HP MAGAZINE | VOLUME 34 | MARCH 2021

HP MAGAZINE

VOLUME 34 | MARCH 2021

INSTA BEAUTY

THE NEW 'HALO' PRODUCTS CREATING A SOCIAL STROM

STYLE YOUR HAIR IN HALF THE TIME

PENTHESILEA “Practice what you preach” FASHION MODEL

THE NEW BEAUTY FRONTIER

LOOK BETTER NOT YOUNGER

Twannis: @twannisphotography Mua: Penthesilea Clothing: @blackbananasnl

VALDRIN SAHITI

FJOLLA NILA

HP MAGAZINE

VOLUME 34 | MARCH 2021

Fashion

Will virtual fashion events last beyond the pandemic?

Luxury

Irreverent or insane? A $76K sandal cut from real Birkin bags

Architecture

Construction Begins On MVRDV’s Geology-Inspired Mixed-Use Tower In San Francisco

Lifestyle

Giambattista Valli Channels His Inner Bouffant In His Haute Couture SS21 Collection

Beauty

Nidhi Sunil, L’Oréal Paris’s New Spokesperson, Speaks Out About Colourism

15. INTERVIEW 20. ALESSANDRO MARRO 30. LOOKBOOK 54. ALBINA DYLA 64. CHANEL BEAUTY

www.marciano.com

Marciano

CLOTHES · BAGS · SHOES · COSMETICS · LIFESTYLE

2021 MEDIA KIT

Richard Monsieurs: @richardmonsieurs Mua: Penthesilea

HP MAGAZINE

AN INTERVIEW WITH PENTHESILEA

BY HARSHIT PATEL

Cover Photographer: Chantal Brink @chantalbrink

HP MAGAZINE

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INTERVIEW

Hi, could you start by telling us a bit

I think the fashion industry portraits a

about yourself?

certain type of woman, mainly

Hi dear readers, I’m Penthesilea, 34,

Caucasian or really dark skin women.

from Amsterdam and I work as a

There should be more diversity.

model and have my own cosmetic brand Be Glamourous.

Who have been some of your favorite collaborators so far in the industry?

How would you describe your style?

My favorite collaboration so far was

My style is feminine, sexy, classy. I love

with FHM magazine, I dreamed about

wearing skirts or dresses and I wear 5

being in the FHM since I was 12.

inch heels every day.

What first piqued your interest in Tell me about your experience as a

fashion and modeling?

model.

Ever since I was a little girl I would

I love modeling, it gives me the change

dream about being a model, I’ve

to wear amazing clothes, travel, meet

always loved fashion, hair & make up.

new people and I love having beautiful pictures of myself.

What is fun and rewarding about modeling? And what is not?

2020 has been the strangest of years,

It’s fun to be able to travel, it pays well

how did you find lockdown? Any

and the beautiful pictures. What I

lessons or discoveries?

don’t like is waiting for hours and

To be honest, I don’t really mind the

always being judged on your looks.

lockdown, we should have this every year for a month of two, to get all the

What is the biggest highlight of your

rest you need and to de-stress. This

career so far?

year we’ve all learned to take a step

The biggest so far are my covers on

back, reflect on life, and for me, now

different magazines.

when we spend time with our loved ones, it’s really all about spending

Do you have a favorite designeror

quality time; cooking together,

high street brand?

watching a movie etc.

I love Balmain, Versace, D&G, Elie Saab.

What are your hopes for the future of

What are your goals as a model?

the fashion industry?

My goal is to be on the cover of a high end fashion magazine.

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INTERVIEW

What are your greatest accomplishments so far?

Graduating from university.

What sorts of settings/clothes/brands do you prefer to shoot for or wear?

I really like wearing clothes that matches my own style, but unfortunately it’s not up to us models what we get to wear.

We are huge fans of your Instagram. Do you have any tips or tricks for achieving an aesthetically awesome Instagram page?

