THIS MAGAZINE ISDEDICATED TO THE GENIUS THAT IS JOLIJN SNIJDERS.

DON’T TELL ME WHAT I CAN AND CAN’T DO. I CAN CHANGE THE WORLD.

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SOMETHING rareLuke Behrndt 16

Henrik Purienne 24Carson Cartier 32Lucas Gatsas 40

Lauren Malone 56John Skelton 62

Bell Soto 66Richard Bakker 80

Minke Boot 90André Pinces 94

Mariano Vivanco 102Hans Ericksson 116

Cameron Krone 154Trey Taylor 136

Jacee Juhasz 144

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WHAT YOU’LLFIND HIDDEN AMONGSTTHESE PAGES

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CONTRIBUTORSAndré Pinces

Bell SotoCameron KroneCarson Cartier

Hans ErickssonHenrik Purienne

Jacee JuhaszJohn Skelton

Lauren MaloneLucas GatsasLuke Behrndt

Mariano VivancoMinke Boot

Richard BakkerTrey TaylorYorick Nubé

SPECIAL THANKSCharlotte Hall

Jolene EeuwesLindsey Hampton

Oki-niSamuel Dobrolowski

Ulla ModelsVinzenz Hölzl

You

Fashion, to me, means nothing. Fashion, to me, only represents a form of communica-tion. There are many strong forms of com-munication, but the fact that fashion spreads like wildfire and still manages to stay on the forefront of what’s next to be mass mar-keted is something I find fascinating. The single undeniable fact that nobody can es-cape fashion is something people seldom think about but it’s really everywhere. It’s in the pages of this magazine I’ve slaved over these past few months. Some brilliant peo-ple at the top of the industry decide what to bring back, what to recycle, and make some tweaks before it trickles down to the brain-dead consumer. Fashion decides what clothes to make, what magazines to print, what movies will be big. I’m going to quote Andy Warhol throughout this because he was the sole influence behind this maga-zine and my obsession with interviews.“I’ve decided something: Commercial things really do stink. As soon as it becomes com-mercial for a mass market it really stinks.” — Andy WarholYou can spend all your time trying to discov-er who the real icon is that we idolize, but you can never argue with what they said. Fashion turns out icons. And a status of icon is beyond that of a fickle celebrity. Al-bert Einstein was an icon, just as Walt Dis-ney. Icons are merely people who instead of waiting to be told what they ought to do, take initiative to accomplish something. They don’t have to be superstars. Changing one’s thought processes can often be dif-ficult, but there is no time to wait around for and nurture those that have no ambitions. At this moment, there is absolutely no one thing that stands in your way from what you want to accomplish.It’s not safe, however. Don’t be mistaken. Success is rare, and upon receiving suc-cess, it becomes far too easy to repeat that success instead of going on to something new.I name this the Rare Issue.

There is really nothing rare about this publi-cation. I merely brought together talent from literally all parts of the globe to create some-thing I hope will be visually inspiring. I want this to be a mystery. Mystery is a large part of what makes things interesting. The less you know, the more something intrigues. It’s an age proven theory.“The most exciting attractions are between two opposites that never meet.” — Andy WarholThe only reason we are interested in some-thing is because we may not fully understand it, so it pulls at us until we understand.You’ll find a similarity between all of the people that made this magazine possible. Each and every person whose name ap-pears here is active in their pursuit of hap-piness. These days, I find that rare. People who think contrary to all regular conventions is seldom occurrence, and even more rare are those who have enough confidence to break free of all the pressure social con-ventions impose to achieve something of greater importance.Fashion isn’t about being intellectual, fash-ion is about being visionary. Vision goes hand in hand with risk-taking, and you’ll never know what your potential is unless you make some mistakes. Nobody does things perfectly from the get-go, and the only way to go about doing something that will be of some value is to follow your gut feeling.I like talking to people. Somebody who has already done what you set out to do is something quite valuable to me. I believe Andy Warhol invented the interview. The in-terview that flowed like a conversation and gave the reader a short glimpse at another life or a different way of thinking. It was a beautiful way to spread ideas. Andy Warhol was so simple. He never thought of any-thing. He taught many things without hav-ing to teach — another rarity. Andy Warhol was an icon.

Paul Taylor: What’s your role?Andy Warhol: Just interviewing people.

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COÛTE QUE COÛTEhttp://coutequecoute.blogspot.com/

Coûte que Coûte roughly translates as “at any cost”. The name is fitting because I would pay anything just to keep my RSS subscription. Created by Roberto Po-ropat, Coûte que Coûte is on top of everything fashion. The content is updated more often than I blow my nose in a day which is really saying something. Another plus is how the content can be viewed sans the use of a magnifying glass, which is a major inconvenience and is too often the case for most blogs.

CONTRIBUTING EDITORhttp://www.thecontributingeditor.com/

If, like me, you enjoy one-of-a-kind collaborations that you can’t get anywhere else, this is your pit stop. I swear to God if they post one more editorial by Terry Tsiolis I’m going to… really like it.

I’m sorry, that was lackluster, I know.Ryan & Matthew broke off from their work with magazines to create something that had never been seen. They chose the internet for the venue. The Contributing Editor introduces me to my favou-rite new up-and-comers as well as established art-ists. The design is flawless and the editorials won’t be found anywhere else. Their web site is currently undergoing a redesign and I can’t wait to see what they will unleash. My jaw could get sore hyping these guys. Just take a look.

THE IMAGISThttp://www.theimagist.com/

I’m really mad for The Imagist. The Imagist is a self-proclaimed visual orgasm and while I don’t agree 100%, it does give me a lot of material that I am look-ing for.

