Fashion
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The slivered shadows of Venetian blinds tiger-stripe a Nordic face. Her lips are parted, teeth are crooked, and her lashes are long…A key-hole reveals a blurred image of a surreal figure…a pyramid glows around a solitary man while a leafy beast advances. These evasive images are part of Diesel’s new campaign, led by Wilbert Das. The clothes are crisp. The mood is dangerous. Diesel is heading into chiaroscuro territory. Watch it at Diesel.com.
All text on this page appeared in Exit Magazine’s print editions
SHOOT ME WITH YOUR LASER ARROW
The thought-provoking designer Hussein Chalayan has a reputation for LED minidresses and other high-tech styles; now he’s back with dresses that shoot lasers. These seashell and glowing crystal-encrusted pieces are the backbone of Readings, the Spring/summer 08 collection. Instead of orchestrating a traditional catwalk show, Hussein Chalayan immortalized the collection in the fashion film Readings, in collaboration with Nick Knight. The film culminates with a model rotating in semi-darkness. Her bolero jacket, covered with sparkling crystals, begins to glow. Ruby spears of light shoot out like needles in the dark.
How are these Tron-esque ensembles created? No robots roam the studio. Instead, a human attaches lasers to the dress with small golden hinge-like mechanisms. The laser cable is screwed into the round hole of the mechanism, which is controlled by small motors, thus facilitating a back and forth movement. The laser then shines towards the crystals, moves, and shoots away from the wearer. Cue the E.L.O. Chalayan chose these Swarovski crystals because of their multifaceted quality, which is ideal for absorbing the laser and echoing the light. This is the first time Chalayan has worked with lasers being emitted through Swarovski crystals.
Each dress is unique. Some emit light that interacts with the ceiling; others reflect off mirrored surfaces in the environment. The laser mechanisms are sewn inside the folds of fabric, so the light will shine out of the inner parts of the garment. As the lasers point in various directions they create an alternative space around the body.
The concept behind this collection is idol worship. Chalayan looked to sun worshippers of the past and compared it to the contemporary idolization of celebrities. The laser movement represents “the interplay between a scrutinized figure and the audience which keep that interplay alive,” the designer explains. These laser-enabled garments are the monument pieces, which inform the rest of the collection and symbolize the theme of sun worship. They are not for sale. They serve as innovative art pieces, an experience in aesthetically pleasing technology.
Swarovski has recently come to the fashion forefront as a result of their collaborations with high profile designers. The Austrian company, first established in 1895, has continuously expanded in design-driven industries, culminating with their much-documented fashion partnerships. The company has launched Atelier Swarovski, a collection of rare crystal accessories, which is co-created by different designers every season, including Rodarte and Christopher Kane. The collaborations are viewable at www.swarovskisparkles.tv for those of you who like a little strass in your fashion.
Words: Margo Fortuny, Exit Magazine
LEFT BANK
Über photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin once again collaborate with Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche Design Director Stefano Pilati to shoot style icon Kate Moss in the YSL Spring/Summer collection. The elegantly cut clothes feature a palette ranging from luminescent pastels to refined charcoals. Womenswear crossed with masculine tailoring creates a delicate androgynous look. Draw your cigarette holders, the defiant and stylish Rive Gauche mood is back.
THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW
In the 1930s, René Lacoste was gallivanting around the world, collecting trophies and busy with his new sportswear company. When he wasn’t romancing the golf star Simone Thion de la Chaume, the tennis champ brought the crocodile to polo shirts and high-tech materials to racquets. Preps, athletes, and students kept the crocodile wear in style over the years.
This season, designer Christophe Lemaire is steering Lacoste in a new direction. To celebrate the company’s 75th anniversary, he’s moving it forward - into the mountains. The Autumn/Winter collection is inspired by après ski disco parties, toasty nights by the fireplace (furry rug optional), and to spice it up, holidays in Jamaica. From Swiss chalets to art parties to tennis courts, these knits can be found sliding off tanned shoulders and warming sporty bodies. Soft jersey boiler suits (in the key of the Dandy Warhol’s Bohemian Like You video), long scarves, and lean silhouettes exemplify the label’s cozy stylishness.