Aawwww thank you so much! Well to be honest I really don’t think much about what my Instagram page or what I post, I just post work and now & then a selfie. So I really don’t have any tips.

What’s the one habit you have that changed your life for the better?

I think that will be my ability to have self-reflection, to learn in life you have to be able to self-reflect. Many of us can’t do that, it’s always another person.

Be like Ghandi; “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

What’s something people would be surprised to learn about you?

That I love to clean and that I’m a nice person, most people assume by my looks, that I’m not nice.

Will virtual fashion events last beyond the pandemic?

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HP MAGAZINE

The sound of sea,Rings in her ears.

The voice of waters,Speaks to her soul.

FASHION

She is lost, She is found, With every wave.

While digital has been touted as the future of the industry for a long time, there’s no denying that the unprecedented pandemic accelerated the timeline on fashion’s date with destiny. Sunil Sethi, president of the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), believes that it was time to reinvent the wheel. “With the sudden onset of the pandemic, things weren’t moving anywhere and the industry was left with no other option but to leverage the power of digital media,” he observes. However, will the hype for look-but-don’t-touch virtual events survive the transition back to normalcy, and can anything ever truly replace the adrenalin rush of in-person presentations? We placed this question to the finest minds in the biz, and here’s what we learned.

Virtual events unleashed the creativity of fashion’s forces While the paradigm shift to the virtual world might seem dramatic in its suddenness, looking back, the trajectory can be clearly traced as the dominos started tipping over one after the other. First, the ongoing shows at Milan Fashion Week 2020 witnessed reduced attendance and gradually, went audience-less in a closed environment. As the world was placed under preventative lockdown, events made the transition to the digital medium altogether. While some names used the opportunity to pull back from the seasonal calendar, others funnelled their creativity into creating virtual experiences for their homebound audience. Dior presented a mythical spectacle of miniature couture for woodland nymphs, while Valentino took to the skies with a gravity-defying acrobatic presentation for fall 2021. Closer home, fashion films found favour with couture greats like Gaurav Gupta and Manish Malhotra, while Amit Aggarwal’s offering for India Couture Week 2020 was filmed entirely underwater.

When quizzed about making the transition to the virtual medium, Aggarwal recounts, “The pandemic changed the way the industry looked at what to create, as we all took a step back and used this time to work on how our brand narrative can be communicated seamlessly through the virtual medium. Weaving the brand story of intricate craftsmanship and hand-embroidery in an immersive experience for the viewers was definitely a challenge, but I believe physical launches come with their set of challenges as well.” At the end of the day, conceptualising the fashion film proved to be just as satisfying as putting together a physical show, he asserts.

Beyond inviting all factions of the industry to push the envelope creatively, the shift to the virtualverse also deconstructed a time-honoured vehicle of fashion—the revered front row. Sethi adds, “The process has been truly democratised with young designers availing the same platform as veteran names. On the other end of the spectrum, the playing ground has also been levelled for the viewers with everyone invited to take the front row virtually.” Aggarwal seconds the sentiment, and adds, “Virtual launches have not only democratised the consumption, but also helped the industry become seasonless and more sustainable by amplifying a brand’s message and ideology beyond geographical barriers and bringing together patrons from all around the world.”

This London Designer Makes the Largest Extreme Scrunchies

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FASHION

Hannah HRH’s signature scrunchies for the London-based label HRH, when worn on the wrist, look like a stack of baroque bracelets in violet, tangerine, blush pink, and emerald. When worn in the traditional way, they take up the majority of the wearer’s head. Each scrunchie is made from nylon and individually stitched and is roughly the size of a watermelon. HRH, who debuted with the fashion collective Fashion East for fall 2021, has been creating her scrunchies for a year and designing accessories since 2018. At first, she began to make things for herself and then her friends. “I like to make things for myself or for my girlfriends,” she says. “It’s like giving a moment of extreme pleasure, like a special treat.”