“TI [The Imagist] GOES FROM HOTEL TO NIGHT-CLUB TO ART GALLERY TO BOUTIQUE TO BAR TO BOOKSTORE TO BEACH TO RECORD SHOP DEVOURING: HUNTING FOR A TREMOR OR A TWITCH THAT COULD CHANGE THINGS.”

I think hunters are pretty cool. I’m one on the side. You can take that to the bank. TI is closely linked to sites like Frillr [http://frillr.com/] & Homme Star [http://www.hommestar.com/]. So it’s like happening upon triplets. Triple the pleasure.

LINKS

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PEOPLE

“I sleep no more than 4 hours a day, mak-ing my research, but even in my sleep I’m haunted by it. When I get involved into a project I become IT. Like when actors have to become that character.”

“I don’t like having exhibitions though. In New York it’s more like people standing around with beers and networking, they often don’t know what the show is about. I mean - when it’s “opening night” in Chelsea one may see works of a hundred artists in one evening! And the work that an artist may have put all of their soul/life into becomes a wallpa-per in the wall - when it’s out of context. I actually love seeing my photographs on the computer screen, or even when I show it to my friends on the back of my digital camera - a 2.5” screen. Then I can tell stories about each of the images - like an old school, por-table slide show, one at a time. I know that in the art world the true way to make money out of your photograph is a print or when it’s published on paper. Then it becomes an object that has monetary value. But I actu-ally hate seeing my pictures on paper. It be-comes dead and perishable. I don’t even tell my family to come to my exhibitions. On the other hand I feel that when my photograph is “digitized” - made out of 0’s and 1’s, it be-comes what it was in the beginning - light entering your retina and then your brain and turning into information. It becomes free and timeless.”—Elle Muliarchyk

“I can’t stand authority, only natural author-ity. Then I was at a loss, what to do if you don’t like anything!”

“I spent my whole youth dreaming away, also in school I loved to stare and dream away. Our german teacher had a couple of lovely landscape pictures — they were the gate of escape.”

“Life is more like a circle than a line. You can’t run away from yourself.”—Jonathan Waiter

— Yorick Nubé

“The best experiments come from taking risks.”—George Mavrikos

“The main difference that separates the good, great, and elite individuals in their given fields was daily “deliberate practice” spanning a minimum of 10 years, with 20 years of this type of effort being an even better predictor of world-class achieve-ment.

Grit is when you hang in there when no one else believes in you. To pursue your goals in the absence of positive feedback. When Kanye West started to sing, no one believed in him. When J.K Rowling began to write Harry Potter, no one cared. Mi-chael Jordan beat you because he prac-ticed harder. Tiger Woods beat you in that playoff because he is more mentally tough. If you have grit, you can do anything. No joke.” —Cameron Krone

I just did a lot of shoots, learning, mailing, shooting some more. I didn’t intern at pho-tographers or anything like that, I would be very bad as an assistant I think. Then I started getting the hang of it, and the guts to do what I wanted during a shoot. I was try-ing out new things and really enjoying it, as I was shooting from the heart. That’s when I got good reactions by magazines who were now noticing my work, giving me jobs.

—Jolijn SNijders

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Is there a difference between recognitionand fame?

QUESTIONSTO PONDER

Is it better to be a jack of all trades, or a master of one?

What is the best

way to spend our

time?

What is work, really? Should we always be working towards something?

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Should you be humble and not share what you are doing, or is what you’re doing only worth it if you share it? Do you do your work for other people or for you?

how does one choose to pursue one thing over another?

If one wants to be better than everyone else, ought one to think he is better than everyone else?

In a similar sense, if one wants to be successful, ought one to think he is a

success?Is the easiest way

to get what we

want always the

best?

LukeBehrndt

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Smoking grizzlies and dancing tur-keys are only a small portion of Luke Behrndt. Luke is going somewhere. In a small town it’s difficult to see what’s beyond the limited views of what you can experience there. Luke and I share a similar mind-set — that working hard is the easiest way to escape that trap. His art allows him and his viewers to escape all regular conventions and ex-plore a world where a man doesn’t need a head for business and Ace Ventura animal escape is a reality.

Call it creepy, ethereal, or what have you, but this ain’t no pretentious seven-teen year old trying to impress the world. Luke has had no previous experience with art courses, or at home videos. This is what you’d call an artist in his salad days. Wherever it takes you, just don’t keep his age in mind when think-ing about your own accomplishments, because you’ll quickly find yourself with a one way ticket to self-pity city.“I like to show how connected every-thing in the world is using animals and people as ways of explaining it,” tells Luke. Upon a deeper look, it truly be-comes apparent how his drawings point out how everything works together. “The things I draw all have a story and a reason behind them. I stick with it be-cause I can really focus on it and kind of forget about everything else that’s go-ing on…”

“Once you hit a certain age it seems like nothing is as exciting as it was when you where younger. I think this happens be-cause you sort of figure out the world’s limitations. When I draw I try to recre-ate that fictional world that you lived in as a kid.” Whatever the reason, Luke Behrndt has discovered one of life’s mysteries and is bound to find success in translating it into art.

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HenrikPurienne

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It’s definitely safe to say that every-body is jealous of Henrik Purienne’s day job. And possibly even night job. Interesting private glimpses into a private world entices every dirty mind. Henrik Purienne is a photog-rapher, and his work opens sexual doors (and drawers) to the public. Provocateur? Absolutely. He’s been described as many things, and the winning word seems to always be sexy. It’s quite funny what I’ve found with a quick google: “Purienne is a reluctant film maker and photogra-pher who’s mindless simplicity often gets confused for artistic genius”. As well as, “I love the private-like, full of some kind of spontaneous-ness and of course sexiness, pho-tos coming from Henrik Purienne. Pure sweetness”. No matter how he is described, we cannot deny that his work creates quite a contro-versy. Let’s get to the bottom of it.