WEARING THE WOODS IN THE CITY
Something warm and soft is taking over the streets. Cowboys, lumberjacks, and indie rockers have long championed the plaid shirt and tight trousers look. This year, the flannels have spread like wildfire from San Francisco to Brooklyn to Gottenburg. The cotton is soft, the style is hip without trying too hard, and the shirts look good on everyone. Plus, you feel like superman when you unsnap the shirt in one swift movement. Except, instead of an S leotard you’ve got a tee underneath or maybe some skin…
If you’re too busy to sift through the racks of charity shops or outdoorsman catalogues, look no further: The Texan brand Dickies is a sound place to pick up some toasty wool jackets, snap-front shirts, and crisp jeans. In addition to old-school rugged pieces, Dickies is updating its look with nightlife wear featuring graphics by artists MaxF of Prism, Cyclops of Beforechrome and Sorgenboy. If you want to express nostalgia for that forest you never wandered into, Dickies also has a line of sweatshirts decorated with pictures of wood grains, foliage, and antlers. For girls, the brand also has a line of miniskirts and fake-fur lined hoodies to throw on over your celebratory elk gear.
COOL, CALM, AND COLLECTED
What springs to mind when you think of Calvin Klein? A coy Brooke Shields murmuring, “Nothing comes between me and my Calvins” back in ’79? A young Kate Moss nude on a sofa below the word Obsession? Clean design, classic blue jeans, androgynous scents? After paving the way for controversial advertising, evolving modern clothing, and racking up numerous CAFC awards, Calvin Klein is this season celebrating its 40th anniversary.
This fall, two-time Womenswear Designer of the Year Francisco Costa will continue to create slinky ensembles for Calvin Klein Collection, strengthening the company’s reputation for understated style with maximal impact.
BARCELONA ON FOOT, TWO DAYS AND ORIGINAL KICKS
Next time you go to Barcelona, absorb all the Gaudi you can and then check out Bosc de les Fades, the bar with framed fairies on the wall. Don’t forget to make a trip to Elisabets street in the Raval area. Feed your head at the FAD (Council for the Development of Arts and Design), the MACBA (Museum of Modern Art in Barcelona) and the CCCB (Centre of Contemporary Culture of Barcelona.) If you’re a fan of the quirky shoes by Camper, stop by their newest base in Raval. There is a hotel, Casa Camper, a delicious restaurant, Dos Palillos, and a new store designed by Konstantin Grcic. Inside the airy brick-lined space, you’ll find a large map and suggested local spots to visit, along with stylish shoes for hitting the cobblestones.
Camper presents new, innovative footwear: Together, which features collaborations between respected artists and the Majorcan company. The tyre-recycling artist Maria Blaisse has developed the C-Shoe, which resembles the letter until the wearer puts it on and it becomes a slouchy boot. Designer Alfredo Haberli created a waterproof attachment that can be added to a normal dress shoe- ideal for rainy cities like London and Rennes. (He also conceptualized the elegant Rambla de Catalunya branch in Barcelona.) Young Jaime Hayon designed candy-coloured brogues for the Together line. After picking up a few cozy pairs, head across town to drink a hot chocolate at the intoxicating Museu de la Xocolata.
THE SHOCK OF THE NEW: FASHION IN MARDIN
Contemporary art and fashion happenings are altering the mood of Mardin. This ancient Turkish city is famous for its limestone architecture, stone houses, and striking palaces, mosques, and churches spread across the rocky landscape. Local markets and workshops have been thriving here for hundreds of years.
Designer Cemil İpekçi is one resident who has been pivotal in joining craftwork and fashion. Last year he started a workshop in Mardin where local women study sewing clothes in traditional styles and patterns. This year he curated the September fashion festival and orchestrated a controversial runway show.
When İpekçi announced he planned to do the fashion show at the cultural landmark Kasimiye Madrasah, the city was aflame with debate. Local governors supported the show as it promoted modern creativity and local commerce. Conservative citizens were outraged. They likened it to staging a catwalk at a mosque or monastery, due to the building’s historical significance and the fact that it contains a prayer room. However, two art exhibitions and several concerts have been staged in the building, so why not a fashion show? Massive film stills created by the famous Turkish designer Hussein Chalayan hung in the medrese’s stone portico during the recent Biennial. Bloggers reported the choice of location was very polemical, right up until the last minute.
İpekçi succeeded in presenting ‘An Eastern Tale of Four Seasons’ featuring the clothes made by his workshop’s talented students. Fifty models sporting regional velvets, flannels, and gauzy cloth cut into 1950s-influenced designs graced the catwalk. Both the menswear and the womenswear collections included day and evening ensembles inspired by the beauty of Anatolian and Mesopotamian cultures.
