status magazine feat. nicola formichetti

SALãO COBOI70 72

AL MORAN73

FURNE AMATO

IS A STROKE OF GENIUSF E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3

68 EUPHORIA DIASPORAThe California dudes (and dudette) of Youngblood Hawke have come running, now it’s time for us to marathon their music.By Reena Mesias

mASTERMIND69 FLY LIKE PAPER

Fall into the folds, cut the crap, and paste yourself to the visual realities envisioned by the crispy Pperheads.By Rita Faire

70 CREATURES IN COMFORTThe ooey gooey resin ghouls by Salão Coboi have evolved into life-forms obsessed with Margiela, Raf Simons, and Valentino.By Rita Faire

71 SIREN SONATAFrom doodling mermaids and Japanese solar soldiers to enfleshing enigmatic Godivas, unearth artist Soleil Ignacio’s mythic origins.By Giano D. Dionisio

72 THE CEREMONIALSCold white lace under sanctimoniously sequined neckpieces, that’s how Furne Amato dresses his ladies who’ve included Nicki Minaj, Shakira, and all your favorite Top Models.By Zoe Laurente

73 OBJECTS IN SPACEOHWOW Gallery’s Al Moran talks shop about the art industry and being the all-around impressive antiestablishment impresario he is.By Evan Tan

62 BRADY BUNCHBraided belts

63 HEAD COUNTCaps

FEATURESmUSE64 RASTA FAIR ONE

The fashion industry gets a whiff of Tsheca White’s new aura for a new era.By Giano D. Dionisio

mAESTRO65 NO MOMMA’S BOYS

The Chi guys of DJ duo Flosstradamus flow the damndest because they don’t stay trapped in trendy genres.By CJ Ang

66 ACTION-REACTIONTired of the ever-changing rock landscape? Charge up with Free Energy and reionize with their Love Sign.By Reena Mesias

66 COLOUR WHEELAussie outfit Colour Coding (real-life cousins Tim and Chris) have been making music since their preteens, so you know their music abandons pretense.By Bianca Cruz

67 ORIGINS AND EVOLUTIONSAs they exit their Gorilla Manor, The Local Natives are soaring at more rapid BPMs with the release of Hummingbird.By Evan Tan

12 STATUS MESSAGE14 MASTHEAD

STATUSPHERE17 THREADS22 SETTING23 BRICK & MORTAR24 SCREEN25 INK26 BEATS

gadgets27 TECH PACK: POP LIFE

Prolong your fifteen minutes.

BEAUTY28 FACE PAINT: RUBY SPARK

Take control of that red-hot passion.

29 ABOUT FACE: BELOW ZERO

Look great in a cold snap.

29 BEAUTY BITE: Jing Monis Salon Velvet

FASHIONSTREET STYLE30 GO SEE

Fashion is the gear, style is the ammo.

32 STYLE ID: UNDER COVERShelter for the urban landscape

VISION BOARD34 CUTTING CORNERS

When in London, take a tall order.By David Sheldrick

40 TRIPLE THREATAfraid of anonymity? Try androgyny.By Bastian Young

46 WILD WOODMeet the dowager’s guests: owls in irons and furs.By Patrick Diokno

SHOPPING GUIDESWAG55 SHOTGUN PICKS

Bejeweled necklaces

56 TOP COATParkas

57 TUCKS AND FOLDSPleated skirts

58 ANKLE DEEPAnkle strap shoes

58 PIERCE PERFECTDrop earrings

59 SWEAT TALKPullovers

60 STANDARD ISSUESneakers

61 MAN IN THE SUITBlazers

62 RIDGE RIDERCorduroy pants

statusmagonline.com

Prolific fashion director Nicola Formichetti stays sharp with his Sharpie while wearing Uniqlo and Ray-Ban. Armed with different strokes for artistic folks, the Mugler mogul is our poster boy for this graphic age. Of course, we couldn’t resist the input of another design heavyweight, Paul Boudens, who gave Nicholas Ong’s photo some 3D visions with a swish of blue, a slap of red, and the design deftness of a seasoned creative.

Blogspherethe pulse of hip at your fingertips

go seewe’re all models off duty. smize!

FeATUresthere’s more to what’s in print

NighTVisioN who’s spotted partying where

phoTo DiAry confessional for lensmen

DigiTAl MAgAziNeSTATUS in pixels, not paper

DoWNloADsfree mixtapes and wallpapers

71

FLOSSTRADAMUS NICOLA FORMICHETTI65 74

SOLEIL IGNACIO

HEAVY HITTER74 SAX AND VIOLINS

Power, corruption, and lies are expected from high-ranking renegades of culture, but all-around creative director Nicola Formichetti wields his reign by piloting pop, parties, photo shoots, and panda-moniums to a live a life maxed out by primal performance. By Kristine Dabbay

80 I’M A CYBORG, BUT THAT’S OKAYPorcelain-like sculptures engulf heads, transforming mere mortals into horned, bulbous creatures from the nearly distant future. Rein Vollenga infuses the organic with an oozing of the technomonstrous, now collaborating with fashion brands such as Kokon to Zai to elevate style beyond dreams of electric sheep.By Nante Santamaria

84 POSTER CHILDWith a career spanning over a decade’s worth of collaborations

with the likes of fellow Belgians Walter Van Beirendonck, Olivier Theyskens, and Dries Van Noten, graphic designer and illustrator Paul Boudens shows no signs of stopping, just the symbols that carry the tides of classicism into the currents of timelessness.By Kristine Dabbay

BLOCK PARTY: LID THE REVOLUTIONHeadwear designers

88 BARBARA KEAL88 KEN SAMUDIO89 BURGER KIM89 PHILOMENA KWOK

EVENTS NIGHTVISION91 HOT DAMN HEROES92 OMAR RAMA DING DONG92 DJ CHUCKIE LIVE

93 SOCIAL SATURDAYS93 CASA JäGER BARCELONA94 HERE TO PARTY M83 94 SUPRA TEAMASIAN TOUR: MNL95 FINGER BANGING DIM MAK

STUDIOS

95 COPACABANA

MORE96 DIRECTORY

STATUS INVADES 98 PAUL JATAYNA

The local designer shows he’s badass to the bone.

99 SPEC AND SPANCarine Roitfeld’s collection of Barbie dolls.

IS A STROKE OF GENIUSF E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3

S TAT U S M E S S A G E

STROKE OF GENIUSFrom our first issue, it’s cool to see how much STATUS’s design has evolved. Going through the

pages, I see how our taste as well as our readers have grown to become more sophisticated and global.

We take our cue from Nicola Formichetti who has transitioned from being Dazed & Confused’s rookie editor to becoming Lady Gaga’s fashion director and Mugler’s master creative. From what we see, Nicola shuffles fashion’s high and low by creating imagery out of instinct. What we love even more about Nicola—aside from his retweets of our December cover which he styled for a shoot with Benjamin Alexander Huseby—is that he is always out there to inspire his fans from all over the world.

Speaking of inspiration, we are very honored to have graphic designer Paul Boudens customize our cover lines with his strokes. Only those obsessed with typefaces will understand our excitement with this collaboration. As excited as we were to have him work on our cover, we were also a bit tense over how to instruct Mr. Boudens. I mean, he has worked with Yohji Yamamoto, Haider Ackermann, and Dries Van Noten. In the end, we let his genius lead the way.

Another visionary who sculpts the path to higher realms of creativity is Rein Vollenga. He’s one of the few artists who can balance fine art and fashion. Just watch his gallery-worthy headwear collaboration for Kokon to Zai’s show in London Fashion Week.

I’ve always had high regard for art, fashion, and graphic design. May the visions of these fields’ luminaries push your visual experiences forward as they have pushed ours.

Editor-in-chief

12 - STATUSMAGONLINE.COM

PAUL BOUDENS (84)

NICOLA FORMICHETTI (74)

statusmagonline.com

C O N T R I B U T O R S

contributing writersCJ Ang, Petra Magno, Evan Tan, Nante Santamaria

contributing artistsAnouck Bertin, The Cobrasnake, Fernando Colon, Rachel Karen Coyle, Monique Cruz, Maria Ehrlich, Gerard Estadella, Casey Gore, Lauren Gosset, Alexandra Greenhill, Clayton Hauck, Andie Javelosa, Bastian Jung, Anita Krizamovic, Miguel Miranda, Agnes Navales, Eisuke Negishi, Nicholas Ong, Jeruel Pingol, Mark Quetgles, Victoria Richter, Nikki Ruiz, Pam Santos, Theo Schnürer, Bryan Sheffield, David Sheldrick, JP Singson, Tara Sutton, Ja Tecson, Philip Volkers, Claire Wallman

internsBianca Cruz, Josh Lao


NICHOLAS ONGThis month’s cover story photographer has been enamored with fashion since the days of editor Liz Tilberis’s iconic stories and photographer Fabien Baron’s eye for detail. Since then, he’s developed his own approach to fashion photography, often assisting for Craig McDean and Mikael Jansson while working with clients such as Phillip Lim. Through Nicholas’s lens, Mugler mastermind Nicola Formichetti (74) brims with the creative spirit of the times, which Ong asserts isn’t about reinventing the wheel, but “creating it uniquely yours with your identity and personality.”

EVAN TANAdmittedly, we miss Evan and his healthy influences at the STATUS office, but we’ll gladly settle for taking his word on bands like Local Natives (67), artist Al Moran (73), and occasional tips on Manila’s best vegetarian haunts. While he’s still searching for the perfect vegan burrito, this hardworking writer is also busy sowing the seeds of an original screenplay and a novel. Even with the distractions of Wabi-sabi ramen, Theo & Philo chocolates, and soy ice cream, Evan has devised a useful mantra to fuel any struggling/starving artist: “Quit stuffing your face and start working!”

PAOLO GERONIMOOne of our resident graphic designers, Paolo’s doodles have actually been on our pages multiple times. A recent graduate, he’s already won design contests, done a solo exhibit, and shopped several self-made shirts. For this issue, however, he took on the challenge of populating our fashion editorial’s “Wild Wood” (46) with the leaves, the trees, the birds, and the bees. With his slight penchant for woozy owls with wondering eyes and fancy foxes with furry tails, Paolo has developed a menagerie for his animalistic talents with the pen. Now, he’s looking to expand.

editor-in-chief Rosario Herrera

creative director Patrick L. Jamoraart director Patrick Diokno

graphic designers Nyael DavidJer Dee

Paolo Geronimo

associate editor Kristine Dabbayfeatures editor Reena Mesias

fashion editor Loris Peñaassistant editor Giano D. Dionisio

fashion assistant Zoe Laurenteeditorial assistant Rita Faire

sales & marketing consultant Tina Herrera

account manager Dan Buenaventura junior account manager Kevin Jude Pueblo

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STATUS is published by STATUS Media Group. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

BAG OF BOOMIf looks could kill then you’d be dead with MRS. HERSKIN’s

backpacks, clutches, leather harnesses, belts, and scarves. From safe to extreme, you can have the holographic backpack “!!!BIGBAGBANG!!!” which is designed with leather, embroidery, and PVC foil. Warn everyone to watch your back. mrsherskin.bigcartel.com

THREADS / setting / BRICK AND MORTAR / BEATS / SCREEN / INK February 2013

WASH AWAYNever mind monotone palettes

because OXYGEN’s Spring/Summer 2013 is all colors. With pants, dresses, tops, and cardigans in warm hues, the heat will soon rub you right. Pair a striped top with red pants for a day under the sun because everyone wants to see you blazing.oxygenfashion.com

F INDING EVERLANDParadise would look so good with RAPHAEL HAUBER’s

Spring/Summer 2013 collection where oranges, blues, and blacks abound. Flamingos, parrots, and kaleidoscopic prints on trousers, vests, and shirts can live amid coconut trees and chilled margaritas. So if you can’t find paradise, bring paradise wherever you go.raphaelhauber.com

THE KILLERSBreak necks wearing THOROCRAFT. Its latest offering

of printed men’s shoes with stripes, camouflage, and orchids, as well as woven and cutout details will give you shoe-cidal tendencies. While not everyone can rock a printed pair, these ones are worn best with a dapper outfit and an I-don’t-give-a-damn attitude. thorocraftshop.com


T H R E A D S BRANDS TO KNOW

REALITY BITESLAS jewelry’s new collection may be called Unicorn, but on

the contrary, it will make you forget about rainbows and cotton candy. Made of white bronze and brass chain, Las’s accessories are made for ladies with hardcore taste. Its double finger “Uniteeth” ring and “Double Unicorn” pendant necklaces are reminders that fantasy isn’t all about the cuteness.lasjewelry.com

BY THE RIVER NILETake a step into the ancient world with IVY KIRZHNER’s dazzling

shoes. Inspired by ancient Egypt and Babylon, she creates one-of-a-kind footwear with her signature colissoné metalwork detailing and the use of 18k gold-plated hardware, crystals, and exotic leather. Stand high and mighty in these slip-ons and pumps that live up to the greatness of the empires and structures they were named after.ivykirzhner.com