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TT: What was your childhood like? Was there a certain day in your childhood that you remember vividly?HP: Pretty cool. I vividly remember walking barefoot over a bed of glowing hot coals..

TT: What is an average day like for Henrik Purienne?HP: I wouldn’t know.. I’ve never had an average day. Drum roll?

TT: Was it through hard work, or by chance, that you have garnered success and a considerable following?HP: It’s really just a combination of instinct, genetics and indifference.

TT: It’s obvious that you’re work is raw, edgy, intimate. How do you create such a feeling on set? Are the vibes tense or relaxed?HP: Hey man, the only ‘set’ I know is in tennis..

TT: Do you develop relationships with these girls? Or strictly business?HP: You see, it’s basically like a mullet.. Business in front. Party in the back.

TT: Any scandals come ever come out of your work? Has anybody disproved so far?HP: My lame girlfriend. She just doesn’t ‘get’ art, man. What’s her freakin’ problem?

TT: You must have come across a lot of challenges in your rise to success. How do you overcome such challenges? Is there one in particular that was quite the hurdle?HP: Well.. I had asthma as a kid. Berotec 100 saved me.

TT: Leave us with something we can whisper in some-body’s ear.HP: Roll the dice. Pay the price. g

CarsonCartier

CAREFULLY CHOSEN

imAgERY mAkES FOR A

pOWERFUL imAgE, ANd

NObOdY kNOWS tHAt

LikE CARSON CARtiER:

ANOtHER YOUtH bRim-

miNg WitH pOtENtiAL.

LucasGatsas

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A young upstart often turns out talent. Promptly alive for the early 80’s and the anti-disco backlash, fashion photographer Lucas Gatsas was born in 1983 in Switzerland. He started taking his first fashion portraits at the tender age of sweet sixteen. His model friends kept urging him to get serious and consider a career in fashion photography — and we all know what happens when you blow on a flame. Lucas Gatsas started to study art in Bern, then London & New York, respectively. However, it was a shoot with male model André Johnson that catapulted Lucas into the world of fashion. His next project? A collaborative photo book.

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Trey Taylor: Can you please fill this out?Name: Lucas GatsasAge: 25 years oldOccupation: Fashion/ PhotographerCurrently Resides: Switzerland/St. Gallen/Summer 2010 NYCFavourite Song: $165 Million + Interest [Into] The Round Up / David Holmes

Trey Taylor: Can you debrief us a bit on your history? How did you come into con-tact with your first camera?Lucas Gatsas: I first came into contact when my father gave me a camera when I was very small. I think I was 7 or 8 years old.

TT: You’ve been doing the whole fashion photography spiel for quite some time now. What did it take for you to reach this point in your career?LG: I used only analog cameras until I was 19 years old. Today, more or less, I photo-graph all in digital. It’s better quality. I think a good photographer can take good photo-graphs with any camera.

TT: What do you hope your photo book will accomplish?LG: Obviously, one day I want to work on a major campaign, produce good editori-als. I want to meet talented models that can translate my vision.I’m still very young and I have enough time to make my book even more diverse. I think it will be very well received.

TT: Have you already started work on your photo book? What sort of stuff will be in it?LG: I’ve been working a lot on it. I love to take photographs. I prefer to shoot any-where. Shooting has become a daily activ-ity for me. I couldn’t live without it. I believe some people are just born for photography. I think between the classic, dirty, glam-our and a little rock will be the direction it takes.

TT: What are your other ambitions?LG: Maybe my views are more goals to

make a film about fashion, with a few spe-cial models that are well known.

TT: Speaking of ambitions, how did you come to be in the fashion industry? Were you always driven to become a fashion photographer?LG: Yes, I think I work very quickly. This idea also came from my family. I am one who can work quickly and accurately, and can make plans. I like to work. I can be very stubborn, but you have to be stubborn at times to reach certain goals. It [my stubbornness] drives me at each shoot-ing to make more.

TT: I read in your biography that it sound-ed like your model friends gave you a little push to get you out there. How big of a push did it take?LG: They are just friends of mine whom I know very well and often snapped photos of. Each time they were better. I’ve always been more fashion and model photography concentrated. It was a cool time.

TT: Would you trade anything you have done in the past for something different? Any regrets?LG: No, not really. I regret nothing. Every-thing has happened for a reason.

TT: What do you find are the key elements to taking a striking photograph?LG: It is important, for me, that it is in good color, contrast and in order to fine tune the image. Of course, the whole image content as it comes over is what I try to focus on. The content is very important to me. The poses of the models must be special: weird, serious, dirty. TT: Why sort of value do relationships in the fashion industry have for you?LG: I attach a very great value on the re-lationships I’ve made. Working in fashion leads to good relationships. I think it’s key. I have some good connections. There are some who want to push me to keep work-ing, not just myself.

TT: Name us three of your favourite web sites and why you enjoy them.LG: 1. http://www.style.com/I think this page helps me watch what’s happening in fashion overall. Fashion pho-tography is a big business with many de-signers and changing styles.

2. http://supermodels.nl/This page is very important for me as a pho-tographer so I can keep up with new mod-els. Very important.

3. http://www.vogue.deI usually go to see what all the Vogue’s are running. Vogue is a bible. So much informa-tion about models, fashion, fashion week, and a lot of other stuff I have to keep up with.

Besides these, I alone have about 400 fash-ion blogs that I follow. They include www.seelike.me. The information is always really good. Thanks Trey!It’s almost come to a point where we are all media junkies.

