
Once you have all your c lothes on one side of the case and odd-sha ped items on the other, f inish by f illing in the extr a spaces with socks and undergar ments, the bag of jewelr y and any other small items on your list such as a pyjama shirt or a small sweater that can r oll into any open space.
SPECIAL FEATURE
Model, Tar yn H (Elite Model Man agement); Makeup and Hair, Rachel Elizabeth Smith (PUSH Man agement); Creative Direction, Beatriz Juarez.
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PRINTÀ-PORTER FA SHION D E S I G NE R S A R E C O L L A B O R AT I NG A C R O S S
D ISCIP LINE S ; T HE Y ’ V E C L O S E D T HE G A P B E T WE E N TE CHNOLOG Y A ND C R E AT I V I T Y T O E M B R A C E R E V OLUTIO NA R Y A P P R O A C HE S T O T HE I R C R A F T. BY C HRISTOPHER LEWIS
I can see the f inger prints of bleeding-edge technology all over fashion. It ’s there in the form of new materials, collabor ations, techniques and smart c lothing. The marriage of tech and f ashion is being realized by designer s who aren ’t afr aid of science and technology; they boldly incor por ate the “new” and have been rewriting the rules for a f ew year s. “There is no f uture—it ’s now,” says Fr ancis Bitonti fr om his New York-based studio in an interview. “We ’ve reached a point with technology where nobody should be talking about the f uture anymore. We can do anything.” PHOTOGRAPHY, ANDY LEE 55
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PRINT-À-PORTER
Closing the Gap Between Fashion and Technology
New materials are changing the possibilities of clothing. Thermochromic dyes change colour with heat and are being paired with tiny heaters to create computer-controlled colour change clothing. Fibreoptics, electro-luminescents and lowpower LEDs are being woven and sewn into dresses and textiles that communicate tweets, air quality, video images or any other data. Conductive fibres are woven to create touch or stretch-sensitive clothing. Muscle wires contract or expand when heated, or tiny motors can be added allowing form to change. There are nanofibres and metamaterials—artificial materials that are designed to achieve material traits that have never existed before. For example, vantablack is a material that is designed to absorb 99.965% of visible light; it’s so black that the eye can barely perceive it as more
IDEAS FLOAT VIRALLY THROUGH THE MAKERSPHERE AND ARE PICKED UP BY MANY; IT’S ALL FAIR-GAME. 56
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Photogr a phy, Andy Lee.
MATERIALS AND MAKERS
than a hole in space—obvious potential for the ultimate little black dress. These materials are often born out of academic and commercial research, and frequently remixed, repurposed and mashed into new forms by makers. Makers are people who “hack” new and/or old technology. The things they make are shared through the makersphere—a loosely defined social network of blogs, project sites, arts/music festivals and sci-fi/comic conventions; they share voraciously. Ideas float virally through the makersphere and are picked up by many; it’s all fair-game. Makers adapt ideas from science and engineering, create something, share it and are in turn, sampled and remixed— similar to the relationship between fashion and streetstyle. For example, Carlos van Camp’s extraordinary centrepiece of Iris van Herpen’s Voltage show —a performer shrouded in a metal mesh tossing real electrical arcs into the air—is directly attributed to maker-revered scientists Nikola Tesla and Michael Faraday. Tesla-and Faraday-inspired lightning performances are a common feature of many maker events; designer Anouk Wipprecht also has a lightning dress and the band ArcAttack has created musical instruments that arc electricity through the air. Designer Breeyn McCarney and I took inspiration from the makersphere by crafting a dress using EL wire; it’s an amazing material that is often used in the cosplay scene for creating Tron-like effects. McCarney embroidered a continuous-line rose motif that appears to float on a transparent skirt. I worked traditional knit lace patterns in the light emitting material; I’m amused by the juxtaposition between new material and old technique, but it’s also practical. Knitting, which has been around since at least the 1st century AD, allows for a drape and flexibility that you wouldn’t get from the material alone. Wearability is important in a future that’s flooded with synthetic fibres, nanofibres and metamaterials. This is evidenced by two recent collections by Pringle of Scotland and architect Richard Beckett featuring a combination of knitting and 3D printing.
Designer Breeyn McCar ney and Creative technologist Christopher Lewis, took inspir ation fr om the maker sphere by cr afting a dress using EL wire; McCar ney embr oidered a continuous-line r ose motif that a ppear s to float on a tr ansparent skirt, while Lewis worked tr adition al knit lace patter ns with the light emitting material; NYDERRARIEN Stiletto heel bootie, ALDO.