SLIGHTLY OFFFREAK FACTORY’s Rusty Heart collection

believes you can overdress for a date, you can walk your dog in style, and that everything you have needs to be in good quality. That’s why its oversized trousers, cardigans, structured jackets, and printed skirts are produced from premium fabrics and hand-painted batik prints. Ready, set, freak out!freakfactory.eu

CALIFORNICATIONLightweight knits from C.Z. FALCONER’s ponchos and sweaters

match all things the Los Angeles-based brand loves–palm springs, bikinis, and pool parties. Sip on Long Islands while lounging by the pool dressed in colorful tunic dresses. With these frocks, California dreamin’ will happen all year round.czfalconer.com

BRUISES AND STITCHESRoll with the punches in TAYLOR STITCH’s Bruised

Collection that will leave you looking black and blue in jeans and button-downs. The brand’s 13-ounce black denim piece and 8-ounce chambray triple needle shirt won’t crinkle and crease even after a whole day’s commotion. You can always look cool while making a run for it.taylorstitch.com

BLOOM BOXMenswear need not be bland; just ask the folks over at Z.E.M. Its

latest collection, Blossom, taps into your quirkiness with quilted peplum shirts, maxi button-downs, printed blazers, and jumpsuits. Minimalist pieces, inspired by graphic formalism and structure, will have you practicing restraint for a curated look.zem.bigcartel.com

STATUSMAGONLINE.COM - 19

T H R E A D SWords by Josh Lao, Zoe Laurente, and Loris Peña

EASY COME, EASY GOA hallmark of a good brand: it allows you optimum use of your clothes. ROBB AND HUGO’s pieces are suited for mix-and-match, thus making it easy to throw on whatever you feel like wearing before you head out the door. Pair leather-sleeved cropped jackets with jeans for the day and pair them with bodycon dresses for the night. Yes, stretch ‘til it hurts.robbandhugo.com

METAL GEAR SOLIDNecklaces, bracelets, rings, and all silver

things come into play in LEWIS HENRY NICHOLAS JEWELRY. Scissors, hammers, and wrenches join forces and serve as pendants and weapons to bring pain to all things plain. By wearing Egyptian-inspired charms with patterned hand carvings, you’ll be as fresh as the dawn of a new civilization. lewishenrynicholas.com

WET YOUR APPETITEInspired by surfing, DC shoes’ “Easy Lite Campaign” has just

made the perfect pair for the beach. With an insole that can be taken out and washed any time, these babies can be worn wet. So if you plan on staying shoe’d by the shoreline, you can wash your worries awaydcshoes.com

FOLLOW THE LEATHERShow me your leather and I will tell you how

powerful you are. DAILY DOSES takes authority to the streets by customizing the usual snapbacks with exotic leathers. Wear your shirts and shorts with these caps and you’ll still come out as a leader in black, brown, and python glory. daily-doses.com


FINAL FANTASYGet lost in castles in the cloud with structural pieces

from J’AI MAL À LA TÊTE. Quilted sweatshirts, button-ups, and trousers in an endless sea of blues and grays lay the groundwork for your wardrobe while bomber jackets in neutral prints upholster you to grandeur. jaimalalatete.de

STONE AGE When the going gets tough, the tough wear NETTIE KENT

accessories. Be on the hunt for gold and brass rings with spear-like designs as well as bracelets and cuffs in black, white, and brown leather. Add fringe earrings and metallic leather bib necklaces into the mix; the only option is to go hard. nettiekent.com

SUPER TROOPER Pack your bags for the simple life because THE

BOYSCOUTS will make you salute to minimalist accessories such as silver pendants in triangles and hexagons. Don’t forget to wear gold-accented braided bracelets, too—they’re badges of honor.theboyscouts.nl

THE REDUXLeave it to PUMA to change things for you sneaker

lovers. The iconic “El Rey” slip-ons gets a redo with higher collar, body deconstruction, and breathable mesh windows. Instead of the regular strap front, the bands now crisscross from the side panels to the tongue for a new look. Same shoes, different style. Definitely a must cop.puma.com

NATURAL ORDERTaking notes from philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, IVANMAN

slips on his uniform of sand beige, leaf green, and rifle black for a class act. Rally up the tailored shorts, pleated trousers, and sheer sweaters for recess then break in style with leather triangle clutches to channel a straightedge prefect.ivanman.de

T H R E A D S BRANDS TO KNOW


WEAVES DROPPINGIn VESTI, we trust that Mindanao’s rich threads and

indigenous fabrics will be hand-woven into clutches and handbags. Colors may shout, but they are contained within patterns and prints that put an edge to girly pieces. Expect tassels instead of ribbons. Expect heritage instead of trends.vesti.ph

AYE, CAP’NLondon got T.W.O FACE which means The World’s Original

Face. The brand’s 5-panels and snapbacks are making waves because of their originality in aesthetic. Mixing khaki, floral, denim, and corduroy with suede may be tricky, but these boys know how to do it well. Hats off to you, sirs! theworldsoriginalface.com

GRACE WORTHYPeace be with you and KRJST. For its latest collection,

Belgian designers Erika Schillebeeckx and Justine de Moriamé bless jackets, trousers, scarves, and backpacks with religious insignia and symbolism. Spot the Virgin Mary on one of their tops. Be an apparition because thou shall be saintly this season.krjst.com

MADAME NOIRClose your eyes with IMOGEN’s latest collection

of elegant dresses, leather tops, and suits that will make you feel sexier than usual. One can never go wrong with a deep V-cut dress that flaunts a woman’s neck. Veil your arms in long sleeves; it’s always good to leave something for the imagination. imogenclothes.com

FLASHY THINGS Scratch the saying, “Less is more.” with THE PROTATYPE’s new

Aztec print denim cutoffs, oversized tunic dresses, pearl-embellished high-waist trousers, and tops in orange digital prints. For more details, try the brand’s feather-trimmed off-shoulder tees that literally scream, “I have more issues than Vogue.” Go big or go home. theprotatype.com

T H R E A D S

S E T T I N G


PLACES TO GO

LAS FLORES, THE FORTMore like someone’s cozy corner than an

upscale Spanish restaurant, The Fort’s LAS FLORES keeps the home fires burning as it invites you to sit down among carved white walls with weathered frames, brass lighting fixtures, and mix-match furniture. Sample regional and modern Spanish cuisine—ranging from Croquetas De Chorizo Caseras De La Abuela (roughly translated as Grandma’s Homemade Garlic

Sausage Croquettes) to the Angus Foie Minis. Leaving manicured arrays of edible flourishes and crystal plates, Las Flores adheres to its rustic aesthetic with wooden spires, glass jars, and copper cups, making you feel like you’re dining out in the Catalan countryside.

facebook.com/lasflores.ph

Words by Rita Faire,

Las Flores photos by Patrick Diokno

P L A T E

POURING RIBBONS, NEW YORKThe only thing sure in life is Death &

Taxes, but instead of the old age and accountants, New York’s POURING RIBBONS brings it to you with a mix of “Dorothy Parker” gin, “Clear Creek Blue Plum” brandy, lavender-infused Cinzano Bianco, açaí honey syrup, and grapefruit bitters, making the certainties of life easier to swallow. The East Village watering hole rests on top of a liquor store and houses more than 80 on banquette and table seating. But if you think Pouring Ribbons takes drinks seriously, better get a gander at its hand-carved blocks and cylinders of ice giving you a cold surprise after draining your drink.

pouringribbons.com

S U I T E

C O R K A G E

RAMADA MANILA CENTRAL, BINONDOTucked in between the corner of Ongpin and

Quintin Paredes is RAMADA MANILA CENTRAL, a hotel that mixes Spanish colonial-inspired elements with Binondo’s Chinese culture and heritage. Earthy colors and dark wood furnishings bring an air of refinement while glass details modernize the interior. The hotel also encourages visitors to explore by arranging walking tours and food adventures around the relatively secretive Chinese subculture of the surrounding neighborhood.

ramadamanilacentral.com

G R U B

ATUN EN ESCABECHE DE VINO Y ACEITE DE OLIVA VIRGENWhite wine-marinated tuna with vegetables in virgin olive oil

TORTILLA DE TRAMPOSpanish cheese omelette with Alioli sauce

MEL I MATOA traditional Catalan dessert with Ricotta cheese, honey, and walnuts

ANGUS AND FOIE MINISBite-sized servings of Angus steak and foie gras with caramelized apples

PARTY OF FIVEServing dishes like Abuela used to make, LAS FLORES infuses the charm of home cooking and with the refinement of fine-sourced ingredients flown in from different parts of the world.

G/F One McKinley Place, 25th St., Bonifacio Global City

MNZ STORE, NEW YORK

Sperry Top-Sider, Manila

123 Norfolk StreetNew York, NY 10002maryamnassirzadeh.comDime to drop: $8-$4000 (P330–P164,000)Don’t leave without: Friendship bracelet from Mexico and a bangle set from India

Lower East Side boutique Maryam Nassir Zadeh’s huge glass doors and windows are definitely considered

distractions for busy passersby. The store front shouts “Come in, come!” and lures everyone to enjoy retail goodness.

The interiors exude a minimalist, industrial feel as seen through the clean white brick walls, concrete flooring, and exposed ceiling. Taking inspiration from owner Maryam Nassir Zadeh’s Iranian roots, the space is filled with an eclectic mix of fur rugs, rattan chairs, rustic wooden tables, and vintage finds.

Tribal print blankets, random tree branches, and lush plants in ceramic pots scatter around the corners to transport you away from the noisy streets of the Big Apple. The white marble tables provide the backdrop for the accessories, while steel racks in different geometric shapes carry brands and designers such as Carven, Chalayan, Isabel Marant, Jil Sander, Ohne Titel, and Rochas.

Explore leather jackets, satin trousers, and graphic leggings in the company of magazines, beach blankets, and masks. When you’re ready, step back into the concrete jungle with better shoes and a happier heart.

B2 Bonifacio High StreetBonifacio Global City, Taguig sperrytopsider.comDime to drop: $50-$270 (P2,050–P11,050)Don’t leave without: Band of Outsiders for Sperry Top-Sider and Millie for Sperry Top-Sider

Once SPERRY TOP-SIDER’s glass doors open, a sea of trademark boat shoes will bring you to a high. It

really does feel like seaside minus the heat wave. The miniature boats and white ropes, mini life

buoys, and seashells highlight the shop’s maritime feel. Wooden shelves and tables serve as canvases to the array of Top-Siders in different colors, prints, and fabrics for both men and women.

Pick from patented leather or animal print, stripes or metallic, high-heeled or flat, or the classic Sperry Top-Sider to go with your everyday wear. And while you’re fitting into a pair or two, entertain yourself with the Sperry campaigns slated on white walls that may give you ideas on how to rock them. Forget the “She sells seashells by the seashore” chant; it’s all about buying shoes at a store that feels like the seashore.

Words by Josh Lao and Loris Peña


B R I C K A N D M O R T A R STORES TO SHOP

HALE BOBIf there’s one thing you need to

know about HALE BOB, it’s that the prints of its dresses, tops, trousers, and kaftans are one-of-a-kind. Designer Daniel Bohbot’s goal is to dress women like Heidi

Klum and Eva Longoria. From halter neck dresses and tunic tops to bikinis, this store has got you covered beautifully.

halebob.com

Alice Hawkins (Photographer)@AliceHawkins_

P L A Y B A C KSUNSET BOULEVARD (1950)I’m so impressed and inspired by the cinematography in this film.

WISH YOU WERE HERE (1987)I was becoming a teenager when I watched this amazing film. I’ve watched this time and time again and never got bored of it.

THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)This film is truly spellbinding. The color, the story… everything is magical. I always put it on whenever any of my three godchildren come over.

RITA, SUE AND BOB TOO (1987)A film I repeatedly watched late at night with my dad and brother.

NATIONAL LAMPOON’S VACATION (1983)The one where they go to Vegas is brilliant and Beverly gets together with Wayne Newton, who plays himself. Genius.


Words by Rita Faire

SCENES TO SEES C R E E N T I C K E T

ROOM 237Rodney Ascher delves into a subjective documentary which explores the mystery and controversy hidden underneath Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining.

INSIDE LLEWYN DAVISOscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, and Justin Timberlake star in Ethan and Joel Coen’s take on New York’s 1960s folk scene as inspired by the life of Dave Van Ronk.

WARM BODIES50/50’s Jonathan Levine adapts this story about a zombie (Nicholas Hoult) who finds love and humanity after eating the brains of a suicidal teen and inheriting his feelings for girlfriend Julie (Teresa Palmer).

PASSIONBrian De Palma returns to cinema with this remake of the French film, Love Crime—a story of a young businesswoman (Rachel McAdams) seeking revenge after her mentor (Noomi Rapace) steals her idea.