TT: Five films you couldn’t live without are...LG:Pulp Fiction La HaineFight ClubInglorious BasterdsThe Devil’s Advocate

TT: This is slowly morphing into a facebook quiz. You say the André Johnson shoot was a pivotal moment in your career. What did you find happening after that shoot?LG: I didn’t know André at all in the begin-ning. I was called to the shoot. I photo-graphed him. Then I’d heard that he was on the cover of French Vogue. This has inspired me even more now to continue to shoot.

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TT: I really think information ought to be passed down to those who can utilize it to better themselves. So in an effort to help out some aspiring creatives, what would you suggest to anyone trying to make it into the world of fashion photography?LG: I would say bring your own style. You must be creative, inspired, diplomatic, curi-ous and kind. And you’ve gotta love it.

TT: Do you plan for the future?LG: Yes, I plan to go to NYC in Summer 2010. Everyone (including me) thinks it’s good for my career as a fashion photogra-pher. I spent one to two years in New York for my Art studies, and I’d love to return. Who knows maybe I’ll stay forever. Before I’m going to London meet some good mod-els, stylists and make-up artists. I’ll make a lot of test/shot/editorials for good maga-zines there. I’m also planning a book with some 50 young fashion photographers from all over the world. I think I’ll have a good time. I’ll always love to produce new shots.

TT: Leave us with something that should be repeated.LG: The shoot on the roof in NYC gave me a true, unbelievable feeling. The light, am-bience, mood, the location was perfect… which needs to be repeated, now I think about it. For example with another model. Kate Moss, perhaps. We just want to rock up til the last day. g

LaurenMalone

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hello,these are some words -- parts of the alphabet mixed together. i like run-on sentences and thoughts that are messy.my stories are protected by my masked sentences -- just try to figure me out. if you do so, inspire me, tell me, touch me, love me, hate me. but first, you’ll have to catch me. drifting across oceans and seas,laureli.

i’m here. not there.and if you’re all the way over in the corner of this page, or in the middle of this sen-tence,then i am very afraid that we are too far apart, and that my hair will grow far too long, and that my stringing along words and phrases, thanks to my dear friend the comma, will not be enough to keep us together.

get used to distance.(like this ink, it’s not goin’ anywhere -- but you are, gyspy girl).

accidents happen your own tragedy just brought down the moon. it landed in the ocean. you are on the pavement. and they just continued on, like they didn’t even miss the stars.

a series of unfortunate events. i woke up,spit you out,washed you off,and wondered – -- where the fuck is all the devastation?

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dear june,it is sometime in july. i cannot remember the days, nor the time, nor the last time i washed this shirt. i witnessed bones that were crushed and hearts that half beat some time ago. the Pacific whispered to me a secret, that its salty shores and sticky waves are your lack of tears and soul. it offered me the Aegean sea as a place to leave my salty cries. so i left. moved on. goodbye.

a foreign affair. CIRCLE, SPHERE, WORLD YOUR 360 DEGREES AND MY 21 YEARS COULD BE SO DREAMY

love is an affair. fondly,i think of themoments that i pulled your hair andtattooed myselfinto your bed sheets. a gypsy and her past (returns). your mouth was making scrambled egg words.letters were whisking everywhere,around my mind, onto the floor,in and out of your bed.sentences were torn apart,fragments were splattering the walls, and i am fairly certain that half a truth,two lies, and three syllables (i love you),slipped out the door. * in Greece, i was a goddess. in Bali, i am everything.

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We’d forget who we were, changing our words and erasing our pasts, simply be-cause Bali would allow for such beauty to enter our lives. Putting her laugh-ter inside our pockets, she’d sing a little ha ha ha to our hearts; we’d fall in love with her and her

crescendos. This is the charm of Bali and her ways, as to travel here would be to simply loosen our entire ex-istence, letting the layers of confor-mity and structure melt away in the hot and sticky air. You see Forever Ones, Bali is beautiful, so to be in her pres-ence would make us beautiful too. Upon arrival to this island, the smell of incense and flora in the air, we’d fall, simply, into the eloquent pace of Bali’s constant summer haze. The traces of a feverish chill would be left be-hind on boats and planes; the curse of the North no longer piercing our hearts. The sea salts changing our browns blonde and our blondes blonder, we’d begin to see our outer aesthetic change. The sun kissing our cheeks, freckles sparkling like gold dust on our cheeks, our new personas would be those of Greek God-desses -- striking and effortless, and known by all. Our soon to be bronzed skin would glow a mixture of sun beams and humidity seeping through our pores. Our hearts would feel light, and our days would be easy. At night the stars would begin to crack-le, lighting a fire inside our girlish hearts. It would be so easy to become completely intoxicated on an overdose of one too many drinks and the lingering aphrodisiacs hanging in the air, like prisms of a crystal chandelier. Ventur-ing through the night with pretty ladies side by side, we’d feel our inhibitions begin to disappear. We’d be the es-sence of Love, Bali defining us. Our curls chasing our collarbones, we’d find lingering glances stalking our necks and spines, as we’d be the envied, do-ing anything and everything because we

Oh Forever Ones, the damage we could do, the hearts we could break here. Arriving as the girls with the ala-baster skin, the yet-to-be wander-ers, we would search for something like love (and yet, something far from it), and a change inside our hearts. Captivated, we’d soon long to stay a part of Bali’s intrinsic hold forever. Spinning our entire existence into a knitted love song, Bali could change us completely. We’d each become a Lorelei – tempt-ress of the sea. Luring ships and their sailors across oceans and through storm clouds both ferocious and vast, we’d enchant all eyes that fell upon us. With the ocean’s treasures of pearls and seashells found in our long tresses, and the sound of our siren song, we could entrance anyone.