PRINT-À-PORTER
Closing the Gap Between Fashion and Technology
ARCHITECTS & PARAMETRIC DESIGN Architects are popular collaborators in fashion; they tend to blur the line between the technical and creative. “I would say the transition to fashion was mainly driven through technology...and having design sensibility which allowed me to transfer and collaborate with Iris on these fashion pieces,” says Julia Koerner, an architect and lecturer at UCLA’s SUPRASTUDIO, in an interview. Koerner has collaborated with Haute Couture guest member Iris van Herpen on the acclaimed Voltage, Biopiracy and Hybrid Holism collections. “I really craft everything in the computer and then show this to Iris and then she has some thoughts on it. I integrate those thoughts —we work this file and there’s a back and forth process between [us].” The process is inspired by manufacturing technology, but it’s slow and methodical: “I guess we worked almost two months on one of these files so we really craft everything.” Bitonti, a designer with his own background in architecture, believes that rapid implementation removes excuses that have stopped designers in the past: “With my education, I’m surrounded by paper architects. It’s so easy to say, ‘this is my idea—it’s not ready yet’. It’s ready if you did it.”
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Photogr a phy, Boy Kortekaas; Opposite page, Voltage dress (r unway), Michel Zoeter ; BioPir acy Dress Backstage, Morgan O’Donovan; (r unway), Michel Zoeter ; ARC HILAB Exhibit, ©Kleinef enn.
A c lose up detail fr om the VOLTAGE dress.
The black 3D printed Voltage Dress by Julia Koer ner and Iris van Her pen fr om the Haute Couture Spring 2013 Voltage collection uses a woven lace-like str ucture to create a dyn amic for m. The dress was cr afted using a type of 3D printing known as laser sintering with a material designed to be flexible, dur able and elastic.
For the Ready to Wear Fall 2014 show Bio Pir acy, Iris van Her pen and Julia Koer ner created a lasersintered dress made of seemingly organic str uctures that dance and amplify movement. The flexible and elastic polyurethane plastic that was used in the sintering pr ocess, was coated in silicon to give the f in al dress a glossy sheen. The flexibility is reminiscent of flesh while the complex symmetr y is the result of a digitally-controlled inorganic pr ocess creating the illusion that the dress is grown out of biological materials. The dress seems to reflect the greater themes of the collection inc luding questions about genetic patenting and the pr oprietor ship of our bodies.
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HYBRID HOLISM ‘Pythogor as Tree ’ dress on display at ARC HILAB Exhibition Fr ac Center.
PRINT-À-PORTER
Closing the Gap Between Fashion and Technology
HYBRID HOLISM DRESS Iris van Her pen and Julia Koer ner collabor ated on the ‘pythagor as tree ’ dress for the 2012 Hybrid Holism Haute Couture collection. The otherworldly dress was created using a type of 3D printing pr ocess known as mammoth stereolithogr aphy. The stereolithogr a phy pr ocess uses a bath of light sensitive liquid plastic. When the liquid plastic is str uck with a laser it hardens into a solid resin; for ms seem to gr ow magically in the liquid bath. Koer ner used par ametric design to gener ate many of the for ms used in the dress. The semi-tr ansparent, honey-coloured dress looks almost like an exoskeleton or shell.
Photogr a phy, Sophie van der Perre; Opposite page, Michel Zoeter.
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“WITHIN FASHION DESIGN, THERE IS AN IMMEDIATE TRANSLATION FROM THE DIGITAL TO A REAL 1:1 SCALE OUTPUT WHICH MAKES IT SO EXCITING” —JULIA KOERNER
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PRINT-À-PORTER
Closing the Gap Between Fashion and Technology
The Molecule shoe collection by Fr ancis Bitonti Studio is comprised of 3D printed shoes that are par ametrically designed by “gr owing” the shoes in a virtual envir onment. They are highly customizable with each shoe in the collection having a unique str ucture. “I wanted to create shoes because when I was an architect my f avorite part of any building is where it hits the gr ound,” says Bitonti. “Does it float above the gr ound or is it part of the earth. It ’s the point where you def ine your relationship to your envir onment. This collection explores a multitude of these conditions.”
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Photogr a phy, Chris Vongsawat; Hair/Makeup, Aviva Leah.
The Bristle Dress is a 3D printed dress that was created at The New Skins Winter Workshop 2014: Br umal Bodies, Br ooklyn New York. The workshop, hosted by Fr ancis Bitonti, allowed students to work with consumerlevel 3D printer s to design and f abricate a dress. The dress is available for download fr om www. thingiver se.com and can be printed on a home 3D printer.