SIDE EFFECTSStephen Soderbergh’s latest psychological thriller deals with a woman (Rooney Mara) taking the edge off by popping prescription medication after her husband (Channing Tatum) returns from prison.

THE TO DO LISTBrandy Klark (Aubrey Plaza) can’t go to college with limited sexual know-how so she racks up a raunchy to-do list to educate herself before hitting campus. Also in the cast are Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Rachel Bilson, and Donald Glover.

R E M O T E C O N T R O L

DA VINCI’S DEMONS (STARZ)The Dark Knight’s David S. Goyer reimagines the lost years of Leonardo da Vinci’s youth by painting da Vinci (Tom Riley) as a man blessed and cursed with superhuman intellect. The cast includes Lara Pulver as the Medici matron Clarice Orsini and Blake Ritson as Pope Sixtus IV’s trusted nephew, Girolamo Riario.

COMMUNITY (NBC)The Greendale Seven return to NBC with a new season that promises to test the strength of Troy (Donald Glover) and Abed’s (Danny Pudi) relationship. Also in the air: Jeff’s (Joel McHale) continuing determination to graduate and Dean Pelton’s (recent Academy Award-winner Jim Rash) elaborate physical competition for class space. Paintball: Part 3, anyone?

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: BLOOD & CHROME (SYFY)Caprica may be over but Ronald D. Moore is far from finish. The second prequel spin-off to his 2004 TV series remake of Battlestar Galactica, Blood & Chrome explores the last years of the Cylon War from the eyes of fan favorite character William “Husker” Adama, played by Skins’s Luke Pasqualino.


i n k BOOKS TO READWords By Rita Faire

RECIPE FOR MURDER: FRIGHTFULLY GOOD FOOD INSPIRED BY FICTIONBy Estérelle Payany and Jean-Francois Martin

Dinner becomes a deadly affair with culinary journalist Estérelle Payany’s collection of literary villain-inspired recipes. Illustrated by The New York Times artist Jean-Francois Martin, the book offers 32 excerpts of famous misdeeds with dishes and wine to go with them. Start with the brutally-tossed Caesar Salad before a course of three little pigs in a blanket and Patrick Bateman’s truffled roast beef with the Evil Queen’s caramel apples before bed.

THE DINNERBy Herman Koch

Dutch comedian Herman Koch’s latest novel is a dark comedy that borders on satire as it takes us through a seemingly innocent dinner between two couples as they discuss a police investigation about the actions of their respective 15-year old sons. Civility is put on the back burner and each couple shows just how far they’re willing to go to keep their family intact.

GENGA: OTOMO KATSUHIRO ORIGINAL PICTURESBy Katsuhiro Otomo Manga artist Katsuhiro Otomo, known famously as the artist behind Akira, assembles a catalogue of original drawings for his first major exhibition. The scope, starting with hisA Gun Report (1973) debut, spans decades of new series, Eisner Awards, film endeavors, and big screen adaptations. The book also contains Katsuhiro’s interviews and conversations with various peers, including Akira Kurosawa and Sogo Ishii.

H O T O F F T H E P R E S S

When Akira was adapted in 1988, the film set the record for the highest production budget for a Japanese animation film with an estimate of $10 million.

Aside from being an author, Herman Koch is also chiefly known for acting and contributing for the script of Borát from 1984 to 1989.

In 2001’s Hannibal, Dr. Lecter opens a man’s skull, cuts off a part of his brain, and sautées it while the victim watches in horror.

F O O T N O T E S

B O O K M A R K

Would-be fashion designers and couture enthusiasts can render a 2011 Stella McCartney citrus dress or create their own brand tags in the image (or lack thereof) of Martin Margiela in The Fashion Coloring Book by Carol + Lulu, a tongue-in-cheek handbook for the chic that gets you up to scratch on fashion. Here are some of the activities in store:

1. Place the face. Most people know about clothes but do they know the people behind them? Match iconic names with their corresponding faces. Just make sure you can tell Giles Deacon from Alber Elbaz lest the fashion gods smite thee.

2. Brand buzz. From designing your label’s tag á la Margiela and designing a magazine cover based on the immortal words of Anna Wintour to following Calvin Klein’s footsteps of making a splash via billboard, always remember that image is everything.

3. Speculative spectrums. From Stella McCartney’s 2011 citrus-print collection to Missoni’s trademark zigzags and Kenzo’s floral fancies, color has always played an important role in design. Use a new palette with a couple of markers and a little imagination.

THE FASHION COLORING BOOKBy Carol Chu and Lulu Chang

“Gimme Twice”The Royal ConceptSounds a lot like Phoenix but you can forgive that if the song is so good.

B E A T S MUSIC TO HEAR

Words by Bianca Cruz and Reena Mesias

Maude photo by Agnes Navales, DJ So Super Sam photo by Ja Tecson, Cholo Hermosa photo by Patrick Diokno, and Olli-Pekka Ervasti photo courtesy of XYZ Berlin


“Adorn”MiguelJust the ultimate R&B song. He has a golden voice.

“Look At These Hoes”SantigoldA good sassy lady anthem always gets me going.

“Trap Shit V9”UZA sick, sick trap beat that is on repeat.

“Since I’ve Been Loving You”Led ZeppelinI wonder how a Donny Hathaway rendition would have sounded.

DJ SO SUPER SAMsosupersam.com

“The Lake”Divine PaisteForthcoming song from our good friends.

“Anna Sun”Walk the MoonWe just recently found this great indie pop band.

“Sunset”Du NordReally intimate and touching song from this little band from Paris.

SATELLITE STORIESOlli-Pekka Ervasti (drums)satellitestories.com

YOLANDA MOONCholo Hermosa (vocals)soundcloud.com/yolandamoon

“The Heart Is A Beating Drum”The KillsAlison Mosshart’s voice—enough reason to listen to this song.

“Honey Pie”The BeatlesBritish music hall style makes the song seem like a time machine.

“Until The Quiet Comes”Flying LotusNever stopped watching the video ever since I first saw it.

“$$ Kash Register $$”Kashmere Stage BandInfluence from the documentary Thunder Soul.

P L A Y L I S T

O N T H E R I S E

Music fans might know Maude as alternative rock group Orange Cartel. But Luis says, “The band felt it was high time for a rebranding to complement the direction that our music was taking.” So they recruited bassist Glenn Calingasan and

CATCHING HIRESDescribe a MAUDE fan.

Vocalist/guitarist Luis Azcona suggests someone who has “good taste for new music.” The newest addition to Manila’s indie powerhouse label, Terno Recordings, is slowly shaking the scene with brand new packaging.

guitarist Badong Rodriguez. “After being included as one of Terno Recordings’s acts, Maude suddenly had a direction—like a high school kid who knows what course to take in college, they know where they’re headed.

Maude’s first single, “Eve,” sounds like your soundtrack to new beginnings. Luis says, “The ‘breezy’ part, perhaps, reflects how we make songs that are easy to play. We want to be more of a songwriting machine than a group of music instrument geniuses.” Like graduates off to the real world,their debut album functions as a resumé. It’s all work and all play, companies and concerts will come knocking soon.

facebook.com/MAUDEmanila

M U S I C N E W S

Coldplay previewed their six-part Mylo Xyloto comic series in their music video for “Hurts Like Heaven” and finally debuted it at Comic-Con last July 2011. Written by Coldplay themselves and Kung Fu Panda writer-director Mark Osborne, the next parts will be released monthly through Matt Groening’s Bongo Comics. No, the comics do not feature the band members—thank god.

According to Nielsen, more people (around 114 million viewers) watched Madonna’s halftime performance at the Super Bowl last year than the actual game. Imagine how many will tune in as Beyoncé performs at the Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans, February 3. We’re hoping for a Blue Ivy Carter cameo.

From Coachella to the White House and to Buckingham Palace for Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding reception, British pop star Ellie Goulding is now set to light up Singapore’s Esplanade Concert Hall with her electro-synth pop music accompanied by that gorg blond hair later this month. February 26, book it.

T E C H P A C K


URBANEARS PLATTAN HARRIS TWEED EDITION

• Made with virgin wool Harris Tweed• Equipped with 40 mm handmade

drivers• Compatible with music standards

featuring 3.5 mm standard input• Collapsible design ideal for

storage and portability

SRP: P5,520

LC-A+ LIMITED EDITION 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

• 35 mm film camera in crocodile pattern-stamped leather

• Equipped with a Minitar 1 f/2.8 32 mm lens

• Capable of multiple exposures• Features a cable release thread

for shake-free nighttime and indoor shooting

SRP: P171,000

CLAYJAMby Zynga

Absorb clay into your rolling ball in this stop motion interactive reflex game.

KUMO LUMOby Chillingo

Fly like a cloud and save the planet by pouring rain and growing forests.

JET SET RADIOby SEGA

Control roller-blading graffiti artists to save our turf from invading taggers.

D O W N L O A D S

POP LIFESip your Campbell’s, lick your chocolate, wear your tweed, get sketchy, and do the impossible.

IMPOSSIBLE FOR BAPE SX-70 KIT

• Customized Polaroid SX70 with matching instant film sets

• Folding single lens reflex Land camera

• Housed in camo-embossed leather detailing

• Allows manual focus up to 10.4 inches

SRP: P29,600

FERRERO X COLETTE NUTELLA BOOMBOX

• 12 cm x 10 cm wireless speakers• Collector’s set comes with four

mini-bottles of Nutella with colored lids

• Comes with cable jack for device connectivity

• Bluetooth-enabled with a range between 2 and 4

SRP: P2,640


FA C E P A I N T

Model photo by Fernando Colon

Everything you kiss turns into ruby.

Ruby Spark

CLINIQUE Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in Richer Raisin P960

KEVYN AUCOIN The Sensual Skin Primer

P1,870

KEVYN AUCOIN Creamy Moist Glow

in MystereP10,060

LE METIER DE BEAUTE True Color Eyeshadow

in Fire LilyP1,330

MAC Carine Roitfeld Nail Lacquer in Underfire RedP730

NARSVelvet Matte Lip Pencil in DamnedP1,150

SERGE LUTENS Water Lip Color

in ChardonP2,660

SMASHBOX Face & Cheek

Brush #2P2,120

SMASHBOX Fan Brush #22P800TOM FORD

Jasmin Rouge Eau de ParfumP21,970

GIORGIO ARMANI Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow in Sweet FireP1,420

BOBBI BROWN Rich Lip Color in CrimsonP950

SISLEY-PARISPhyto-Teint Eclat Compact Foundation

P5,370

Let the skin take a chill pill with cold cream and ice.

b e a u t y b i t e

EXPERT ADVICE

Calm your skin after a tan with a healthy dose of cold cream to keep the stings

away.


Words by Zoe Laurente

Model photo by Fernando Colon

A B O U T FA C E

BELOW ZERO

THIRST QUENCHERObey your thirst with CLARINS HYDRAQUENCH RICH CREAM FOR VERY DRY SKIN. It quickly soothes irritation and tightness leaving skin soft and nourished. P2,040

PILLOW FIGHTWELEDA COLD CREAM

is like a pillow in a tube. Its thick,

white, cushiony formula soothes skin without

suffocating it.P660

BEAUTIFUL SMIZEA quick dab of doctor prescribed PERRICONE MD COLD PLASMA EYE CREAM goes a long way. It treats your skin to a “nutrient buffet” that minimizes fine lines and dark circles for brighter, younger-looking peepers.P4,040

IRON MASKGuard skin with OLE HENRIKSEN SKIN INSULATOR SPF 15. It blocks out UV rays and protects from cold weather and harsh wind. P820

BOY GIRLLUSH COSMETIC LAD FACIAL MOISTURIZER is a man’s product every girl should try. This multipurpose cream not only moisturizes skin and leaves it smelling refreshingly fruity, it also tames wayward hair. P990

WATER DRUMKIEHL’S ULTRA FACIAL CREAM

keeps skin moisturized all day long. Its unique

combination of ingredients absorbs and locks in moisture leaving your skin replenished

throughout the day.P1,890

JING MONIS SALON VELVETSitting high and pretty in the upper floors of

Maxims Hotel at Resorts World Manila is Jing Monis’s latest venture—VELVET. The quaint salon houses hair stylists who will keep your tresses perfectly coiffed before you head to the clubs. After all, keeping your mane tame is a must before a night out.

Services like the Jing Monis Signature Cut and style consultations are always available. So sit back against white leather chairs and watch yourself transform through big illuminated mirrors.

5th Floor, Maxims HotelResorts World Manila, Pasay632-893-4098thejingmonissalon.com


Step by step, heart to heart, left right left, style soldiers won’t fall down.