As for sourcing, Rebecca goals to make every thing sustainable. “It can be quite fun and frivolous, but all of the materials are quite thought-out and luxurious. All of the padding for the scarves and the puffer items are made of unbleached lamb’s wool from this farm in Yorkshire, and the puffer material in the smaller bags is made from recycled bottles. Hopefully, next season all of the nylon will be able to be recycled as well.”

Many of the items really feel like they could possibly be plucked out of a renaissance period, like the scrunchies that may double as ruffled crowns (or perhaps a ruff!), or the nylon purses that may be additionally worn as a fur muff. Instead, Rebecca is influenced by ladies in sports activities. Her personal Instagram is dotted with footage of the late Flo-Jo, the quickest girl in the world who was additionally identified for outré observe appears, the “Magnificent 7” gymnastics crew of the 1996 Olympics who donned American flag print leotards, and gymnast Alicia Sacramone in a hearth engine purple leotard at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. She particularly cites gymnasts as the inspiration for her scrunchies. “I’m really obsessed with decorations in sports and femininity and how we dismiss aesthetics versus performance,” she says. “There is this kind of camaraderie of these wonderful teams of gymnasts. They are sitting around, waiting for their results, and are in their tracksuits, makeup, and their scrunchies. They have these adornments that almost build it [the look]. They are like their lucky charms.”

And now? They could be an on a regular basis wearer’s very personal fashionable talisman, too.

VALENTIN0

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LUXURY

Irreverent or insane? A $76K sandal cut from real Birkin bags AUS art collective has ripped apart four Hermès Birkin bags in order to create what could be the world's most expensive sandal.

The Brooklyn-based group MSCHF, which has made headlines for its series of irreverent art projects, spent $122,500 in new Birkin bags -the luxury fashion item made famous by British singer and actress Jane Birkin -- to use as raw materials for the project.

The figure doesn't include the cost of the sandals' cork-latex sole, custom-made gold vermeil buckle and the actual production of the shoe -- the latter of which was challenging given the first handful of leather workers approached by MSCHF refused to participate. That reticence may be indicative of the bag's cult status -- a diamond-encrusted Birkin for instance has broken the record twice for the most expensive handbag ever sold at auction. First in 2016 for over $300,000 and again in 2017 for nearly $400,000.

The pair of so-called "Birkinstocks," which has no official affiliation to German shoe brand Birkenstock, are priced between $34,000 and $76,000.

"Just the act of cutting up a Birkin bag scared so many people," Lukas Bentel, MSCHF's creative director, said in a phone interview. "A Birkin bag is like an art object. It's so sacred, you can't damage it."

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LUXURY

MSCHF were fascinated by this fear, which goes beyond a respect for fashion and into economics. "Birkin bags have an average 14% annual return on investment," read a manifesto published on the project's website, "consistently beating the S&P 500" -- an index used to gauge the value of large-cap US equities.

"It's also something where to actually benefit from that value increase, you should not do anything with your Birkin bag, you should keep it in your apartment (and) in your closet," said Bentel.But adding value to items in counterintuitive ways is a specialty of MSCHF, who sold three six-foot-tall hand-painted replicas of US medical bills to a New York gallery for $73,360 last October. The money was used to pay off three participant's medical debts.

And they are no stranger to destruction -- especially when it comes to using expensive objects, as material for their works. In May 2020, the group purchased a $30,000 Damien Hirst print painting, and then cut and sold it in individual pieces, turning a profit.

The Hermès Birkin bag has enjoyed a steady rise in popularity ever since its creation in 1984. First flaunted on the arms of celebrities such as Kate Moss and Victoria Beckham (who reportedly owns 100 versions of the iconic bag, costing around $2mil in total), the Birkin bag is now a favourite of many US rappers.