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were beautiful. We’d start pro-gressing from little girls with plain features, into women with an abundance of striking and beautiful characteristics. Our movements would become melodies, and everything about us would glisten in the foreign air. Of course, we’d soon crave for more than just a physical pro-gression; we’d want self love and confidence to show in the sway of our curves. So, we’d turn to the island that would have given us our freckles, and melted away any imperfections we had in the sun, and we’d begin to work our way into the heart of her. We’d be her muse, a Lagerfeld’s Irina. Our hearts would begin to awaken, craving love and passion. Before long we’d find ourselves dancing on tables, on the tips of our toes, under a rain washed sky. Wear-ing our bones (a most alluring accessory) and swaying freely in loose fitting cottons, not even the monsoon effect could harbour our hearts. Forever ones, we’d begin to live inside the music, live inside our laughter. In-side of singing songs and nov-el chapters, we’d find ourselves -- the star of our own lives. We’d start loving ourselves and you and him and her, over and over and over again. Mesmerized by swaying hips, shocked at how we were both mysterious and di-vine, others, new arrivals and old friends of this place, would also begin their journey into the essence of their souls. We’d lay under moons bright, and let songbirds speak their secret po-etry to our hearts. There would be no thoughts of frozen river banks, or the snowflake cover of home, and especially no thoughts

of farewell.Enchanted by the presence of all the beautifuls in the halluci-natory heat of the night, we’d grab hold of someone we desired. No longer modest, or conforming to some sort of polite mould, we’d make love until exhausted, afterwards sprawling like run-on sentences across the floor. Limbs entangled across the Bali-nese style bed, we’d write tiny haikus in place of tomorrow’s schedule. Somewhere between the unmasked sentences, and the now sweat stained bed sheets, we’d lose ourselves until tomor-row (and every day after that). We’d wake, only to slip into last night’s dress and to kiss the still bewitched boy laying next to us goodbye. We’d leave nothing behind but the lingering smell of soft scent perfume, and a few simple tools of intoxica-tion: eyelashes (now filled with last night’s secrets), and a flow-er that would have been pinned in our hair (now wilted in the morn-ing sun). Logic wouldn’t be nec-essary, for we would have given up on that a long time ago.Sometimes our encounters would be based simply on appearances alone (let’s be shallow together, lov-ing each other because of what we look like), and others would be based on true and deep connec-tions. But, we’d never apolo-gize. We’d never forget who we were: beauties from the North, with Swedish, Canadian, and Scan-dinavian blood rushing through our veins. And we’d never for-get who we would become -- warm hearted mermaid women, forever connected to this island cush-ioned by the sea. We wouldn’t speak in so many words, just in glances and whispers. And all

our so called ‘good plans’ of the structured world we’d left be-hind would drown themselves in the sea, so that the sun and the stars and Bali could intervene, and we’d get closer to where we were supposed to be. We’d be-come lyricists and poets, scrib-bling lines about lovers we’d find while dancing to the sound of chimes, and we’d paint ad-jectives to describe cigarette smoke that would stain the air soft shades of white and ivory. We’d do anything with our lives in Bali, and this would always be okay.This feeling of freedom, and sense of knowing ourselves so deeply, would allow for our lives to be about dreams and love and the acceptance of our beauty. We wouldn’t have any cares, as we’d all be lost in our own secret worlds of bodies giving way to ferocious feeling, and the beau-ty in the curve of one’s spine. Don’t you see Forever Ones, if we weren’t to invite Bali into our lives we’d be absolute fools, simply being but not living, or perhaps simply living but not loving. Bali would be able to get to the heart of us, giving us lovers found deep inside our bone marrow, and friendships wo-ven through our heartstrings. The very structure of our DNA would change, becoming strands of poetry, exoticism, love and beauty. We’d be completely new. And, in the simple bat of our lashes, would be the words of an island so brilliantly blue, “welcome to my paradise.”

JohnSkelton for Oki-ni

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Ever wonder about the Skelton in your closet? If not, you should. John Skelton, creative director and buyer for Oki-ni, is the main man in charge of hand-picking each and every designer to be featured on the fashion conglomerate that is Oki-ni. In three short years he has completely transformed Oki-ni and has taken it in a new direction. It’s concept has completely changed from what it was before John became a stakeholder. He has been overseeing Oki-ni’s branding for these past years and has been responsible for shedding light on even the most obscure de-signers; Alongside with the main players in the fashion industry, his keen eye for fashion has allowed many a young designer’s work exposure among the elite. That in itself sounds like a job only some could handle, which is strange that it is a passion for John. I quickly caught up with John in his extremely busy schedule to talk all things menswear.

Trey Taylor: Can you please fill this out?Name: John SkeltonAge: 28Occupation: Creative DirectorCurrently Resides: LondonFavourite Song: Impossible to choose one. Have a listen to Era / Randall Meyers

TT: For those who’ve missed the train, can you give us a quick description of what Oki-ni is and what you do there?JS: Of course. Oki-ni is basically an expres-sion and a vision. The expression comes from all of the extremely talented individu-als that we are fortunate enough to have involved right across our business, and the vision is to be the best concept store in the world. I say concept because we are not just a retail platform but a portal that con-tains so much in depth information and research content that we pride ourselves on giving consumers. Not just the finished product, but the whole story of where it’s come from and where it’s going. Everything we do is for the love of it and is done with a completely non-compromise attitude. If we wouldn’t wear it or listen to it then we don’t buy it.

TT: Three short years you have been there. I hear all over about Oki-ni. When you came on was exposure of Oki-ni one of your main goals?JS: I suppose in a roundabout way it was, although it was never a main focus for me. I’m a big believer in that if you create something special enough people will find it and word will spread. There is always room for excellence and always a niche to

be carved, it just usually takes a younger mind to carve it and an older mind to give them the chance too. That’s exactly what’s happened here. An intelligent company giving an enthused youngster a chance to make something happen. Simple when you think about it.