G O S E E

Spiked Cap

Khaki Shorts

Polka dot Platforms

Neon Soles

Denim Jacket

Camo Dress

Chunky Cardigan

Desert Boots

Leather Vest

Camo Jacket

Fringed Boots

Leather Jacket

Bejeweled Pullover


Photographed by Loris Peña and Nikki Ruiz

Paneled BlazerCollared Dress

Floral Button-down

Printed Trousers

Sequined Skirt

Floral Midi Skirt

Double-breasted Blazer

Maxi Dress

Store manager Kim Kristensen wears a quilted bomber jacket.

www.jponfashionspeed.blogspot.com

UNDERCOVER With bomber jackets, double your impact and storm through any weather, Heather.

By JP Singson

Stylist Michelle da Silva looks sexy in a vintage leather bomber jacket.

Do not be afraid to incorporate

your basic bomber with

your traditional daywear.

S T Y L E I D

Blogger and designer Karl Leuterio sizes up for comfort’s sake.


Stylist Cecily Turner goes androgynous.

Photographer Himsky Thaib jumps on the print on print trend


polo neck by Autograph at Marks & Spencertrousers by Ralph Laurensunglasses by Topmanbelt by Reiss

Get lost today with your trusty coat, wide-legged trousers, booties, and brimmed hat. Even if you’re surrounded by statues, monuments, and a beautiful garden, you should always be the main attraction.

Photographed by David SheldrickStyled by Alexandra Greenhill


coat by Topshoptop by Zara

belt by Topshop trousers by Zara

bag by Beyond Retro


jumper by Topshopskirt by Zara

boots by Cheap Mondayhat by Gap

opposite page:hat by Marks & Spencer

shirt by Karen Millenskirt by Cos

trousers by H&Mboots by H&M


cardigan by Topshoptrousers by Zara


Makeup Rachel Karen CoyleModel Anastasia of Leni’s Models

Management LondonAssistant Photographer Lawrence Gosset

hat by Gapcoat by Marks & Spencer

belt by Beyond Retroboots by Cheap Monday


Shaded in black dresses, fitted blazers, and metallic tops, you gotta keep up before you can meet up. Watch and learn as they conspire in the dark.

Photographed by Bastian Jung Styled by Anita Krizanovic

T R I P L ET H R E AT


On Svenja skirt by Reality Studio

top by Barre Noire necklace by Sabrina Dehoff

hat by Monki

On Johanna top by Weekday

blazer by Issever Bahri

On Jenny: trousers by Sissi Goetze

top by Stine Goya blazer by Weekday

ring by Bjørg tie, stylist’s own


blazer by Issever Bahri sunglasses by Graz


On Johanna: trousers and vest by Wardrobe

blazer by H&Mhat by Friis & Company

shoes by Weekday

On Jenny trousers by Barre Noire

blouse by Monki jacket by Minimum

sunglasses by Silhouette shoes by H&M

On Svenjaskirt and coat by Issever Bahri

blouse by Weekday bow tie by H&M shoes by Monki


On Svenjadress by Wardrobebracelet by Bjørghat by Friis Company

On Johannatrousers and top by Lever Couturegloves by Moga e Magonecklace by Glowyboxhat by Friis Company

On Jenny trousers by Stine Riis for H&Mtop by Lever Couturevest by Vladimir Karaleevgloves by Moga e Magoumbrellas, stylist’s own


Makeup Theo Schnürer Hair Maria Ehrlich

Set Assistant Victoria Richter Assistant Photographers Bastian Achard, Marc Huth, Nico Elzer

Models Johanna Koch of VIVA, Svenja Gaida of Satory, Jenny Feuerstein of Modelwerk

Special thanks to Clemens & Philipp Stahr

trousers by Reality Studio blouse by Deepmello fur by Moga e Mago

necklace by Très Bonjour

Follow the rabbit down the hole and enter a world of inked creatures and coats. Get on your feet. Slip on those brogues. The

clock stops ticking when you’re away from home.

Photographed by Patrick DioknoStyled by Loris Peña

Illustrated by Paolo Geronimo

cape by Forever 21pants by Terranovaturtleneck top by Terranovabag by SM Parisiansocks, stylist’s ownshoes by Calliope


coat by Zaraturban, stylist’s ownknitted cardigan by Forever 21


jacket by Zarapants by Zara

button-down by Terranovabag by Chanel

blazer, stylist’s ownbutton-down, stylist’s own

jeggings by Forever 21shoes, stylist’s own


collared shirt, stylist’s ownsweater by Penshoppetweed jacket by Zarawhite blazer by Balmainskirt by Forever 21bag by Chanelduffel bags, stylist’s own


Assistant Stylist Zoe LaurenteHair and Makeup Monique Cruz

Model Maria of Elite Modelling Agency Manila

coat by Zarascarf, stylist’s own

Massimo Dutti[P16,500]



P A R K A S

Terranova[P4,695]

Zara[P7,590]


TOP COATWear it out and wear them in.

Y-3FALL/WINTER 2012


P L E A T E D S K I R T S

Forever 21[P815]

Sinéquanone[P5,950]

Warehouse[P3,245]

Topshop[P2,745]

Forever 21[P1,025]

Terranova[P595]

TUCKS AND FOLDSChannel school girl prep in pleated skirts.

MARC BY MARC JACOBS

FALL/WINTER 2012


A N K L E S T R A P S H O E S / D R O P E A R R I N G S

Call It Spring[P2,695]

Zara[P4,590]

Forever 21[P2,040]

Zara[P1,790]

Zara[P1,790]

Aldo[P6,495]

ANKLE DEEPStrap on your shoes and dive in.

FALL/WINTER 2012DIANE VON FURSTENBERG

PIERCE PERFECTLook sharp, not flat.

Forever 21[P385]

Bleach Black[P395]

H&M[P445]

Terranova[P1,745]

Calliope[P1,345]

Forever 21[P1,175]


P U L L O V E R S

Calliope[P1,345]

Sinéquanone[P4,950]

Penshoppe[P799]

SWEAT TALKPullovers that won’t make you break a sweat.

RICHARD CHAI

FALL/WINTER 2012


S N E A K E R S

STANDARD ISSUEMake it your daily uniform.

Y-3FALL/WINTER 2012

Saucony[P3,495]

Pony[TBA]

Saucony[P3,495]

Penshoppe[P1,199]

Keds[P3,295]

Vans[P3,298]

Aldo[P4,495]

Terranova[1,995]

Call It Spring[P2,995]

Vans[P2,298]

Sperry Top-Sider[P2,990]

Skechers[P3,495]


B L A Z E R S

Bench[P2,999]

Marc by Marc Jacobs[P23,000]

Oxygen[P1,499]

Oxygen[P1,499]

Bench[P1,695]

21 Men[P2,765]

Oxygen[P1,399]

Penshoppe[P1,299]

FALL/WINTER 2012TOMMY HILFIGER

MAN IN THE SUITSteal the look from Mr. Gatsby.


C O R D U R O Y P A N T S /B R A I D E D B E L T S

BRADY BUNCHGet tied up in braided belts. Massimo Dutti

[P2,950]Folded & Hung

[P399]Terranova[P445]

Terranova[P445]

21 Men [P1,735]


Zara[P2,990]

Zara[P2,990]


Folded & Hung[P1,199]

RICHARD CHAI

FALL/WINTER 2012

Get between the corrugated lines.RIDGE RIDER


C A P S

Obey[P2,090]

Stussy[P1,780]

Folded & Hung[P479]

Penshoppe[P199]

Folded & Hung[P449]

21 Men[P785]

Mishka[P1,950]

Oxygen[P299]

Terranova[P445]

FALL/WINTER 2012GENERAL IDEA

HEAD COUNTMake the roll call, mofos.

MUSE


Splashing onto the runway for the Spring 2013 season, TSHECA WHITE made waves at shows like Missoni, Fendi, and Christopher Kane. But the Jamaican import’s tough-as-nails ramp presence melts to reveal her bubblier personality backstage, with her nose in a book, jah.

By Giano D. DionisioPhoto courtesy of MIX Model Management

This is model Tsheca White’s current favorite photo of herself. “I really

love it because it looks just like me,” she asserts. Currently in New York scurrying between photo shoots, the cheeky Tsheca admits she misses her family and hometown, where she climbed trees and skinned her knees along with her five male cousins. Growing up with them urged her to explore her girly side through playing dress up. Nowadays, she’s doing it professionally, and with an aura of absolute confidence that smokes the competition.

STIR IT UPHonestly, it all really started when I arrived in New York for the show castings—meeting all those incredibly talented people! The designers—I really loved meeting and working for Marc Jacobs—the makeup, the hair, and all the different ways they made me look helped me realize what it is to be a model and what fashion is all about. It’s incredible… Fashion is

art; to me, they’re the same. I have so much respect for talented people. They inspire me.

CHERRY OH BABYI don’t often wear a lot of makeup, but I love lip gloss. That’s my thing. Beauty tips? Drink lots of water, get lots of sleep, and just stay as calm and stress-free as possible. I don’t really stress; it’s not in my personality. Perhaps growing up in laid-back Jamaica around so many boys has to do with my attitude about things.

QUEEN MAJESTYThe fashion industry has opened my eyes and given me the self-confidence to really believe in myself… I’m not super emotional to begin with, but I have learned not to internalize things or take in negativity. As a result, I stay happy and confident with who and what I am. I’m just me.

mixmodelmgmt.com

RASTAFAIR ONE


Since 2006, Flosstradamus have been dishing out delicious remixes one after

another, showcasing their renditions of hits made popular by Matt & Kim, Mates of States, Bloc Party, HeartsRevolution, and Major Lazer not forgetting original compositions that feature the vocal supports of Kid Sister and Caroline Polachek of Chairlift. Now they’re busy on the road, having just finished three

From being shut down by cops and playing for a crowd of five to digging Fred Durst, you could say that J2K (Josh Young) and Autobot (Curt Cameruci) of DJ duo FLOSSTRADAMUS are exactly those kids your parents warned you about.

By CJ AngPhotographed by Clayton Hauck

back-to-back tours with Dillon Francis, A-Trak, and DJ Sliink, as well as releasing three EPs. With undying passion for making pounding, dance anthems, rest assured there’s no rest yet for Flosstradamus (the irony, geddit?).

How does it feel to be part of the big family at Fool’s Gold Records with Chromeo, Bag Raiders, and Duck Sauce?J2K: Yeah, Chromeo and Duck Sauce are the homies. We toured with Chromeo in 2007, and my sister actually came up with the name for the label so we’ve been involved since before day one. It’s all family over there. We’re like Juggalo’s, but with less Xanax.

How crazy can it get if everyone from Fool’s Gold Records are in the same club?J2K: Both the Fool’s Gold five-year anniversary and the Day Off parties got shut down by the cops, so shit gets pretty rowdy when we’re all under the same roof. It’s all in good fun, though. We’re all just trying to get things turnt up.

Share with us some of your early music struggles.J2K: We got off to a crazy start in 2007 when we got on the cover of URB Magazine’s Top 1000 issue with Kid Sister. But honestly, we weren’t prepared to handle the workload and responsibility that came with that kind of exposure. We were younger and more focused on the party than the grind at that point. We rode that wave for a few years, but by 2011, no one would book us for tours. We played a show in Denver this time last year to five people. We needed to grow up, and focus on the music. I spent 2011 making demos, and Curt spent it

learning engineering techniques. By the end of the year, we decided to start releasing music again, and things took off from there. We’ve played three sold out shows in Denver this year.

What’s your secret to reading a crowd? J2K: We like to approach our shows like a live act. We make a setlist before the show. Fortunately, we’ve both been DJs for over 10 years each so that comes into play when we’re planning our sets, but very few decisions are made on the fly. We are however triggering all the songs, loops, and layering acapellas and samples live. This is only something we can do now that we’ve come up with a sound, and play so many of our original tracks.

There’s a momma’s boy in every guy. What’s your biggest momma’s boy secret?J2K: Ha. We don’t have any, but ask Dave from Chromeo—he’s got a few.

What is your guilty pleasure music?J2K: We honestly don’t believe in guilty pleasures. We both grew up on pop music and feel like, even in the corniest of “Call Me Maybes,” there’s some genius. I guess if I have to name something people would be surprised about, it would be that I really liked Nu Metal when I was younger, like Korn and Limp Bizkit. We were in Japan doing a festival where Limp Bizkit were also playing, so we got to see them live, and I realized I knew the words or at least the hook to almost every song. I’m sure he’ll see this, so shout out to Fred Durst.

flosstradamus.com@flosstradamus

NOMOMMA’SBOYS

MAESTRO

That backdrop sounds exactly like their single, “Dance All Night,” a song meant to “accompany a lovemaking montage in a movie” or for most people I asked to listen, to cruise around. Scott says, “It’s more about the feeling you get from watching or imagining someone dancing all night than it is actually doing it.” But Love Sign’s got more than cheese on its plate. “Electric Fever” is an anthemic summer jam that’ll fit right in a 90s teen movie soundtrack.