NEW TECHNIQUES 3D printing is the most common of the new techniques that are changing fashion. “3D printing originally comes from the automotive and medical industry and is used in architecture on a prototyping scale,” says Koerner. “Within fashion design there is an immediate translation from the digital to a real 1:1 scale output which makes it so exciting.” 3D printing is when a computer controlled stylus (similar to a hot-glue gun) places layers of material on top of previous, hardened layers. “When you look at the Voltage dress—with its lace-like structure—the fibres (or the 3D prints) are less than 0.8mm. This woven structure bleeds together, grows together and then detaches again—this is just something which couldn’t be done in any other material,” explains Koerner. “You can get material behaviours...you can embed micro structures—you can overcome material and mix with geometry and the organization of geometry,” says Bitonti. He believes it requires a change in approach, “You’re creating something and it has its own material qualities. Building something up particle by particle is very different than cutting things out of a solid block of sheet material. Design methodologies need to shift.” Many of the 3D printed collections are the result of parametric design. Parametric design is when a computer program generates forms based on rules defined by the designer. As Koerner explains, “You actually could write the code, this is called
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scripting...and define the geometry’s mathematical logic through text. Therefore, you can change and adapt your geometry to any kind of given shape or body in a very rapid way.” Bitonti and his studio rely heavily on math and scripting to realize their creations. “I make an algorithm. We’ll tell the computer, ‘take a surface, draw points that are x-distance away from each other. Connect everyone that has this property. Apply a cube and do that 10,000 times’. I’ll let it do that 10,000 times. Then we’ll see what it does and say, ‘what if it gets to a certain point it starts to rotate’ and you’ll add in that behaviour and you’ll keep layering behaviours and rules.” Koerner says this explains the aesthetic of 3D printed fashion. “I would say that if you look at modern architecture buildings—famous architects—they all use almost the same software...I guess that also can reflect in the fashion design...the tooling and the technology have certain constraints and allow for certain designs.” The software used to 3D print is designed to minimize the amount of material used and Bitonti says that has a noticeable influence on the style: “I don’t know if there are any fashion designers that will admit to this. If you look at all these meshy kind-of-see-through things, they’re doing that because it’s actually cheaper. You’re using less material...manufacturing has always had a very heavy hand on designers—whether [designers] care to admit it or not.” Bitonti believes 3D printing use won’t disappear. “I really do believe it’s the future of production and I think everything is going to be made like that.”
The 3D printed Dita Von Teese gown by Fr ancis Bitonti Studio was created in se par ate pieces to maintain flexibility. “It ’s like chainmail —there are all these interlocking parts —that ’s what makes it flexible,” says Bitonti. “It ’s made of nylon, printed by sha peways—we dyed it black. There are 12000 cr ystals on it— that ’s a nice detail.” Left: A detail fr om the dress.
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Photogr a phy Fr ancis Bitonti, Alexander Berg; Ditta Von Teese, Albert Sanchez Photogr a phy
“BUILDING SOMETHING UP PARTICLE BY PARTICLE IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN CUTTING THINGS OUT OF A SOLID BLOCK OF SHEET MATERIAL. DESIGN METHODOLOGIES NEED TO SHIFT”—FRANCIS BITONTI
PRINT-À-PORTER
Closing the Gap Between Fashion and Technology
Photogr a phy, Konr ad Fiedler.
WEARABLES Fashion has been slow to adopt wearables, but the incredible commercial potential might change that. Wearables are accessories that are “smart”, including smart glasses, smart clothing, smart watches and fitness bands. In a recent report on wearables, PWC estimates that one in five Americans currently owns at least one such device. However, there is an aesthetic need for diversity that has yet to be realized in the market. “It’s one thing to walk into a room and everyone has the same computer and nobody cares. It’s another thing if you walk into a room and every person has the same glasses or the same bracelet,” says Deepa Sood of cuff.io in an interview. “We had a dinner party and one of the newest wearable devices came out,” says Sood. “My husband and his friends were geeking out about it and I and my design-y friends were admittedly curious—it was very Wonder Woman/James Bond—but we were trying to disguise it; hide it amongst our other jewelry. In the light of day there was that light-bulb moment, ‘why does it have to be like that?’” Sood’s wearable, Cuff, is one of the few new devices designed as a fashion accessory: “Everyone was talking about wearables, but they all looked one way... style is important...many, many people don’t like to wear the same thing every day.” “The idea of jewelry is already socialised in the world. I think that’s the reason people like what we’re offering.” Sood says of the success of Cuff. Sood also relied on 3D printing to develop Cuff, “3D printing is incredible. It’s a tool for anybody in this space because you can go from ideation to iteration exponentially faster...There’s nothing like it—it sort of seems like a bit of alchemy. All of a sudden it’s a thing out in the world and you think, ‘how did I do that?’ That’s part of the joy of it.”