TT: Do you know all those people who de-sign lines for big box department stores and would never be caught dead in it them-selves? How much of this stuff do you actu-ally wear?JS: Oki-ni is basically what my ward-robe would look like if I had unlimited funds. Since I was around 15 I have been obsessed with the likes of Raf and Dries but have always had a very sporty/street style. Since then I have been wearing mainline product in this way which has always felt very natural to me. That has now become the Oki-ni style.

TT: Why do you think Oki-ni appeals to such an array of people?JS: Probably because we buy such a di-verse array of product. We are very happy for people to come and take whatever they want from the site. If you like 3 brands on there and we have a good selection of them then great. If you like 100 brands on there and want to buy right across them then that’s great too. Even if you just want to come and have a look at our latest archive feature and learn something then we’re completely happy with that. I just want everyone to be happy really.

TT: How did you come upon the position at Oki-ni? What were you doing pre-Oki-ni?JS: The gentlemen who owns Oki-ni has been in the wholesale business in the UK for around 13 years now and I have been buying for around 10 so I met them many years ago, even before they started Oki-ni. At the time I was buying for 2 fantas-tic stores in the north east, Triads which is still in business now and a wonderful store called Strand in Newcastle. I then moved to London around 8 years ago. I bought for Selfridges contemporary mens for 2 years and then Harrods Designer mens for 2 years. That’s when the oki-ni opportunity came up. It was a no brainer for me really. I really enjoyed my time at Selfridges and Harrods and I learnt a lot (about managing personalities not product) but independent mentality is where I started and definitely where I want to finish up. Product is the most important thing in my world and if you get that right the business will come.

TT: Oki-ni features a lot of limited edition and vintage collections from the big fashion houses. Your Maison Martin Margiela ar-chive was quite something. I know that Oki-ni evolved from an online shop based solely upon featuring collabs, but what is it now? And how do you come upon all of these one of a kind pieces?

JS: The archive feature was born as a result of us wanting to showcase previous work of the brands that we sell or that we love. The collections shown in the archive feature are actually personal collections of friends of ours who have been collecting their chosen

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brands’ work right from the start. The Mar-giela archive is a very good friends and I don’t think there is a person more knowl-edgeable or interested in the brand than he is. I think this shows in his collection and this kind of sums up what we are doing at Oki-ni as this is more of a personal relation-ship with the actual product rather than rely-ing on the brands themselves for content. This is our history in product.

TT: I know you must work closely with a lot of designers to bring these clothes to the public. Do you often get contacted by young designers or are you more of a hunter?JS: Bit of both, really. We do spend a lot of time searching out product and are also fortunate enough to travel a lot so we do come across a lot of interesting products and people. At the same time we do get approached a lot and that’s great too. If the products right then it’s right. Simple as that.

TT: Where is Oki-ni headed? What do you hope to accomplish in the upcoming years?JS: We just want to keep doing what we’re doing and hope that we stumble across more and more people who find what we do interesting. It would be nice if we got to spread our philosophy across a few other areas but as long as we stay true to our-selves I believe that we can keep growing by being interesting and new. The aim is still the same, to be the independent store to the entire globe.

TT: Do you, personally, feel as though you have a voice in what people wear by provid-ing clothes? Do you feel like online fashion retailers such as Oki-ni contribute to the public fashion domain and what is “in”?JS: No. Not at all. I’ve never really thought about it to be honest. I just look at it as pro-viding an option for the people out there who know what’s what. This is obviously a minority of people so it never really filters into mainstream public channels.

TT: Do you believe we must always dress well? If not, what instance would it be ac-ceptable to dress down?JS: I don’t believe in dressing well, dress-ing up or dressing down. The only thing I believe in is dressing how you feel and in a way that expresses your personality. If you are comfortable in what you are wear-ing you will look good no matter what you have on. To give you an idea of what I mean and our expression, have a look at our style feature that we have just created. It gives you much more of an insight into how we envisage the clothes being worn and how you can express yourself through clothing and product. [http://www.oki-ni.com/scat/style] g

Bell SotocapturedCanadian model Andy in the mostprovocative clothing inexistenceexclusively forSee Like Me

Captive

previous spreadStockings & Panties by La Perla;this pageAndy wears pattern stockings by Dior;opposite pageAndy wears lace mesh bodysuit by Kiki de Montparnasse;

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previous spread left to rightAndy wears mesh bodysuit by Agent Provocateur;Pattern Stockings by Dior;this pageStockings & Panties by La Perla;

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Andy wears stockings by Wolford;Panties by La Perla;following spreadLace mesh bodysuit by Kiki de Montparnasse;

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RichardBakker

Minke wears dress & leggings by People of the Labyrinths;Crown Famke Visser;

Minke wears shirt by L’altra Moda;Butterfly stylist’s own;

Photography Richard Bakker;Styling Steven Dahlberg / Angelique Hoorn;Hair & Make-up Patricia van Heumen / Angelique Hoorn;Model Minke @ Micha Models;Styling Assistant Famke Visser;

this pageMinke wears dress by Angelos Bratis;Leather jacket Mattijs van ber-gen; Hat & necklace stylist’s own;opposite pageBlouse by Compagnia Italia;Beige overcoat Mattjis van bergen;Minke sports pants by Mada van Gaans;Hat by Famke Visser;Panty stylist’s own

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Dress by Compagnia Italia;Hairpiece by Famke Visser;