Their brand of rock—sincere and simple, with the purity of

guitars and drums—might seem unfit in an electro-drenched musical terrain, but isn’t that what makes them essential? Scott says, “I don’t think we’re there yet, but I think being the best rock band is a good goal to have.” Overlooked in the last three years, they’ve had enough. Scott adds, “I think we’re more exciting to watch than most bands, so we’ve got that part covered. We just need to write a few dozen more hits, and we’ll be there.”

freeenergymusic.com@FreeEnergy

FREE ENERGY can neither be created nor destroyed. They can only be charged from one form to another—from rackets to rocking, from beats to hits, and from notable to essential.

By Reena MesiasPhotographed by Anouck Bertin

Free Energy’s vocalist Paul Sprangers, lead guitarist

Scott Wells guitarist Sheridan Fox, drummer Nicholas Shuminsky, and bassist Evan Wells were “makin’ bacon” and loading up on calories during our interview. That’s fine because their new year’s resolution—according to Scott—is to “tour like mad” and start a body-building program, apart from releasing Love Sign, their follow-up to 2010’s Stuck on Nothing. “We recorded most of the drums in an old church outside of Woodstock, NY—pretty much a perfect setting—clean air and starry nights,” he says.

action-reaction

MAESTRO


FOALS are ready to keep playlists burning with Holy Fire. Heavier than anything Foals have written before, it still promises the band’s signature groove and funk.

Visualize this: DARWIN DEEZ going widescreen, amping up production values, and exploring new avenues, such as his newfound love for guitar shredding. His second album, Songs for Imaginative People, is self-recorded and produced in Asheville, North Carolina, and mixed in London with Charlie Andrew.

Born Sinner? No, I don’t think so. But J. COLE certainly sought freedom in the studio as he recorded his sophomore album. He has no doubt in his mind that the songs in this album will top those on his #1 debut Cole World: The Sideline Story. You be the judge.

STRFKR offer another joyride with Miracle Mile. The 15-track album apparently came about from 24-hour writing sessions and kicking around vocalist/keyboardist/guitarist/drummer Josh Hodges’ hard drive.

colourWhen everything goes dowhill—like a sophomore slump if you’re an artist—the people who’ll stand by you are your own kin. Luckily, for duo and cousins COLOUR CODING, blood and music are thicker than any identity crisis they’ve ever encountered.

By Bianca Cruz

At a young age, cousins Chris Holland (vocals/guitar) and

Tim Commandeur (drums) of indie pop band Colour Coding have developed a zeal for music and songwriting. I caught the two before they headed out to a farm in New South Wales for a pre-production of their next release, Proof.

“We were at somewhat of a loss as to what we should do next. I suppose the inspiration for Proof was just making that affirmation that all was not lost, and that we still had a

lot to give as a duo,” says Chris. “The songs came about when we were in a transitional time in our lives.” They had just begun a break from their other band (Operator Please), and their catchy song “Perfect” encapsulates their sentiments at that time of confusion. “Know what to do?/ No, not a clue but I’ve been feeling kinda hopeful, feeling kinda hopeful.” A little hope and a bro code to stick together go a long way.

Currently taking Sydney by storm, Colour Coding plan to

branch out and tour the world. Chris says, “We are stoked with the reception that Proof has received, especially in the Philippines! We seem to have some very loyal and patient fans which we are extremely grateful for.” “Moving slow, but we’re liking this notion,” Colour Coding sing in “Perfect.” And with what they’ve achieved so far, it seems to be working out fine.

facebook.com/ColourCoding@ColourCoding

wheel


Is there a reason why vocalists and guitarists Taylor Rice and Ryan Hahn,

vocalist and percussionist Kelcey Ayer, and drummer Matt Frazier of Local Natives named their new album Hummingbird as a follow-up to Gorilla Manor? Kelcey says it’s pure coincidence, but what if, subconsciously, the name is an allusion to how they’re trying to flit away from the success of their previous album, to prove that they’re capable of producing another rave-worthy one? Nobody likes being one-hit wonders after all–and a two-year break can easily turn anyone into has-beens, more so for an indie rock band without the marketing and PR machinery to launch the welcome-back fireworks and the whole shebang.

“I can just say that we’re very lucky and blessed to have people enjoy [our music] as much as they do,” Kelcey muses. “As for why, I don’t know. I don’t think that’s for us to decide. I think people will like what they like… I don’t know how people will take Hummingbird, but we just want to make music that we like, and this is just going to be the next chapter.”

By “next chapter,” Kelcey hints at the experiences the band had to go through during the last two years–a band member leaving, a loved one dying, the highs and lows of fame, and moving out of Los Angeles and heading to New York. While the collective experiences churned out

something definitely worth anticipating, Kelsey notes not all experiences are worth it–even if they end up producing amazing works of art. He jokes: “I would never want to be shot. I never want to be poisoned. I would never want to be in a plane crash. I would never want to be stabbed. I would never want to see any of those things happen to my friends and family.”

But just how far are they willing to take everything? Teaming up with other bands, perhaps? “It’s kind of hard. I don’t know how accessible artist collaborations sometimes are. I mean, on that Dark Was the Night record with The National’s Aaron Dessner–I thought that was beautifully done. I don’t think there was any particular person I’d love to collaborate with, but I think we’re open to people.” Even with Beyoncé, who Ryan thought was amazing. “I don’t know. That’s pretty out there,” Kelcey laughs. We don’t pursue the topic further–but for the record, just in case a Beyoncé-Local Natives collaboration happens, remember that this article likely made that happen. (Rabid fans, you know who to send your hate-mails to.)

localnatives.com@localnatives

LOCAL NATIVES are open to new experiences–minus the ones that have to do with poison, plane crashes, and Beyoncé Knowles.

By Evan TanPhotographed by Bryan Sheffield

origins and evolutions

MAESTRO

mash pointSince we can’t indulge ourselves in a Local Natives-collaborated track, let’s just settle for brilliant remixes.

“Who Knows Who Cares” (Wax Nostalgic Remix)A flashback to 2009 and the band’s first album, this is the debut mix of 21-year old producer and musician Wax Nostalgic.

“Wide Eyes” (Suckers Remix)You’ll get lost in its fading guitar hooks and Trentemøller-esque beats.

“Sun Hands” (Here We Go Magic Remix)The folky song turns into electronic rock. Whoop dee doo.

“Stranger Things” (Wallpaper. Remix)Wallpaper. step away from their upbeat tracks and keep it mellow.

“World News” (Teen Daze Remix)Chillwave darling Teen Daze puts a hazy, summer vibe on the track. Just in time.

Youngblood Hawke seemed to know, that too, because when they found out Passion Pit were looking for openers, Sam recalls, “We reached out to them… We’re big fans of Passion Pit.”

Sure, they may look like a bunch of rowdy twenty/thirtysomethings undergoing second childhood, but their music is actually inspired by teenage energy. Sam says, “We were all definitely crazy-ass, little adventure-seeking, rebel children. I had a beautiful childhood: weird tree houses, bike races, imaginary cowboy shootouts, lizards, Oliver Stone. I work my ass off so I can hold onto a piece of that childish carelessness that always seems to vanish this time.” That vigor manifests iteself in their kaleidoscopic outfits during performances and music videos. “We Come Running” features the band dancing with the natives and swimming with sharks in the Bahamas. It was creepy, maybe stupid, but also quite brave. “We learned more

than we ever thought we would when we swam with those sharks! They are beautiful. They’re terribly misunderstood,” Sam says. “We wanted to face our fears because that’s one thing the song is about: facing your fears and conquering them.”

Adventurers are almost always fearless. The band may not overcome their fear of “being trampled by a stampede of rhinos” or being “abducted by aliens,” but they did face the fear of rejection and failure even before forming Youngblood Hawke. Previously belonging to Iglu & Hartly, Sam and Simon decided to make the type of music they’ve always wanted to make. “When you get bored with the music you’re making, then make changes. If you feel uninspired and weary, it’s time to turn to something,” Sam says. “Youngblood Hawke is a brand new project. It’s more than a

YOUNGBLOOD HAWKE build a funhouse of sound, nailed by influences from Tim & Jean’s synth supports, Capital Cities’ bass and guitars, and Naked and Famous’ gang choruses. Best served chilled, their forthcoming LP better be served right now.

By Reena Mesias

“I WORK MY ASS OFF SO I CAN HOLD ONTO A PIECE OF THAT CHILDISH CARELESSNESS.”

E U P H O R I AD I A S P O R A

band. We’re a group of friends building something together, and music is the center of it because it’s what fulfills us.”

You’d think the name Youngblood Hawke—despite coming from the 1961 Herman Wouk novel about a boy who moved to New York to search for literary success—mirrors the band’s pursuit of success, but Sam says, “I’m searching for happiness. I’m not sure if success and money can provide happiness, but it’d be nice to find out.” We will never know the next bold ideas, but as for happiness, we find a splash of it in their music. Sam says, “I just want people to feel. I don’t really mind what it is they feel, as long as it’s something. That’s all I really could hope for.”

youngbloodhawke.com@YoungbloodHawke

Soon they’re gonna hear the sound, the sound, the sound/

when we come running,” sings a group of children as backing vocals on the radio at eight in the morning. The song, “We Come Running,” is not by children per se; they’re by Sam Martin (vocals/keys), Simon Katz (guitars), Nik Hughes (drums), Alice Katz (vocals/percussions), and Tasso Smith (guitars) of Youngblood Hawke. Although I had been hearing the track for over four months since, it hasn’t gone stale.

Youngblood Hawke’s self-titled EP screams palm trees, waves, and a California sunset. It’s the kind of record that makes me want to pack my bags and go to Hawaii. Alternately, the band members are having the time of their lives, getting in and out of planes to open for Jimmy Kimmel Live and touring with Passion Pit. This match made in heaven is differentiated with Youngblood Hawke’s noise and sense of adventure, complemented by Passion Pit’s emotional intricacies.

“

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Brocollisaurus Rex

Walking into a Pperheads exhibition is like being the main character of

a life-size pop-up book. With rolled up cones of cardboard and candy-colored cutout foliage, they create fantasy worlds inhabited by clay creatures and tiny toys that invite onlookers to go beyond the crease and inside their imagination. Marvin To describes this as the push that begged Pperheads to “actualize every high idea they had in mind no matter what it takes.”

STATUS catches up with Marvin and his design partner Jamaica San as both look into the future. Marvin says, “We are really challenged by the idea of going big and putting ourselves into places or situations we haven’t been before.”

What led to making Pperheads? Jamaica San: It started roughly a year and a half ago when we wanted to start something together. We had no exact vision of what we wanted to do so we just did it, starting off with collages and cutouts, until we were making paper animal heads, cities, and whatnot. We wanted to use paper as our medium because of space limitations. I guess that limitation turned into something bigger—we realized we can make anything we want out of paper, whatever the shape and scale.

Take us through your process, from dreaming up the installation to actually making it happen?Marvin To: Most of our brilliant ideas always stem from or during the actual

F LY L I K EP A P E R

Jamaica San and Marvin To of PPERHEADS know that it’s twice as nice when paper is your pal. But as a new year rolls in, they’re breaking out of the fold to follow their impulses beyond paper palaces. By Rita Faire

making process. It is like thinking using your hands.JS: We usually start off with a prototype of the sculpture we’re making, whether we’ll use it as an object or for an installation. Prototyping a sculpture is how we “design by hand,” a fancy term for trial-and-error. From the design room, we bring the parts and learn methods down to our very skilled artisans who help us cut, fold, and assemble.

You’ve done a couple of collaborations with Willar Mateo’s Salad Day, Mike Lavarez, and Heima. How did they inspire your art? JS: We wanted to be surrounded by other artists once in a while and try to incorporate each other’s aesthetics into each other’s works. It’s also a very productive learning process. It’s very interesting to see how other people function and how the final output of the collaboration would look.

Lately, you’ve been stretching out beyond paper and onto other media like plastic toys, clay, and random baubles. JS: We did that to show we’re not limited to paper, cause we’re not! [Laughs] Plus, it’s something we’ve always wanted to do—a plastic dimension.MT: We are constantly discovering new techniques and forms that we try to exploit again and again.

pperheads.com@pperheads

CONCERTINA CONCERT

When the crease gets too crazed, Marvin suggests putting on these songs.

“Oblivion”Grimes

“Warm Leatherette” The Normal

“Stay Positive” The Streets

“Open Sea Theme” from The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou Soundtrack

Fully Booked installation

Fully Booked installation

Cardboard City


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MASTERMIND

SALÃO COBOI’s sartorial scupltures melt in Margiela, scream in Céline, and rave in Raf Simons but artist and co-founder Apolinário Pereira admits, “I like fashion but I’m not obsessed with it.”

By Rita Faire

CREATURES IN COMFORTof surreal polymer resin mutants garbed by the chicest pieces from Parisian runways.

Apolinário Pereira says, “The idea behind Salão Coboi was to work as a mutant collective, working with other artists to explore different areas and mediums, thus creating a more diverse body of work.” He continues, “Adding Salão (Salon) to the name was the result of that, Salon coming from the ‘Salon de Paris,’ which was the greatest art event of the Western World in the 19th century.” Adding fashion into the mix only furthered his experimentation.