Cuff is a “Smart Jewelr y” device that connects to your mobile phone to discretely alert you to notif ications, tr ack your daily activity, send emergency alerts to friends and f amily and perfor m a number of other f eatures. The device itself can be tr ansf erred between diff erent pieces of jeweler y to off er more variety in your accessories than many competitor s in the wear able markets.
“EVERYONE WAS TALKING ABOUT WEARABLES, BUT THEY ALL LOOKED ONE WAY...STYLE IS IMPORTANT... MANY PEOPLE DON’T LIKE TO WEAR THE SAME THING EVERY DAY”—DEEPA SOOD 65
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PROFILE
IN GOOD SPIRITS EMBRACING WINTER WITH STYLE AND TRADITION BY BEATRIZ JUAREZ WHEN I MOVED TO TORONTO FROM MEXICO CITY fifteen years ago, little did I know I would have to test and try (repeat this step 15 times at least) my wardrobe until I was able to find the perfect winter wear. I still remember shopping with a friend in a swanky Yorkville store and saying “This jacket is too puffy, I can barely move in it!” She replied ”Actually, it makes you look like a man from behind”. Nevertheless, I went for the jacket believing that mass equalled warmth. Wrong. After many a time people calling me “Sir” while sporting the jacket, I gave up. I was freezing. That jacket did not work. Similarly frustrating experiences happened with
IN GOOD SPIRITS
Embracing Winter with Style and Tradition
“BEING ABORIGINAL MEANS BEING PART OF A COMMUNITY WITH A HUGE EMPHASIS ON GIVING BACK TO THAT COMMUNITY”
Manitobah Mukluks Charcoal Métis, $349.
Manitobah Mukluks Louie Gong Gatherer Tan, $299.
my shoes. Winter boots had always been a conundrum to me. They seemed clunky, they were not comfortable, they made my feet feel wet. In order to keep your feet warm you had to carry 5 pounds of material on each foot, (factor in the 3 pairs of socks to keep them dry) making running to winter sales almost an impossible task. One good day—and shopping for winter boots with my always-loyal friend—I asked: “Well, how did people in this country (before the clunky boots brought to us by modern times) keep warm, let’s say...200 years ago? Did they have the same problems I have? (well, maybe not with the winter sales). I decided to embark on a mission to find the winter boot. I belong to a new breed of consumers who care about the brands I buy. The way society consume affects everybody and I am aware of the consequences of unconsious and mindless consumerism. We all want to be able to make the right purchase decisions (and for the same token, look good, keep warm and be comfortable). When starting my research I tried to look for companies where terms such as social awareness and engagement were written in their mission statements. I found Manitobah Mukluks to be equivalent to the values I am looking for (and that are representative of many things I own), mostly a brand with quality and tradition. Manitobah Mukluks is an Aboriginal-owned company that was founded in 1997 by Métis entrepreneur, Sean McCormick. Sean was raised to value his Métis
Manitobah Mukluks Classic Half with Cre pe, Tan, $349.
heritage and to give back. As a Métis entrepreneur, he defines the authenticity of his brand by the impact he is able to make in the community. Creating mukluks & moccasins is a craft that has been passed down through many generations. By creating authentic designs, the brand is able to keep Métis traditions alive. I was fortunate to interview Waneel Horn-Miller, Dean of The Storyboot School, a not-for-profit project that aims to revive the traditional art form of mukluk-making. This project creates partnerships with elders and artisans who create mukluks and moccasins in the traditonal way. What does it mean to be Aboriginal-owned? Being an Aboriginally-owned company is more than just a stamp you put on a product. Being Aboriginal means being part of a community with a huge emphasis on giving back to that community. Manitobah Mukluks is a very important part of the Aboriginal community in Canada because it has come to represent the potential for an Aboriginal business to successfully compete as a global business. Essentially, Manitobah has opened doors and minds of both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people to the idea of Aboriginal entrepreneurship on a world scale. It seems these days, the only way to keep warm is to wear heavy winter boots. How do you guarantee quality and comfort at the same time? What does the creation process of a pair of boots entail? Our designs come from traditions that are thousands of years
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IN GOOD SPIRITS
Embracing Winter with Style and Tradition
“IF WE TAKE THE BROAD APPROACH, THE BIGGEST IMPACT WE’VE MADE IS SIMPLY THAT WE EXIST. A HUNDRED YEARS AGO, A BUSINESS LIKE OURS WOULD NEVER HAD EXISTED”