FactoryGIrl

FactoryGIrl

Minke Boot is a modern day renaissance woman. Before we get ahead of ourselves, take a look at the artist behind these re-markable drawings in the previous pages. Yes, Minke Boot has it all. The beauty, the talent — and with a lethal mixture as such, she will easily escape the ephemeral artist trap.Looking into the eyes of any of these girls crafted by Boot’s hand, one will soon start to feel something. Even with cutthroat stares such as these, it’s hard not to be mesmer-ized. Some may be put-off, but I would be surprised if nobody was drawn closer. “Come here. Closer,” says Amy Post.Sasha could be thinking of times gone by. Or could it be a fear of the future? Whatever it is, these dames are certainly in distress, and it’s hard to pull away from their gazes.Minke only came on the scene a little over a year ago, and has already had some shoots with top photographers. It definitely lends to her artwork and posing of models. And with a raw age of only sixteen years, Minke Boot is the fourth teenage prodigy to be featured in the Rare Issue of See Like Me.Minke Boot has dabbled in every form of expression: modeling, drawing, writing and even creating a film. I saw one of her films upon taking a closer look at the all-encom-passing Minke, and it made me think about how society treats youth. We are not all the same. It’s really a shame young talent doesn’t get more attention, because young people really have a fresh perspective to of-fer, with Minke being no exception.The one thing that really gets me, is that these drawings could outsell those in gal-leries of today with outrageous price tags. Age must be just a number, because I’d be stumped to find a teen with more talent than Nederlander Minke Boot. g

this page from top left:Amy Post @ SPS;Sasha Pivovarova;Anne-Marie van Dijk;

Photos André Pinces / Nobasura Agency;Hair & Make-up Andrea Tiller / Nobasura Agency;Styling Shiva Shibani / Nobasura Agency;Model Adrienne Ford @ Elite;this pageAdrienne wears cropped jacket by Jolene Eeuwes;

André Pinces

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You can find talent in all far flung places of the world. When you find it in your own backyard, however, it be-comes something more personal. You feel a sense of pride, perhaps. I first saw André Pinces’ work on the cover of ION, a local fashion staple. It was a shoot with Lissy Trullie.

Vancouver has turned out its fair share of talent, and An-dré Pinces is no exception. He has worked with Warhol photographer and Man Ray disciple Christopher Makos, Interview Magazine cover artist Richard Bernstein and aRude’s Iké Udé.

previous spreadAdrienne wears bathing suit by Jolene Eeuwes;Crinoline & Canvas skirt by Jolene Eeuwes;this pageVintage pant by Yves St. Laurent;Mask Jolene Eeuwes;next spread left to rightAdrienne wears hand-painted bodysuit by Jolene Eeuwes;Skirt by Obakki;Painted jacket by Jolene Eeuwes;

MarianoVivanco

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Mariano Vivanco just shot a fox. Megan Fox, that is, for the cover of Wonderland Magazine. Now, his work goes beyond hunter/gatherer. Mariano’s art exudes passion and beauty. His films and photography make my mouth water and eyes sweat due to the inability to look away. A true artist is somebody that engraves a passion into their artwork, and Mariano does just that. It’s truly unique that we are both on planet earth in the same time frame, so I have come to appreciate his work. This legend needs no explanation, but for all of those who don’t have the time, I’ve stolen a snippet of his bio worthy of a read. Regularly shoot-ing for internationally renowned magazines such as Dazed & Confused, Vogue Nippon, Numéro, Another Magazine, L’Uomo Vogue & 10, Mariano has worked with the biggest and best in the industry from Donatel-la Versace to David Gandy, Simon Nessman and Reid Prebenda. I think this man has something to say.

Trey Taylor: Can you please fill this out?Name: Mariano VivancoAge: 33Occupation: PhotographerCurrently Resides: London / NYCFavourite Song: Way too many… I re-ally love music

Trey Taylor: Do you envision your art? And if so, what do you see beforehand?Mariano Vivanco: Mostly yes, like any other artist does (like a composer, film director, designer…) imagine their work beforehand. Sometimes the vision is very nearly fulfilled, yet sometimes it takes a different path with unexpected yet happy outcomes. I leave room and opportunity for spontaneity.

TT: You recently shot a gladiator style film for Qasimi featuring Marlon Teixeira. What was it like working with him? Where did you get the idea for the concept?MV: Marlon is great! I shot him for Custo and Dazed one year ago. He has grown up so much! Such a sweet guy! For this job I met the designer and we came up with the concept. He told be about the collection, showed me his mood board (which I loved) and we dreamt up the character. A post-apocalyptic boy walk-ing through the desert of life, learning things about himself along the way.

TT: Do you find meaning in your work, or work in your meaning?

MV: Maybe and maybe — sorry I don’t mean to be vague. I remember when I was younger I used to see the work of the great photographers in the pages of the great magazines and immediately be transfixed and taken into another world. There were so many great pho-tographers, models, designers — who worked with real passion, not just for the money or fame — but for what I inter-preted as a genuine love for the craft. I do not feel that anymore when I look at magazines. I guess for now the meaning in my work is finding that inner excite-ment (that I had when I was young and inquisitive about fashion and photog-raphy) and applying it to my everyday work. Sometimes people tell me they feel something when they see my work and I find that such a compliment.

TT: How do you work? And by that I mean, what is your approach to a shoot or a film?MV: I always say, “The Fashion comes First”. Then I move my pieces carefully after I see the fashion.

TT: What’s the difference, according to you, between shooting a film and doing a photo shoot?MV: They are quite similar actually, but in a photo shoot there is a bit more room for spontaneity. Films have to be so much more planned out, because I am just beginning to take it more seriously, the crews are getting larger and larger.

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디자이너 손정완

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TT: If there was one thing you could im-prove about human attitudes through your work, what would it be?MV: A general sense of well-being and in-spiration.