Apolinário recounts the project which led him into his fashion fascination: “[It] started with a brainstorming [session] with Round Square Collective,” a multi-cultural platform fusing fashion, design, and music with art. The self-described “insult swap” between the two resulted in five single-piece sculptures entitled Generation H. It featured

Meet Jennifer. She is melting into a puddle of green goop

out of her pink jelly flesh. She looks like the Blob crossed with the slime spook from Ghostbusters. And yet, Jennifer doesn’t care. Why? Because she’s dressed in a nude color-blocked Hien Lee top with a purple and white Jil Sander by Raf Simons skirt and Valentino golden ballerina heels. Safe to say, most fashionable fanatics would kill for Jennifer’s wardrobe, but she’s just one among their targets.

Meet Salão Coboi’s The 9 Worthies including Adora, who sports a white Tsumori Chisato cape, Neil Barrett metallic sweater, Paul Smith red and purple gradient trousers, and Philip Lim oxford flats while riding a pustule-looking unicorn. Or maybe you’d prefer Adam, who battles a wormy beast in a purple Walter Van Beirendonck shirt, brown Marc Jacobs trousers and Buttero colored sole desert boots. Together, they form a collection

hollow-eyed purple cabbage heads in Givenchy and Alexander Wang and piggybacked blue buddies in Junya Watanabe and Giuliano Fujiwara—all pieces from the Autumn/Winter collections of 2012. It gave Apolinário the confidence and stimulation to create The 9 Worthies. Together with fashion stylist Carla Cardoso, they gave birth to the gang. Apolinário says, “It’s good to be able to do things my way, but it’s also good to have someone to discuss ideas with.”

It is a statement he strengthens as he shares his plans for the future. “[The 9 Worthies] put Salão Coboi’s work out there, allowing more people to get to know it. That has been opening up some doors to collaboration opportunities.” As for those plans, Apolinário remains tight-lipped, but one can only guess that it’s a continued foray that will unleash the green-eyed monster in front row aspirants.

salaocoboi.com

The 9 Worthies

Princeknitted sweater by Raf Simons

jeans by Yohji Yamamotolaced shoes by Giulano Fujiwara

The Empress Faceless

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SOLEIL IGNACIO illustrates delphic daughters of the Earth with eyes beholding mysteries deeper than Poseidon’s seas and hair billowing in Aura’s breeze. That may all sound Greek to you, so let STATUS debunk the mythology behind this Filipino artist’s flourishing talent.

By Giano D. DionisioPhotographed by Patrick Diokno

My earliest memories of my drawings involved Ariel,

Sailor Moon, and Barbie. Those were—I think—preschool to early grade school days,” recounts Soleil Ignacio. The artist has mentioned numerous times how The Little Mermaid resonates as one of her primary inspirations, artistically and otherwise; pre-seapunk Soleil would pretend she was the red-headed Ariel, marveling at the whirl and swirl of her own wavy hair in swimming pools.

The little mermaid fixation, tempered by Sailor Moon and other afternoon toons, turned into a brief flair for animé. “Towards the end of high school, though, I wasn’t really drawing anymore. I didn’t see it as a career, just more of a hobby,” Soleil confesses. The turning point was her enrollment in the University of the Philippines’s Fine Arts course, where she eventually met “all these amazing, talented, crazy people! My competitive soul burned,” she chuckles. The school’s environment and roster of talents helped hone Soleil’s style. She credits most of her success to the friends she surrounded herself with and the opportunities they attracted along the way.

Fresh off graduation, Soleil came in as a graphic designer for STATUS. Eventually, she would become the magazine’s

art director—though short-lived as she left to focus on her personal portfolio. From our very own Yoko Ono cover to multiple collaborations with photographers, stylists, and retailers, Soleil quickly became a formidable name in Manila’s increasingly art-minded fashion circles. She illustrated a book by celebrity stylist and blogger Jenni Epperson, depicted Imelda Marcos in Christian Dior, and even auctioned off a pair of custom-painted Keds.

“I like a good sense of fashion—who doesn’t?—so I try to incorporate that in my work,” Soleil explains. She likes to draw her women in frills, ruffles, and power dresses, however choosing combat boots, cutoffs, and shredded shirts for herself. Soleil’s illustrations are able to juxtapose an air of beguiling femininity with somber palettes. Her heroines possess full lips, shadowed eyes, waxen complexions, and signature flowy locks, yet their personalities are as individual as the brushstrokes that comprise them.

“My illustrations are actually really contrasting,” Soleil begins. “From fashionable, confident women to reserved, mysterious, introverted ladies… They send off this silent, piercing, and snobbish look, but they have a lot going on inside their heads that they want to share. They

just don’t know how to say it.” This resonates with another of Soleil’s favorite subjects: her pet cat, Pugo, who habitually cuddles up beside her yet shies away when she pets him. “Very bipolar lang!” she exclaims. “I read somewhere that they’re independent but very social animals. Labo, ‘no? (Strange, huh?) But I think I get it because I tend to be like that sometimes.”

She contemplates the traits she shares with her female portraits and feline companion,

“

SIREN SONATA

“Cats are also very mataray (snobbish) when you first look at them—which I also get from most people I first meet—but it’s just their face. They look like they don’t care but they’re really curious and they love to play with you once they get to know you.” Soleil pauses to consider her characters coming to life, then quickly dismisses the idea of befriending them. “I don’t think our personalities would complement each other very well,” she laughs aloud.

choleil.com


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inspired by Madonna. She has this interview about her concert where she said something like, ‘In order to get to light, you have to go through darkness.’ It’s about contradiction.”

Having a knack for fashion at a young age, Furne jumpstarted his career by interning, taking short courses, and joining contests. He makes a name for himself in the global scene by learning from the masters. “I respect all the designers because they’re all fabulous but [Alexander McQueen] is my favorite,” gushes Furne.

“Fabulous”— the word he uses to describe working with pop stars and movie stars like Jennifer Lopez, Heidi Klum, and Shakira—applies to himself as well. His character is displayed down to the smallest aspects, from his love of theatrics down to the scent he wears. Usually mixing different fragrances to have a signature smell, Furne isn’t obsessed with labels. Though he professes his love for Nicolas Ghesquière, who just ended his tenure at Balenciaga, he said he’d rather focus on his own house rather than be caught up with collaborations such as H&M’s famous designer

lines. Putting his vision on top of everything, he advises Filipinos to do the same: “Don’t be afraid. It’s more about personality,” he says.

Fame and fortune aside, Furne’s homecoming proves that he’s still rooted to his beginnings. But now, he understands the intricacies from one continent to another. “Dubai is more European while Philippines is more American. We’re more into function while in Dubai, it’s more of art,” he adds, “It’s also better to fly because you learn more. Like me, I learned a lot from what can be done and what can’t be done.” Like in all cases of success, it doesn’t matter where Furne is based now—because when you’re up there, everybody can see you. And when you’re pushed to the edge, you can either fly or fall. Honestly, who prefers the latter? So if you want to join the upper echelons, let the gazing begin.

amatohautecouture.com@furneone1

THECEREMONIALSDubai-based Filipino designer FURNE AMATO, popularly known as Furne One, has dressed real life Barbie Nicki Minaj and even got the chance to play dress up in sweet candy frocks with Katy Perry for her Part of Me tour. Lauded internationally for his loud and extravagant designs, Furne has forged his way from London, Dubai, Los Angeles, and Miami Fashion Week to the gates of Bench’s heaven scents with his “UnHoly” perfume.

By Zoe Laurente

It’s easy to spot Furne Amato amid the drifting crowds of

hotels. For one, he’s enveloped in layers of black fabrics and topped with a fiery red mane when I met him. Here goes a man who knows how to stand out. He shares, “For me, it’s about adding the missing elements when completing a look I’m not satisfied with. Maybe if I’m not a designer, I would be in theatre because I love drama.”

Well, the fashion industry is not bereft of drama either. Anointed by Tyra Banks herself for America’s Next Top Model Cycle 19, aspiring models donned his regalia that signaled the designer’s growing international following. Majestic frocks of chiffon, lace, and crystals propelled him to rise from being Josie Natori’s apprentice in New York to becoming a Dubai gem handpicked by the city’s elite circles and by Swarovski, nonetheless, to being among the guest judges of Germany’s Next Top Model. These successes led Furne to literally reach higher realms for his collection, To Dream of Heaven, and for his “UnHoly” perfume collaboration with Bench. On why he named it “UnHoly,” he says, “I’m so

MASTERMIND


Anyone else would’ve probably said, “Grow, my precious!

Grow and wreak havoc!” But culture connoisseur Al Moran doesn’t want It Ain’t Fair, their annual group exhibition, to be remembered like a pop star/sex icon who doesn’t realize she’s way past being sexy or hip. After five years of success, Moran—with his partner and STATUS Heavy Hitter alumnus Aaron Bondaroff—has decided to put the exhibition which coincided with Art Basel Miami Beach to rest. While they’ve already succeeded in making a statement, Moran still has a number of opinions he wants to voice out–on art and to artists.

We heard It Ain’t Fair ended. Why’s that?I always knew it would have a finite number of years in it. The exhibition was meant to provide a breath of fresh air among the sea of art during Art Basel Miami Beach. In building this year’s fifth and final edition, we realized that the only way to top it would be to make it bigger and bigger—which is

exactly what we were fighting against in the first place. We didn’t want it to become a big, bloated monster.

Is It Ain’t Fair OHWOW’s middle finger to art fairs in general? In the early years, it was definitely a middle finger to art fairs. We were hell-bent on doing things in a genuine way. Something an art fair could never accomplish; or so we thought. Over the last few years we’ve seen the fairs actually making adjustments to their model, which resulted in a better presentation of art. For better or for worse, fairs have become a core component of the art world calendar. But for OHWOW, our core mission is to present ambitious exhibitions in our spaces. The idea of peddling widgets at a trade show just isn’t appealing to me. It’s not why I fell in love with art.

True art will always be subversive/anti-establishment.Agree or disagree? I think artists make art. Period. How their art is

consumed and interpreted is almost completely out of their control. It’s only anti-establishment when someone labels it that. Artists may try their best to position their work in a certain manner but the fate of their work is ultimately in the hands of the culture that embraces it.

Aaron has “Never Not Working.” Do you have any mantra you subscribe to? I think everyone around us basically co-opted this never not working mantra. Everything we do, all day, everyday, somehow revolves around our work. We’re so fortunate to be able to work with our closest friends that, even in our down time, we’re able to engage in meaningful conversations that lay the groundwork for future projects and ignite great ideas.

O B J E C T S I N S P A C E“Nothing can really shock anymore,” says AL MORAN, co-founderof OHWOW Gallery, a contemporary art space in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami. Is it snobbery? Is it a sign that they’re quitting the art scene? Will we see tomatoes from enraged artists flying their way soon? Moran answers.

By Evan TanPhotographed by Mark Quetgles

I think there’s this misconception of the artist as a dreamer.”

“

What is OHWOW up to this 2013? We open the year with a solo exhibition by Michael Genovese followed by another solo exhibition of new works by Nick van Woert. We’re also doing an exhibition of new paintings by Harmony Korine all in the first half of the year. It’s going to be a big year for us.

Any practical advice for up-and-coming artists? Try to avoid the social scene as much as possible while you have the creative and physical energy to work in the studio for days on end developing your work. Choosing art as a career is an incredibly difficult journey. I think there’s this misconception of the artist as a dreamer. The successful ones work harder than anyone I know in other professions. It’s blue collar work through and through.

oh-wow.com @ohwowgallery


NICOLA FORMICHETTI’s body of work is indeed a body: angled legs, lowered limbs, bulging muscles, puckered lips, craned necks, and teasing crotches moving in unison for a singular beat. It desires to be touched and be released from the womb of fashion’s matriarchs. It’s

flesh, blood, and spirit rolled into a fully orchestrated performance.

By Kristine Dabbay

HEAVY

HITTER


HEAVY HITTERPhotographed by Nicholas Ong


“I actually belIeve that havIng less

money makes you more creatIve.”

HEAVY HITTER

Photographed by Eisuke Negishi


lady gaga describes her fashion director and fellow misfit royal, Nicola Formichetti, as “epic lifestyle, freakdom, gorgeous or die, the ‘fuck’ in future poetry, [and] the street in high-fashion.” Most folks know him as the man with a Mickey hairline, a gulf fecundated by pandas, Asian fantasias, fame monsters, and manic street preachers. Stalkers esteem themselves for knowing that Nicola reads Wired and uses women’s deodorant. Others merely pinion him as an editor turned pop pandemonium. But all of the above are broad strokes in contrast to his taints and tints.