old. A mukluk has always been a functional piece of a winter wardrobe in Canada; designed to keep your feet warm in the coldest places. Now that we live in modern, urban environments with pavement, we had to adapt the mukluk for modern wear. So we went to Vibram to make our sole and brought our own Aboriginal artist to design it. Vibram brings a rubber compound that’s as durable as it is flexible, so it stays true to a traditional mukluk that promotes proper foot movement and circulation. Combined with our natural hides and sheepskin footbed, we make mukluks that insulate to -30 degrees or below while holding up on a city street. The keys to warmth on the coldest driest days, are circulation and insulation. Apart from the functionality of our products, we also consider important cultural traditions when we design our boots. Beadwork is a key decorative element that we include on most of our products. For that, we have a fairly post-modern approach to our designs and amalgamate a variety of traditions—from geometric patterns to florals. We also do a few key artist-designed pieces every year. For example, our Kanada beadwork was drawn by Rosa Scribe from Norway House. We followed her “snowflake” pattern and in turn we share a percentage of every sale with her. It’s a beautiful way to tell her story, share a little piece of her culture and create a business partnership that allows her to keep making money on every pair we sell. How do Manitobah Mukluks make an impact in Aboriginal communities? We’re involved in the community intrinsically but there is actually a more abstract benefit to supporting businesses like Manitobah. If we take the broad approach and then narrowin, the biggest impact we’ve made is simply that we exist. Our success in itself is an achievement that we can’t forget. A hundred years ago, a business like ours would never have existed. We’re hoping to blaze a trail that will lead to thousands of Aboriginal entrepreneurs and businesses in the future. Business is one of the best ways to solve a lot of issues that our communities face. Individual Aboriginal people also benefit from Manitobah with jobs, education bursaries and our Storyboot project. We have an Aboriginal hiring policy, which means, today over 30% of our 55 person staff in Canada are Aboriginal. The best part is that we’re keen to fill our highest level positions with Aboriginal people first whenever we can. It’s the capacity-building jobs like these that lead to a thriving middle class of Aboriginal people in Canada. We work with CAHRD in Winnipeg to hire staff and we provide an education bursary for students hoping to pursue entrepreneurship
DID YOU KNOW? • Manitobah tr anslates to “great spirits”. Mukluks have a unique way of kee ping your • f eet war m. Unlike a more convention al Eur opean boot (that kee ps your f eet still and in a stiff outsole), a mukluk kee ps your foot moving and surr ounded by n atur al insulation. You want to kee p your f eet and toes moving to kee p blood flowing. Natur al materials also wick away per spir ation, which is essential for kee ping your f eet war m in the cold. This is why there is no metal shanking or synthetic insulator s in their footwear—it is technology borr owed fr om thousands of year s ago that allowed Aborigin al people to survive the har shest and coldest of Can adian winter s. • On each Vibr am sole, one of two Aborigin al stories are f eatured, the “Tipi” and the “Turtle”, designed by Cree artisan Heather Ste ppler.
and post-secondary education. We’re particularly proud of our Storyboot Project which is bringing the traditional art of mukluk-making to the world while giving 100% of the money to the artist who made them (we don’t make anything on that project). Our goal is to keep the true art alive and sell them it at art prices so artists are paid fair wages for their timeless expertise. So far we’ve sold $75,000+ worth of Storyboots and the artists get every penny. What is The Storyboot Project? This project was founded with the intention of highlighting, supporting and promoting the age-old art form of mukluk making. Manitobah Mukluks wants to keep the art alive for cultural survival and for building economic capacity in the community. If a young person sees a successful mukluk artist making a living through their art, then they are inspired to pick up the tradition themselves as a possible career. Can you share some stories about the women who participate in The Storyboot Project and how they benefit from it? Being part of The Storyboot Project is an
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THE STORYBOOT PROJECT IS BRINGING THE TRADITIONAL ART OF MUKLUKMAKING TO THE WORLD, WHILE GIVING 100% OF THE MONEY TO THE ARTIST WHO MADE THEM
Manitobah Mukluks Gauntlet, Tan $149.
Manitobah Mukluks Half Trim, White, $249.
Manitobah Mukluks Harvester Gr ain Russet,$129.