TT: How do you prefer to spend your free time? MV: With my partner and his new dog!

TT: What makes you wake up in the morn-ing?MV: All the things I have to do!

TT: Name five of your all time favourite films:MV:1. Mary Poppins 2. Two Women3. Rome Open City (Sooooo ahead of its time)4. Central Station (It makes you feel)5. The Devil Wears Prada (more fact than fiction)

TT: What do you like to see happen with your work?MV: You will see…

TT: Leave us with something that we’ll nev-er forget.MV: I aim to do that [leaving us with some-thing we’ll never forget] everyday by cre-ating images that people will hopefully re-member! g

HansEricksson

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Hans Ericksson has stolen the Hedi Slimane esthetic. His photography nabs moments in time that are a rare glimpse. They could be simply ordi-nary moments, but he transforms them into something magical. Hailing from Sweden, one of the most fash-ionable countries in the modern age, he truly shows us why life in the north is something to be sought after. He’s just finished a new project document-ing young boys in a very raw state. His project teases us with, “Is it sexu-al? Is it sensual? Is it up to me or the public to decide?” Hans Ericksson is currently showing his project, entitled “Greetings from the Beautiful Boys of Stockholm Part II” at the Almänna gal-lery in Stockholm. I’m not yet satisfied.

Greetingsfromof Stockholm Part IIthe Beautiful Boys

TT: Greetings! I thought it would be cor-dial to start with why you became so fas-cinated with shooting young boys?HE: I’m interested in the way you see people. And women you see all the time in magazines, movies and TV. That’s why I chose this time to portrait guys in-stead.

TT: Did you find Hedi Slimane to be an inspiration during the project? I find the style of the photos eerily similar to Hedi.HE: I would be lying to you if I said no. I know it sounds like a cliché, but I’m also very inspired by the old masters like Avedon and Penn. I remember the books that my father had (he was also a photographer), and i loved to look in these books when I was young — long before I ever thought of becoming a pho-tographer. I also did an exhibition back in 2002 that mused on the same theme “Greetings from the Beautiful Boys of Stockholm Part I”.

TT: What do you think it is about young skinny men that has made the fashion

world so interested in them?HE: It’s like rockstars. A young Keith Richard or in these days Pete Doherty is much cooler then Meatloaf or a hunk.

TT: What do you hope to accomplish with this project?HE: First of all I would like to show peo-ple beautiful pictures and as you write in the text above, it’s up to the public to decide.

TT: Do you hope the reactions to your work will stir controversy or drama?HE: It doesn’t matter. The most impor-tant thing is that there is a reaction.

TT: I really like your work. The black and whites are simply flawless. When do you push the shutter button?HE: That’s the thing about being a pho-tographer, everybody can learn the tech-nical terms. But when to push the button is something your born with. The feeling in a picture is something that’s in your head, nothing you can learn. It’s not a technical thing.

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TT: What do you find so magical about the moments that you capture?HE: It’s that you freeze a sudden moment, 1/250 of a sec. Afterwards you can look and it’s fascinating for hours, days, years, even decades. That’s magic.

TT: What would you say about Sweden? Is any part of it reflected in your work?HE: I live here and I love it. Of course it’s reflected my work, but I can’t say how. May-be I have to move away from Sweden for a couple of years to answer that question. I’ll let you know then.

TT: How did you come into photography? What was the procession like from child to now?HE: Like I mentioned before, my father was a photographer. I had no plans to be a pho-tographer when I was younger. My father has been a big inspiration for me and he always supported me in this.

TT: What other artists, if any, do you find inspiring or stimulating?HE: Pablo Picasso and the photographers that I mentioned above. I love the work of William Eggelstone.

TT: If you had to write down three truths on a piece of paper about you that nobody would ever know unless they inquired, what would they be?HE: I’m not a man of secrets, so I can’t come up with anything.

TT: Do you find a lot of work in Sweden, or do you feel pressure to move to America?HE: I like it in Sweden, so i don’t think I’m going to move from here and if I did I think I would stay in Europe. But you never know!

TT: What is your work good for?HE: I could live on something that was a hobby from the beginning. That’s good and few had that chance. Hopefully I can give people something nice to look at and think about. I love the idea that my pictures can invoke people’s feelings.

TT: Do you feel happy being a photogra-pher? If you could change your career to anything with nothing to stand in your way, would you? If so, what career would you choose?HE: Yes, I am happy being a photogra-pher. When I was a child I always wanted to be a farmer, so I would go for farmer.

TT: How cold is too cold?HE: It’s never too cold for me.

TT: Do you like photos with movement, or completely frozen in time?HE: I like them both.

TT: This is the part where you put down all your cards. What would be the best hand to win in life?HE: I have too give you a boring answer on that one, but I’ve got it already. My son and my lovely girlfriend. g

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Photography Hans Ericksson;Hair Sophia Ringberger / AgentBauer;Make-up Sophia Eriksen / AgentBauer;Models Linus, Dennis, Oskar @ Nisch Management;Olle, Jacob @ Kid of Tomorrow;Max, Martin, @ Anton;Rickard, Magnus @ Stockholms-gruppen;

Monochrome

Paul Taylor:If you were

starting out

now, wouldyou

do anythingdiffer

ently?Andy

Warhol:I don’tknow.

I just worked hard. It’sall fantasy.

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Photo Yorick Nubé

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Andy Warhol: He tookthe wordsout of my mouth.Paul Taylor: You’re tryingto be transgressive?Andy Warhol: Yes.Paul Taylor: Can youdefine an artistfor me?Andy Warhol: I thinkan artist isanybody who doessomething well,like if youcook well.

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www.seelike.me

© 2009 Trey Taylor