Indeed, he is many things. First, he was an architecture student converted to a student of the night life. While working as a buyer for The Pineal Eye, Katy England spotted him and offered him a monthly page in Dazed & Confused where he became a junior editor and fashion director. (Take note, he prefers to direct not style since he’s more concerned about overall image than clothes.) Soon after, he helmed the late Vogue Hommes Japan and landed the post of creative fashion director for Uniqlo. Naturally, when Lady Gaga happened, he became a permanent fixture in pop culture. On becoming a slasher who rips hearts out with a dossier, he shares, “It’s very simple. I believe in the power of nature. Things just happen. I accept situations and just observe how they occur and go with the flow.”

Though his occupations remain in the upper crusts of culture clubs, Nicola never

acts as if he’s too funky for anyone. Usually wearing wifebeaters and jeans, he jostles his way to summon bacchanalian outbreaks in the likeness of George Michael’s music video of “Too Funky,” where motorbike dresses zoom past runways’ smoking femmes, Linda Evangelista, Tyra Banks, and Emma Sjöberg all adorned in fur and metal.

This live action seduction—directed and styled by Thierry Mugler, founder of the eponymous French fashion house, Mugler, for which Nicola is creative director—will make you want to lick a chin, bite a shoulder, and slap some motherfuckin’ asses. So if you had symptoms of clogged arteries when Lady Gaga wore her infamous meat dress, don’t panic; it’s all part of the process. Nicola shares, “I work purely on my instinct. I listen to my model and what happens around me. It’s less emotional and more physical. You gotta get out of your head sometimes.”

Nicola always gets his fingers working overtime. In fact, he replies to my emails minutes after I hit send, a move that makes me question everybody’s online habits henceforth. “Why didn’t you contact me before? I’m the easiest person to contact!” says the fashion crusader Style.com deemed to attract all sorts of zealots including a monk caught roaming outside the venue of Mugler’s Spring 2013 RTW show. He admits,

“I do so many social media sites like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. I even do Weibo. Just Google and you will find me.”

He makes it look so easy—firing a tech debate by announcing his switch from iPhone to Samsung while overdosing on the cuteness of his dogs Tank and Bambi then flying from New York to Tokyo while partying with Kiko Mizuhara and Humberto Leon in between. “I travel a lot… Each week is never the same and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he says. So when Nicola tweeted our cover, which he styled a few years back with photographer Benjamin Alexander Huseby, imagine the levels of love it ignited to stans of the third world. Nicola asserts, “It’s very strange to think that people recognize me on the street, but I always try to engage with my fans. I want to give all I can to help inspire them. I’m real and I exist. I just want them to know that,” he says.

Taken—he’s born this way. He exists. But how real is Nicola Formichetti? When you’re hobnobbing with the Anna and Zegna of fashion and backed by select designers and brands considered “aspirational” in cities populated by kids with an annual income equivalent to two Chanel handbags, reality gets unreal. Nipping the edges of hip-hood, I ask, “What’s your advice to the broke with expensive taste?” He answers, “Buy cheap and customize things. I

HEAVY HITTER


but if there’s something Nicola squanders on—it’s not favoritism of the elect but getting that electric kick out of tasting new flavors; for instance, betting on Rick Genest and Lady Gaga back when big shots bailed on them.

It was Dazed that did that for him. The magazine’s founder, Jefferson Hack, made the right call when he hired Nicola without inkling he’ll be calling the same person seven years later for a cover feature. “It’s so crazy to think I am on the cover of Dazed,” Nicola shares. It’s where I started. The message was to inspire the readers by showing someone who went from a shop boy to a junior editor to the cover star. Naturally, I had to have my muses with me because they are so fabulous and I’m just shy,” he laughs.

Hard to believe that shyness can still squeeze his nerves even after he’s spiraled up the social strata. One can only hold tight when hurled to dizzying highs and faced with tingling sensations. Nicola owes this tolerance to flying—in terms of exploration and attitude—to his parents. A son of an Italian pilot and a Japanese stewardess, Nicola recalls, “During my teens, I traveled a lot. I was living between Italy and Japan so I was always

never had money growing up, but my passion for fashion never stopped me from being creative. I actually believe that having less money makes you more creative. You see things in a fresh light and have that extra drive to change the world.”

With true punk panache, Nicola brought a new world order inspired by youth spent well with minimal spending. He moved from one gig to another like a personified Levi’s slogan, showing unbelievers that all you need is all you got. Whether he’s plucking pubescence out of menswear or kissing the kitsch in killer ink or popping the pop star out of her bubblegum bubble, Nicola kicks the fences of fashion so the rest can enjoy the show.

Loaded with a pocketful of change amid changing times, Nicola is now the face behind the faces of magazine editorials and covers (V, AnOther, Arena Homme +, and Harper’s Bazaar) together with Nick Knight, Alexander McQueen, and Mario Testino, among other visionaries. As we speak, he cackles with excitement on working with Kim Kardashian whom he calls a “unique phenomenon.” He punctuates, “Celebrities or non-celebrities, I just want to work with genuine people!” It may be common to abuse the trump card of fame and be cliquish,

I work purely on my InstInct… you gotta get out of your head sometImes.”

“

HEAVY HITTER

Photographed by Eisuke Negishi


trying to fit in with other kids. I was obsessed with Japanese comic magazines like Jump, and then I moved on to The Face and i-D. My parents are very supportive. They worked really hard to give me the best they can. I’m so grateful. It’s my time to pay back.”

Of course, parental guidance is advisable if one has a modern mommy and daddy like he does. But for emerging talents who need the buck to rise from the muck, Nicola is the brochure they need to explain themselves to the family. Viable income (when investment matures). Check. Networking possibilities. Check. Health and beauty insurance. Check. Discounts and freebies. Check. Travel opportunities. Check. Work-life balance. Check. The last two highlight Nicola’s recent trip to LA and Costa Rica for the holidays.

Last time I checked with him, though, he was still undecided in which way to go. “My obvious choices are Mexico or Bali since both are places I often go to on holidays. I’m thinking of somewhere different this time though. Thailand? Wait, what about the Philippines? I hear Boracay is spectacular… but I definitely want to visit Manila in person and do some project. I have so many Filipino friends and they say nothing but good things,” he says.

Oh, Nicola. Please book your ticket. Whisper the secrets of your upcoming magazine when the monsoon hits. Storm though our pelting rains while forecasting the next season’s trends. Wrestle with domestic fabrics and hear the roar of boxing matches beyond the walls of rickety shelters. Walk among our nooks vibrating with karaoke tunes. Soon, this billboard city will light up.

As a youth culture enthusiast living in a place where styles and attitudes are evolving exponentially and globally, I ask, “How do you tap a market that’s just about to explode?” He answers, “It’s so exciting to witness a place that is on the rise. I love that. The most important thing is to exchange ideas with each other so we can grow together.” You know what they say when a body meets a body—birth, life, and death happen stringed together by wild things that cling to the skin.

nicolaformichetti.com@formichetti

I always try to engage wIth my fans… I’m real and I exIst. I just want them to know that.”

“

HEAVY HITTERPhotographed by Nicholas Ong

I'M A

CYBORG,

OKAY

BUT THAT'S

REIN VOLLENGA’s sculptures may be made for some other parallel world, but as today’s biggest pop figures wear them, we are introduced to our cyborg nature in

a nonfictional universe.

Story by Nante SantamariaInterview by Petra Magno

HEAVY HITTER


any other humdrum time in any other person’s life: contemplating on Discovery or National Geographic Channel, the life and death cycles of creatures one does not have names for. But for sculptor Rein Vollenga, it is time for both fascination and research. “[Animal] behavior and looks are incredibly inspiring,”he utters, mulling over the possibility of permanently changing the human body. He decides, “Let’s have pretty, furry skin with beautiful patterns—like tigers or leopards. Wouldn’t that be cool?”

It is not a CATS musical fantasy. It is a general artistic proposition that has allured the likes of Lady Gaga to live as a Mother Monster. It is a physical configuration viewed as disfiguration, marked with fear against the unknown, and muddled with bias against the deviant. At the same time, it is nothing alien in today’s pop culture images. The world has seen Vollenga’s sculptures in Gaga’s “Fame” perfume campaign shot by the iconic Madonna photographer Steven Klein.

But in our realm of the banal—of fanny packs and fake

tans, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Juicy Couture—these images of the future remain alien. While Louis Vuitton and Dolce & Gabbana (or at least their models) have salvaged hideous purses from white trash territory, while Ke$ha and Nicki Minaj have made us familiar and accepting of the homeless ganguro look, Vollenga’s creations remain objects of science fiction. It’s the darkness that comes with it. It’s the thought that these items are not simply worn but become parts of our bodies.

It is a warranted fear. Vollenga’s sculptures are forays into the vaguely familiar, with an emphasis on vague and with little stress on familiar. When he collects his materials, nothing is discriminated among organic and mass-produced objects. Molded plastic is viewed the same way as, say, a rock—both as materials to an entirely different end product. These are what constitute Vollenga’s “Cabinet of Rarities” from which he assembles the different shapes together. “Most of the objects are ambiguous to me,” he says. They may retain their basic forms

IT COULD BE

I DOn'T SEE AnY BOUnDARIES BETwEEn ART AnD fASHIOn."

"

HEAVY HITTER


as found objects, but they do not necessarily maintain their intrinsic values.

At the same time, it is an irrational fear in an increasingly cybernetic time. A Vollenga sculpture which is, instead, a composite of various forms as well as a synthesis of various meanings, is an object of incorporation. When worn, it diminishes the boundary between itself and its wearer. Because its form also takes some function, it transforms its wearer from a mere holder to a user, from mere mortal to monster. The

object becomes a tool, as if part of the human body. It is inevitable. As Vollenga says, he chooses objects that “speak to the imagination.” But haven’t we been using tools since the Stone Age? Haven’t these things fed us, protected our bodies, and built cities? Shouldn’t these things have made us more imaginative?

The sources can be right in front of your face, but they can also be hidden in dusty museums. Vollenga frequents ethnological exhibits and is fascinated by tribal art. “I can totally fall in love with handcrafted pieces

and feel the love and dedication that merge in the objects,” he says. He is referring to ancient pieces depicting ideals of beauty, of fertility, but it is also the same way he treats his work. Every new object is first coated in resin, it is sanded, and it is polished several times. When paint and lacquer are applied, they are done in layers. These are all done by hand. This is the labor that yields incredible results.

Vollengas are pure art through craft. They are finely made juxtapositions of images—humanoid and man-made, animal and natural—that produce an entirely surreal, palpable object. They are statements on the in/correlation of our bodies to external objects. At the same time, Vollengas are part tools through craft. They are armors and hats and shields and masks. As much as they can be considered fashion accessories, they are also protection, even instruments of expression and intimidation—weapons. “I don’t see any boundaries between art and fashion,” Vollenga says. In his world, you can wear art, and this world isn’t any different from anybody else’s. He just happens to make it look a little bit different, just a tad more exaggerated. Haven’t we all encountered helmets and bangles? Quite simply, he sums up, “I think art should be available for everybody.”

Increasingly, that is happening. The world over—from his home city London to Vienna, Berlin, Milan, Tokyo, The Hague, and Paris—has been witness to his exhibitions. Treasuring the major shows, like his upcoming one in Palais du Louvre next year, he remembers equally the small ones, like his show in Tokyo’s Kita-Kore. “I felt like Alice in Wonderland,” he recalls.

The fashion industry’s greatest influencers like Diane Pernet and Nicola Formichetti are taking notice and seeking his youthful wisdom and vision. The most reputable titles like Vogue, Document Journal, Purple, TUSH, Glass, and Interview are giving him their spreads. The most forwards labels like Mugler, Cassette Playa,

"Let's have pretty, furry skin with beautifuL

patterns-Like tigers or Leopards. wouLdn't that be

cooL?"

HEAVY HITTER


and soon, Kokon to Zai, are collaborating with him in their runway shows and campaigns. The most cutting age performers from East to West, from 2NE1 to Lady Gaga, are wearing his art. It is only a matter of time until Vollenga’s dream muses, Björk and Róisín Murphy, start calling him.

This moment of success has been a long time coming. “My parents supported my rage to create from an early age,” Vollenga recalls. Before concentrating on sculpture, he was trained in painting, did singing lessons, took ballet, and even played several musical instruments. Evidently, his work is closest to life. It shows

what ordinary people do not see. It speaks, or it sings, of what our bodies could be. It moves our consciousness silently but effectively.

“The ideal interaction between body and sculpture,” he says, ”is in the media of photography, film, music video, or live performance.” As the startlingly vivid images of the likes of Benjamin Alexander Huseby and Steven Klein have shown, as the ultimately pop appearances of 2NE1 and Lady Gaga or the drag performances of Jonny Woo show, Vollenga’s vision of the future is here and now.

reinvollenga.com

I CAn TOTALLY fALL In LOvE wITH HAnDCRAfTED pIECES AnD fEEL THE LOvE AnD DEDICATIOn THAT MERGE In THE OBjECTS."