honour for me. I am a huge fan of the traditional arts of my people and being able to support these artists is a pleasure. Our youngest today is Abigail Clarke from Lac LaRonge Saskatchewan, she is 16 years old and we are featuring her one-of-a-kind coyote fur and smoked moseyed mukluks on the Manitobah Mukluks Storyboot Project page. Abigail was inspired by her mother, father and kookom to learn the art at a young age and she is a great example of how many of our young people are successfully excelling in two worlds. Rosa Scribe is our most well known artist. She is Cree from Norway House and we have collaborated in many ways with her. Her beautiful works of art have been featured and sold on our webpage, and on The Shopping Channel. Manitobah Mukluks does not make any money off these artists, and all the proceeds of their sale of their work being sold at art price premium goes back to the artisan. What is The Storyboot School? Can you share some inspiring stories related to this project? The Storyboot School is a project that we started this year in conjunction with The Storyboot Project to teach the art of mukluk making and keep the traditional art alive for the next generation. So far we’ve had one session where we taught Aboriginal students for free at the Manitobah Mukluks Headquarters in Winnipeg and ran for a 6-week period. High school age students learned from master mukluk artist, Marilyn Tanner-Spence, who also owns Teecka’s Aboriginal Boutique at the Forks in Winnipeg. When Marilyn taught her first class, she has a student Clara, who was an engineer student in university. When Clara finished making mukluks she began to receive orders to buy them and this income helped her pay her way through school. Marilyn enjoys seeing students grow from being introverted and shy to being confident. She sees how learning to to bead and hand-making moccasins changes and improves their self esteem —there is a new sparkle in their eyes and they transform into different people.
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HERRINGBONE
HERRINGBONE FASHION
S 8:45 AMPRINT DISTRICT 10 Cr osby by Derek Lam, dress available at The Bay; LIU JO Asymmetrical Tweed coat; BOSS Woman belt; ALDO Felodori boots; DITA Mach One eyewear available at Jose phson Opticians.
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SIGNS AND DIRECTIONS MIGHT GET YOU FROM ONE POINT TO THE NEXT. THE UNEXPECTED TURNS AND STOPS ALONG THE WAY MAKE THE JOURNEY MORE EXC ITING. FROM NORTH TO SOUTH, EAST TO WEST, REINTERPRETED STREET STYLE TRENDS THAT CARRY YOU THROUGH DAYS, WEEKS AND SEASONS ONE LOOK AT A TIME.
STREET VIEW PHOTOGRAPHY, MIC HAEL KAI YOUNG
FASHION DIRECTION, LUIS ZULAYHKA
STREET VIEW
Reinterpreting Street Style Trends
10:15 AMPOWER PLANT SQUARE Ted Baker Dember Opulent Bloom Print sweater and skirt; LIU JO Liquid Gold turtleneck; Diesel Wayne bag.
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STREET VIEW
Reinterpreting Street Style Trends
12:30 AMGREY FIELD LOT 3.1 Phillip Lim Name Dr op Terr y sweater ; PINK TARTAN Midi skirt; BOSS Woman Black Water sn ake Lace-up sandal; Ted Baker Metal Bar Mini Tote bag; Dean Davidson Circ earrings; Nelle Han Rose Stem bangle.
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14:25 PM TARTAN ZONE PINK TARTAN Longsleeve shirt, pants and Buff alo Plaid Cozy coat; Diesel Waynne bag; OLIVER GOLDSMITH Fuz eyewear available at Jose phson Opticians.
STREET VIEW
Reinterpreting Street Style Trends
STREET VIEW
Reinterpreting Street Style Trends
16:02 PM URBAN LANE Boss Woman Acnest pants; Jennif er Tor osian Blue Shadow Flat Collar coat; Opening Ceremony Navy multi-striped f ur turtleneck.
STORY HED
Story Dek
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18:30 PM MAJOR INTERSECTION McQ Alexander McQueen Poplin and Sheer Longsleeve shirtdress; 3.1 Phillip Lim Apr on Pant both available at The Bay; Diesel Leather belt; Boss Woman Jocin a blazer.
STREET VIEW
Reinterpreting Street Style Trends
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20:00 PM SUNSET VIEW DRIVE BCBG MAXAZRIA Runway Abby dress; PINK TARTAN Fur sleeves. Model, Andrea (Spot6 Man agement); Hair and Makeup, Br odine Rochelle ( judyinc.com); Creative Direction, Beatriz Juarez.
ALPINE C HIC Wool Backpack Tote Technicolor Plaid, TOMMY HILFIGER.
THE MISSING PIECE
Essential finishing touches bring the best out of your style and take it to the next level. ILLUSTRATED BY LAURA GULSHANI
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STORY HED
Story Dek
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MUSIC TO MY EARS Light Grey Shee p bag with a CC lock, Pur ple Tweed Camellia Br ooch, C HANEL.
THE MISSING PIECE
Essential Finishing Touches
GLOBETROTTER Diao Weekend bag, TIGER OF SWEDEN.
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BUNDLE UP BUTTERCUP Neela Chevr on Aqua Blue Beige shawl, Ner o Chevr on Aqua Blue Beige hat, ACNE STUDIOS.
THE MISSING PIECE
Essential Finishing Touches
THE CAT’S MEOW Hello Tokyo Cat bag, kate spade new york.
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JACK OF ALL TRADES Bristol Leather Maddox Backpack, La pel Flower boutonniere, Thompson sunglasses, JACK SPADE.