Artists Saweetie, Cardi B, Drake, City Girls and Meek Mill have all made their penchant for the accessory clear through either Instagram posts or lyrics -- bypassing the fabled waiting lists and bringing a new demographic to the luxury signifier. There are fewer than ten Birkinstocks available to buy on a made-to-order basis. R&B singer-songwriter Kehlani and rapper Future were among the first to buy a pair before Monday's official drop, according to MSCHF. The assimilation of Birkin bags into hip-hop culture was important for MSCHF, who believe it's this multiplicity that makes them such compelling cultural objects. "Cardi B purchased a Birkin bag and all sudden it was trending on Twitter, and you're just like, why?" said Bentel, "But the symbol of the bag is just so powerful culturally, it's the perfect building block to make something even crazier."

Photographer: @netherbetter Mua: Penthesilea

Photographer: @chantalbrink Mua: Penthesilea

Walter Sans: @waltersans Mua: penthesilea

Mua: penthesilea

IRIS VAN HERPEN

CASADEI

Construction Begins On MVRDV’s Geology-Inspired Mixed-Use Tower In San Francisco

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ARCHITECTURE

Construction work has begun on MVRDV’s geology-inspired mixed-use tower in San Francisco in the United States. Named Mission Rock, the 23-storey mixed-use building is being built in Mission Rock, San Francisco. MVRDV first released plans on October 2019 and the project is developed as one of four buildings in Phase 1 of a multi-phase masterplan developed by the San Francisco Giants and Tishman Speyer.

Designed as part of a collaborative design process, with four architecture firms with Studio Gang, Henning Larsen and WORKac, they are designing their plot in conversation with the other three offices alongside MVRDV within the masterplan. The Mission Rock masterplan turns 28 acres (11 hectares) of asphalt including a windswept parking lot into an exciting new neighbourhood and community gathering point for San Francisco residents and visitors.

The masterplan is an ensemble of mixed-use buildings that are tied together by public spaces that surround the buildings and continues through their ground floors, connecting them seamlessly to the projected China Basin Park. Developed as part of a public-private partnership established by the San Francisco Giants, Tishman Speyer and the Port of San Francisco, the masterplan aims to develop a mixed-use waterfront neighbourhood near Oracle Park.

MVRDV’s design projects onto the block a topography inspired by Californian landscapes, forming an ensemble of low and high-rise sharing a publicly accessible canyon-like space that provides a more intimate space within in the open harbouroriented masterplan. The block, called Building A, occupies a prime location, adjoining the “handshake plaza” that will greet visitors entering Mission Rock via the 3rd Street Bridge.

"Its internal, canyon-like street is an essential part of a sequence of public spaces, extending the landscape from China Basin Park through the building itself and into the heart of the Mission Rock masterplan, connecting the different plots," said MVRDV. "Undulating balconies extend all the way up the western façades of the 23-storey tower, and the many setbacks and overhangs on each level create terraces that add to the vibrant atmosphere of the pedestrian space."

The 395,000-square-foot (36,700 square meters) project includes a diverse collection of apartments and approximately 58,000 square feet (5,400 square meters) of office space with a private lobby and ground-floor retail.

Roof terraces complement internal amenities for the inhabitants, while the canyon is shared with people working in offices on the lower floors. Retails spaces and restaurants are placed at the ground level, aiming to create lively streets.

In order to reduce residences' reliance on cars in between homes, offices and retails, the studio converted a parking lot into a dense and mixed-use block with homes, offices, and retail. The building includes a partial basement that houses on-site bicycle parking, as well as supporting space for the efficient District Energy System. In the building’s external spaces, vegetation is the driving force.

The design includes ample greenery, not only in the canyon and on residential balconies, but also on the roofs of the project’s plinth level. These green spaces provide a variety of amenity spaces for the building’s inhabitants, enhancing user experience while creating ecological habitats for wildlife.

MVRDV collaborated with the San Francisco-based firm Perry Architects acting as executive architect, landscape architect GLS Landscape/Architecture, Magnusson Klemencic Associates as the structural engineer, and PAE Engineers as MEP engineer.