"

HEAVY HITTER


HEAVY HITTER


POSTER

“Finding the right typeface is like falling in love. I can really get a crush on a typeface,” says graphic designer PAUL BOUDENS whose lines can bring a shiver down your spine, whose script seeps through scrim, whose bold letters and text blaze next to combusting sex, whose punctuation curves mate with runways’ moody gaits, whose kerning hoists a photographer’s pose, whose promotions propel the anti-fashion, and whose prints bind the sacrosanct union between designers and their cults.

By Kristine Dabbay

Paul Boudens photographed by Ronald Stoops, with Inge Grognard & Tim Lebacq, 2010

CHILD

HEAVY HITTER


Having watched American Psycho in the violent spurt of early

youth, I always wondered why its protagonist, Patrick Bateman, would literally kill for the finest calling card. I wondered, “Who in his right mind would cut throats for a piece of paper?” But these days, who in his right mind would tolerate shoddy prints amid a cutthroat world whose yearly resolutions involve accumulating images in higher resolution?

Bateman should have hired Paul Boudens. After all, for people with top-tier taste, what a gaffe if they can’t communicate their vision in a way that manifests cachet instead of cash, and character instead of shameless flattery. Clients such as Yohji Yamamoto, Haider Ackermann, and Dries Van Noten create clothes culled from dreams; and for their fantasies to sprout into other countless forms (invitations, posters, productions), Paul had to enter

the picture or, rather, be the man behind the image.

Though Paul prefers working in the sidelines, his oeuvre contains a human side that results in a breathing brutality of textures distilled in a restraint of lines and shapes. The task might be physically taxing, but Paul is always excited for the next project. He says, “I’m easily bored. I want to create, create, create.”

I caught up with him during the holidays—to which he reacts, “Holi-what? Never heard of such a thing, I’m always at work!”—and work he does even during a time of frolic. He’s designing books, catalogs, and posters; planning city projects; and preparing for workshops with his regular collaborators and friends, designer Walter Van Beirendonck, photographer Ronald Stoops, and makeup artist Inge Grognard for a visit to LA’s Otis College of Art and Design. Slumped but not stumped, he

Antwerp Fashion Academy Show 2011 Poster

quips, “Before you know it, it’s fashion show invitation time again!”

I love your work. How did you start doing what you’re doing?It’s a long story. I came to Antwerp in the mid-80s to study fashion, but I flunked my entrance exam. So there I was, alone in Antwerp, on a comfortable budget from my parents, a cheap place to live, but with absolutely no idea what to study! I did some other studies like Press & Communication and Translation, but failed those, too, because my heart wasn’t in it. Basically, I lost four years, although I had a really good time. [Laughs] In the meantime, I was playing around at home, making cassette covers and birthday cards for friends with Mecanorma letters and

Paul Boudens Works Volume I on fire

photocopies—some even in color… a novelty at that time. [Laughs]

Anyway, one day, I was at a friend’s birthday party and my card was on display on the shelf. A woman asked who made it and I said, “Eh, me.” She shouted, “You have to study graphic design!” Frankly, I had never heard of such a thing. The woman convinced me to do an entrance exam at the school where she was teaching. I passed and started to study graphic design and illustration. This was the first time I felt comfortable doing something, and graphic design fit me like a glove. When I was in my third year, Walter Van Beirendonck asked me to create prints for his T-shirts and I rolled into the fashion world by accident. That was in 1989, and we’ve worked together ever since.

Antwerp Fashion Academy Show 1991 Poster

HEAVY HITTER


Having worked with so many designers, what is it with fashion that makes your art so close to it?I’m quite fashion-sensitive. Not that I’m a fashion victim—far from it—but I understand how that world works and I’m good at channeling what a designer wants or would like to see. So a lot of my clients are also sensitive people creating something. We’re all alike, you know.

In relation to that, what are you wearing as we speak?A Fred Perry shirt and sweater, Lee jeans, an Alexander McQueen coat, Maison Martin Margiela sneakers. It’s all quite classic stuff you know, I’m a regular guy. The coat has a nice historic/military influence—typical McQueen. The tail bounces funny when I walk around.

You’re also a co-founder of A Magazine. A Magazine started as N°A during the Fashion 2011 Landed project in Antwerp with Walter Van Beirendonck and Gerdi Esch. We did a couple of issues with Bernhard Willhelm, Hussein Chalayan, Olivier Theyskens then we went belly up. A year later, we got picked up again by a financer and restarted, working

Haider Ackermann Autumn-Winter 2011–2012 Invitation

with the likes of Maison Martin Margiela, Yohji Yamamoto, and Haider Ackermann.

With all the bloggers and social media available, how do you think print will progress in the future?I’m sure there will be less and less printed matter in the future, but it’s going to take a while. I’m still a paper person, and there’s still a lot of us around who feel the same way. Vinyl hasn’t disappeared yet and neither will paper. The only good reason to use it less is ecological.

Working in a fast-paced industry, how do you adapt to change?Actually, it’s the fast pace of fashion that I like. Although I must say, sometimes I can feel my bones crack under the pressure, and I think: “Can we all stand still for just a second, maybe?” [Laughs] I just keep my eyes and mind open and try to let my work evolve gracefully.

I love what you said about art not being just done on the computer but rather a “breathtaking explosion of images, forms and colors—translated into various

“You can talk about concepts until your face turns blue, but if the result isn’t worth looking at, what’s the point?”

HEAVY HITTER


Yohji Yamamoto Spring-Summer 2004

Avoid hype at any cost—go for the long run.”

techniques: silk-screen, fluorescence, black-on-black, UV varnish, overprinting.” Tell us about your process. Do you have lists, routines, or you just go with the flow?You are quoting from my CV! [Laughs] That was the way I described my monograph, Paul Boudens Works Volume I. My creative process is truly simple; when I get an assignment, an image pops up in my head, then I try to recreate that image in any which way possible. When I succeed in doing that, you’re going to have a very nice design, but if all I see is a black hole, you’re in trouble. Rather, I’m in trouble! I do make lists everyday, but that’s just to

see what I’m working on at the moment—most of the time ten things simultaneously.

That said, as much as art is an “explosion,” tell us about the value of editing and curating with regard to image-making?I find it’s quite easy to edit something. The right image just pops up. “Less is more” is my motto, but even I sometimes make the mistake of starting too complicated and overwrought, then I have to scrape away layer after layer until my gut says we’ve arrived at the right image or design. I’m a very “gut” kind of guy, and I abhor concepts even though they are very “in” these days. You can talk about concepts until your face turns

Lastly, pick a theme and five works of art that support it, if you were to curate an exhibit. What does this story say?Without a doubt, I would go for “Gut Feeling.” Gut means stomach, but also “good” in German, and I spent my whole childhood there. I would go for a crazy mix of people like Alexey Brodovitch, Louise Bourgeois, Walter Van Beirendonck, Barnett Newman, David Lynch, Hermann Nitsch, to name a few. I’m not going to name any more, in case one day I will set up this exhibition. [Laughs]

a-g-i.org/paulboudens

“

HEAVY HITTER

blue, but if the end result isn’t worth looking at, what’s the point?

Do you think life imitates art or it’s the other way around?I quite like that it’s a continuum: art imitates life imitates art imitates life, etc.

Your body of work communicates a strong vision. In an industry saturated by hype, what’s your tip to anyone who wants to succeed in art/fashion?Learn to know what you are good at. Be yourself and stick to your guns. It pays off in the end, but it takes longer. Avoid hype at any cost—go for the long run. Be creative, be patient, or try to be. [Laughs]

Fashion 2001 Landed 2Women Exhibition PosterFashion 2001 Landed Emotions Exhibition PosterFashion 2001 Landed Mutilate? Exhibition Poster

With their furry hoods, feathered fascinators, tessellated tiaras, and couture caps, these headwear designers raise the bar for quirky accessories, reinvigorating fashion

with a heavy hand of imagination. Expressing yourself couldn’t be simpler; these hats are our top hits.

BARBARA KEAL

KEN SAMUDIOHow would you describe someone who wears your designs?My pieces are not for the faint of heart. They must be worn by an individual who has complete control of herself and her sartorial choices—someone who really understands herself, wears something for her own pleasure, and doesn’t take fashion all too seriously. My pieces are classics with a kitschy, humorous edge to them.

How do you adapt to different clients’ different tastes?When I create a design, I try to incorporate the personality of my clients while still maintaining the Ken Samudio feel. I can make blingy, princessy showstoppers for my celebrity clients and avant-garde, unconventional ones for my more sartorially adventurous customers.

What were some things you learned in art school that you apply to your hat work?The confidence to be myself, to experiment, and to be inventive. It also provided a very fine husband whose truth-to-materials approach to woodwork led me to realize how important it is to allow the material you are using to reveal its innate qualities, hence the deeply hairy nature of animal hats made from animal hair. These hats are all one-off pieces made by me, no two are identical. They are works of sculpture—they are wearable artworks.

What’s your creative process?I work very intuitively. I like to gather materials then combine them fast and furiously. I get very wet in the wet felting part of the process… The work evolves as a conversation between my vision and what the wool is willing to do for me.

What statements do your headpieces make?“I am part of the community of all living creatures, I experience life with the

immediacy of an animal. I feel fierce, wild, and free!” But the wry smile says, “I don’t take myself too seriously.”

barbarakeal.com

Where do you see millinery heading in the next few years?Millinery is slowly gaining a steady following locally, and I would like to thank Mich Dulce for paving the way. A few years back, everybody would have laughed at someone wearing a headpiece under our hot tropical sun and weather. Today, Filipinos are taking more risks and getting out of their boxes… I daresay we are now becoming fashion-forward. I would love to see people wearing headpieces as nonchalantly as wearing jewelry and other accessories.

matthewandmelka.com@kensamudio

BLOCK

PARTY


BURgER KIM

PHILOMENA KWOK

What’s your creative process?How it usually works is that I’ll see an object—usually a toy—and I’ll think, “It’d be fun to wear it as a hat,” and I’ll turn it into a hat. I think this about a lot of things I see at markets, shop windows, etc. That’s why my room’s always at full capacity.

What significant elements go into your designs?Whatever hat I’m working on, I always try to make something that not only makes me smile, but pleases others too. I use a lot of objects related to my childhood and pop culture because I can easily relate to

Where do you see millinery heading in the next few years?I’d hope for it to evolve into something more than a mere art form—for headwear to really be integrated into people’sday-to-day lives. Fashion is braver and more accessible in general, especially with accessories, so I do see that spilling over into headwear. I’d love to see hats being used to punctuate life’s most memorable and celebratory moments.

What makes hats special over other accessories?Headwear has the ability to express the wearer’s inner style more intimately than any other item of clothing or accessory. Using the space around your face to express yourself is so personal to the individual.

them and I know a lot of people can, too. Sense of humor and accessibility are essential to me.

What makes hats special over other accessories?We wear hats on top of our head, so, in a way, it’s almost like an extension of our thoughts and ideas. I believe what someone puts on his or her head conveys stronger messages than any other accessories can.

burgerkim.com@houseofburger

Headwear can add beauty, cheek, mystery, or coyness—all in the angle of a hat, the flamboyance of a feather, or the enigma of a lace mask.

How do you stay creative?The easiest way to stay creative is to have a curious mind and to explore interests outside your realm. I love study and travel and meeting amazing people because inspiration can come from the most unexpectedplaces—reading about desert photography or coming across a delicate native flower during a hike.

philomenakwok.com@pkm_featherhead

Words by Giano D. Dionisio

Barbara Keal photos by Philip Volkers

Philomena Kwok photos by Claire Wallman, Hair by Tara Sutton, Makeup by Casey Gore

BLOCK PARTY


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Anouck Bertin (Photographer)anouckbertin.comThe Cobrasnake (Photographer)thecobrasnake.com Fernando Colon (Photographer)fernandocolon.com

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S TAT U S I N VA D E S


OS accessories designer PAUL JATAYNA has more than skeletons in his closet, so if he’s got a bone to pick with you then we suggest you welcome it with open arms.

os-accessories.com@paulhighness

PAUL JATAYNA

PAINTING BY ZEUS BASCONHe’s so rooted yet so

contemporary.

COW SKULLIt’s the very first OS experiment we did at home. I can still smell its stench on the walls!

OVERBITE CAPMy favorite design!

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN: SAVAGE BEAUTY BY ANDREW BOLTONIt opened my eyes to designing based on culture and history.

KTZ SHIRTMy current favorite T-shirt in the closet. I’m sure next month it’s gonna be different.

MANIC PANICIt’s my emergency kit when I want to get my Grimes on.

VINTAGE W&LT SHIRTI bid very hard for this. I’m a huge, huge fan of Walter Van Beirendonck’s designs from the 90s.

GIVENCHY SANDALSMy current favorite shoes.

BABY PHOTO WITH GRANDPARENTSIt reminds me of the people I value most.

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

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