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WE L O
V
E
WINTER! THIS SEASON’S WALLS OF INSPIRATION
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Hands Collection-Hand ring, SC HIELD available at schield.it
WE LOVE WINTER
This Season’s Walls of Inspiration
Loma Metallic Chr ome bootie, ACNE STUDIOS
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Lulu Ombre Faux-cr ystal Bead c lutch, BCBGMAXAZRIA
Yellow and burgundy plexiglas cuffs with a centr al pearl and en amelled cr oss, C HANEL
La pel Flower boutonniere, JACK SPADE
WE LOVE WINTER
This Season’s Walls of Inspiration
Iza Shoe boots, FRENC H CONNECTION
Pink Leather and PVC bag, C HANEL
WE LOVE WINTER
This Season’s Walls of Inspiration
Hello Shangai Pollie bag, kate spade new york
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WE LOVE WINTER
This Season’s Walls of Inspiration
Mel B Pastel shoes, SOPHIA WEBSTER
WE LOVE WINTER
This Season’s Walls of Inspiration
Scarlet/black Smooth French Calf Br ompton Mini briefcase, MIC HAEL KORS
Black Spazzolato/ Smooth Calf Aidan Kilty Bootie, MIC HAEL KORS
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ANYTHING GOES
SHAPES, TEXTURES, PATTERNS AND LENGTHS TURN COMFORT INTO THE ULTIMATE FORM OF LAYERING. BOLD, CASUAL, WILD AND SLEEK—INDIVIDUALITY IS ADVISED.
PHOTOGRAPHY, MARIO MIOTTI FASHION DIRECTION, LUIS ZULAYHKA
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BEN SHERMAN Yellow Check Wool Sartorial Car coat; ORIGINAL PENGUIN Long Sleeve Crew Neck sweater ; French Connection Knit pullover ; TOPMAN Multi Colour Micr o Check Suit tr ouser s.
BEN SHERMAN Br own Herringbone Blazer, Green Double-breasted Shawl Collar coat; TOPMAN Black and Yellow Ribbed beanie; FRENC H CONNECTION Super Luxe Wool tr ouser s.
ANYTHING GOES
Individuality is Advised
TRISTAN Luxe sweater ; BEN SHERMAN Forest Night quilted vest; KENNETH COLE Knit sweatpants, Three Button Patch Pocket blazer ; Ted Baker Maxey beanie; ZARA Antik Moccasin shoes. 105
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ANYTHING GOES
Individuality is Advised
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BEN SHERMAN Br own Melton Wool Covert coat, Roll Neck Cable Knit jumper, Foliage Print Long Sleeve shirt; Black Ohns High boot; FRENC H CONNECTION Super Luxe Wool tr ouser s.
BEN SHERMAN Blackwatch Check peacoat; MIC HAEL KORS Rib-trim Cashmere turtleneck; TOPMAN Multi Colour Micr o Check Suit tr ouser s, Wool Wide Checker scarf; NEW BALANCE Classic 420 Suede/Nylon r unner s.
TRISTAN Luxe Pure Wool Plaid suit; FRENC H CONNECTION Portr ait Plain Wool Knit.
ANYTHING GOES
Individuality is Advised
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ANYTHING GOES
Individuality is Advised
FRENC H CONNECTION Commodore Cable Knit jumper, Shetland Wool coat; TOPMAN Ultr a Skinny Suit tr ouser s; SAINT LAURENT Sign ature Court Classic High Top sneaker s.
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ORIGINAL PENGUIN Foulard jacket, Long Sleeve Textured sweater ; BEN SHERMAN Navy Double Breasted Twill Trench coat; TOPMAN Ultr a Skinny Suit tr ouser s. Model, Jade (Push Man agement); Gr ooming, Onn a Chan(Push Man agement); Retouching, Tori Heart.
EPILOGUE
BLACK.I
ALONG THE LINES Flowy f abrics and skintight sheer s display gr a phic eyecatching motifs and blocks of colour over dr a ping gar ments. For mf itting short-shorts and nightgownish dresses perf ectly showcase the f eminine silhouette as they walk down the r unway.
RUDYBOIS
UNDEMANDING FEMININITY Str aight forward tailoring for the minimalistic woman. Monochr omatic and dual-tone combin ations showcase a subtle a ppr oach for spring.
FASHION DRAW Lights on, brush in hand— a recap of trends and favourites from Toronto World Master Card Fashion Week SS15 ILLUSTRATIONS, LAURA GULSHANI TEXT BY LUIS ZULAYHKA
MACKAGE
IT’S ELECTRIFYING! Adventur ous sha pes and high-contr ast palettes added to the the br and ’s char acteristic re pertoire an electrifying boost. Moto jackets and bomber s mixed with light weight f abrics asymmetrically layered with fringe and ribbed leather detailing, reassure the synergy between looks and wear ability.