The designer elaborated, “The enchanting Mesopotamian city of Mardin has really influenced me. For centuries it has been a mosaic of different ethnic groups sharing and living together. This show was very important for the promotion of Turkey and south-eastern Anatolia. The audience’s reaction was great; it was a real success.” Despite the opposition, İpekçi proved fashion is often about taking risks.
THIRTY-FIVE YEARS OF MATCH POINTS
I first saw them in a window in Silver Lake. I licked my lips and reached into my pockets: seven dollars and a pack of gum. It took me six months to get my hands on a pair of the coveted Tron sneakers. When they came out, I was too broke to buy them. Of course they sold out immediately. One day I met a girl named Sheila who gave me the phone number of a dodgy sneaker dealer in Hollywood. After tracking him down, I crept into his small flat, which was floor-to-ceiling shoeboxes, all procured legally he assured me. We made small talk. Then I handed over the cash. As soon as I was outside in the glaring sunlight, I tore open the box and slipped them on. I marveled at their shiny finish, the electric blue sole, and the satisfying sound of the Velcro as I tightened the shoes over my feet. As I sauntered down the boulevard, eyes traveled down to my fancy footwear.
I’m not the only one with an adidas fetish. Bob Marley was always kicking around in his triple stripe tracksuits, and a certain Gallagher or two rubbed their powdery noses on the sleeves of tracksuit tops. Then there’s the B-Boy contingent…
…But before Run DMC popularized the trainers, tennis stars sported them for years. Legends Rod Laver, Ilie Nastase, and Stan Smith put down their rackets long enough to develop signature kicks with adidas. Next month adidas launch an exhibition at N0.6 Newburgh Street to coincide with the release of the Tournament range. Queues are expected outside London’s N0.6 and Berlin’s N0.74 stores where two hundred (one hundred per store) limited edition canvas Stan Smith Vintage trainers will be released in April. If the canvas ones are sold out, they’ll have to satiate themselves with the new Tournament Edition tennis shoes, which are also pretty exciting in a clean, minimalist way. The trainers are bright white, comfortable and airy, crafted in supple leather. You may see a blonde in jet -black trainers climbing through a window on Newburgh Street…
Words: Margo Fortuny, Exit Magazine
TOM BOY
Like a blue movie co-directed by Bourdin and Newton, Terry Richardson’s newest photographs exhibit a glossy sexuality. Shooting for Tom Ford Menswear, Richardson has captured the label’s luxurious hedonism. Tom Ford’s 2008 Spring/Summer collection exudes dandy style and hyper-virile attitude…and Mr. Richardson is there to capture the mood.
Forget the flashy limited edition kicks, the fluoro sneakers a Klaxon would kill for, and the primary colour trainers you almost bought last year. It’s time to go back to basics. Return to the beauty of form, undistracted by colour. Tabula Rasa, meaning “blank slate”, is the inspiration behind the newest adidas Originals Consortium collection. The trainers are designed with classic adidas silhouettes in mind: the Pro Shell, Decade, BC, XZ 500, and Matchplay. What sets this series apart is the palette of natural white tones. The subtle shades highlight the detailed construction, the craftsmanship and the soft materials. Unfinished leather, smooth pigskin, goatskin and suede are used in the collection. The look is pure and understated with maximum style. Welcome to sneaker heaven.
SERGE & THE FROCKS
How do you go from being a 15-year-old fashion aficionado to masterminding a chic French label? Ask Serge…
Though born in Lille, Serge Cajfinger grew up in Brazil. By the late 60’s, the teenager was back in France, kickin’ around the cobblestones. There, he flaunted his eye for style whilst dressing the windows at Yves Saint Laurent. He admired the icons of the era Jackie O, Grace Kelly, and Audrey Hepburn, and stored them in his head for future reference. In 1974, the young man opened his boutique Paule Ka, with his mother and his aunt named Paule. The shop stocked Alaia, Thierry Mugler, and Kenzo. By the time 1987 rolled around, Cajfinger had left Lille for the Marais. He was ready to launch his own label, Paule Ka, in Paris. The Paule Ka line featured feminine, glamorous shapes, mixed with avant-garde styling. Cajfinger updated the Little Black Dress with a voluminous version that embodied Parisian elegance. Twenty years on, the designer has expanded internationally. To mark the double decade anniversary Cajfinger has updated his famous architectural black dress. Sonia Sieff has photographed the original frock alongside the new version, as modeled by the delectable Alice Dellal. The designer has also opened a Paule Ka flagship store on Rue Saint-Honoré, where he is showcasing the new 223 S H satchel collection, in addition to his dynamic attire. Vive la mode!