Nidhi Sunil, L’Oréal Paris’s New Spokesperson, Speaks Out About Colourism

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BEAUTY

“I wasn’t trying to be a colourism advocate,” says Nidhi Sunil over a Zoom call. “But once I started modelling, I was faced with so many professional roadblocks that I had to combat it and stand up for myself.” The model, actress and philanthropist, who grew up in South India and went to school in Bombay, has just been announced as L’Oréal Paris’ new Global Ambassador. Sunil worked in environmental law before signing with Elite Model Management in Bombay at age 22. In the last 10 years, she has graced the pages of international magazines, appeared in films, and starred and fashion and beauty campaigns. Today, she becomes the first Indian model to be signed as a Global Ambassador for L’Oréal Paris.

“In India, it’s a huge deal to be a L’Oréal spokesperson,” says Sunil. “One the first Indian L’Oréal spokespeople was Aishwarya Rai [actress and the winner of the Miss World 1994 pageant]. I remember her advertisement being blasted all over when I was a kid.” Sunil hopes that her new role with the beauty brand will “open the gates for other girls who […] aren’t fair-skinned and have green eyes,” which is the ideal beauty standard in India, she says.

“Mainstream aspirational beauty in India is very fair — very white — and considering it’s a country full of brown people, it’s kind of a colonial hangover,” says Sunil. “You have a self-loathing for your own skin colour. I had to fight to create space for myself in the modelling industry, even in India, because we actually had a lot of models [working in Bombay] from England, South Africa, Russia, and I had to push my management agency to make space for Indian girls [like me] — in an Indian market!

That’s why I feel like this collaboration is pivotal, because I didn’t grow up seeing someone like me on billboards and in mainstream advertisements, even in India, my own country.”

In her 10 years in the modelling industry, Sunil has witnessed the evolution of social media and the way that models, and anyone in the public eye, can use it to take control of their own stories. She has tried to leverage the power of social media to change the messaging around beauty standards. “Before the internet and social media, whatever you saw on TV was truth,” she says. “So if a brand was advertising that something was true, then [we assumed] it must have been true. There was a collective brainwashing. Today, it’s up to us to reach out to our communities and share what we feel, what we believe, and to shape our own collective narratives instead of giving someone else the power to brand your own perceptions in their favour.” The first L’Oréal Paris campaign that Sunil will appear in will be under the shampoo category. “My relationship with hair is so deep,” she says.

VAN CLEEF & ARPELS

ALBINA DYLA

Giambattista Valli Channels His Inner Bouffant In His Haute Couture SS21 Collection

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LIFESTYLE

For his Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2021 collection, Italian designer Giambattista Valli channeled his inner bouffant as he incorporated styles from the 1960s’ and 70s’ in the various looks. Lots of volume, tulle and attitude, Valli takes fashion connoisseurs on a journey of introspection in a time when travel is hard.

Throughout the collection reveal, a male dancer embodies the idea of a messenger of Olympus, who seeks to unveil memories, new emotions and spirits in the soul of the Valli creature, says the House. Through the power of gestures, the dancer, or rather Valli himself takes our hand, inviting all on a journey of the mind with cultures and history, with the aim of bringing cultural enrichment.

With twenty-four looks of bright colors, Valli tells this story of cultural enrichment with Spanish iconography and Islamic Art in the background from Sevilla, Spain. These scenes offer a balance to the sartorial story of volumes and silhouettes, and attitudes that is being told. With two red looks of immense volume, one with tulle and the other with taffeta ruffles, both evoke boldness and emotion. A very 17th century white blouse with bell sleeves accompanying black tulle with a satin bodice for the dress is a nod to a bygone era, with gold embroidery craftsmanship. Valli couldn’t help himself and created a white 70s’ influenced nightgown dress with puffy bell sleeves and feathers.

This collection is quintessentially Giambattista Valli with Italian craftsmanship and volumes. It’s a collection of Savior Faire and inspiration for the current and new generations.

LENA BERISHA

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ARMANI BEAUTY

CHANEL BEAUTY

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