FASHION DRAW
Special Toronto Fashion Week Report
NARCES
ROMANTIC AT HEART Beautif ully executed dresses in a vast variety of f abrics and lengths. Fr om str uctured to whimsically sha ped, the lace and beadwork prevail thr ough the entire collection. The unmethodical inc lusion of tech-like f abric as an accent is pur posely placed for better f it and movement.
HAYLEY ELSAESSER
POP ART AND GLITTER Spaceships and hands printed on f abrics in dollhouseinspired palettes certainly make a statement. Add some glitter to the mix and voilà, let the f un begin!. The collection ’s aesthetic portr ays the playf ul 90’s girly f ashion. The vision (carried f ir mly fr om beginning to end) tur ned the r unway into a playgr ound for the loud and wild.
MALORIE URBANOVITCH
C HILL KNITS Light knits and soft f abrics in vibr ant saf ariesque and jewel ton alities breezed delicately thr oughout the collection giving us a glimpse of what the lif e of leisure is all about.
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SID NEIGUM
SHARP ENDS Shar ply constr ucted gar ments in monochr omatic scales are pr ominent in all of his collections. A resemblance to the oriental for ms of kimono and samur ai attire are suggested for both gender s. The precise laser cut detailing in some of the gar ments added volume and texture, while in other s allowed the skin to peek thr ough. Over all, a visually stimulating compilation.
RUDSAK
TOO COOL FOR SC HOOL Var sity jackets, pullover s and sweats, all share leather a pplications char acteristic of the br and ’s aesthetic. Mesh serves as a common denomin ator between layers of jersey, cotton, silk and again, leather. Windpr oof f abrics and gym-wear make a str ong comeback. Short shorts and backpacks make an a ppear ance to complete the weekender look.
RANK BY RANI KIM
ABSTRACT C HEMISTRY Ethereal f abrics and designs with unconvention al f inishings. Over sized tops and f itted bottoms, comfortable yet constr ucted to the body. 116
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FASHION DRAW
BEAUFILLE
Special Toronto Fashion Week Report
THE NEW HEROINE Char acteristic for their a ppreciation of all things medieval and obscure, the young but pr omising duo showcases a collection with masculine and f eminine influences. Combin ations of bold and soft, dressed in a variety of f abrics and leather. Beauf ille is known for their one-of-a-kind metal a pplications and jeweller y and it is tr ue—the sister s never disa ppoint.
KLAXON HOWL
THE POWER OF UNITY Men and women shared the r unway to showcase f ashions greatest moments and sta ple essentials fr om the 20’s, 30’s 40’s and 50’s, all with a moder n a ppr oach. No need to specify the gender, f ashion is univer sal. MELISSA NEPTON
C HILL OUT! Comfort at it ’s best. Ne pton shows us how to be on the chic side when doing sporty. Constr ucted midi-skirts, shorts, dresses and two piece ensembles in sheer and flowy f abrics. Plunging necklines and cutout patter ns on tops pr ovide the look with just enough sophistication without jeopardizing the the over all relaxed aesthetic.
MATTHEW GALLAGER
IT ALL HAS A PURPOSE Chic sha pes and the subtle, yet noticeable embr oider y (at the bottom of dresses and skirts) combine perf ectly with soft colour palettes, high slits and floor-length skirts to accentuate a woman ’s best attributes.
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STOCKISTS Acne Studios acnestudios.com ALDO alsoshoes.com BCBGMAXAZRIA bcbg.com BEN SHERMAN bensher man.com C HANEL chanel.com DEREK LAM dereklam.com DEREK LAM 10 CROSBY dereklam.com/10cr osby Diesel diesel.com French Connection can ada.frenchconnection.com HUGO BOSS hugoboss.com JACK SPADE jackspade.com Jose phson Opticians jose phson.ca kate spade new york katespade.com Mackage mackage.com Manitoban Mukluks manitobah.ca McQ Alexander McQueen alexander mcqueen.com MIC HAEL KORS michaelkor s.com Nelle Han Jewelr y nellehan.com OPENING CEREMONY openingceremony.us Origin al Penguin origin alpenguin.com PINK TARTAN pinktartan.com SC HIELD schield.it SOPHIA WEBSTER sophiawebster.co.uk SUNO sunony.com SWAROVSKI swar ovski.com The Bay thebay.com Ted Baker tedbaker.com Tiger of Sweden tiger ofsweden.com TOMMY HILFIGER tommy.com TOPMAN topman.com Tristan tristanstyle.com ZARA zar a.com/ca
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