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ChelseaThe Sophomore IssueFall 2010$15

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Editor–in–ChiefChelsea Fairless

Editor at LargeGabriel Smith

Senior WriterLaura Jane Faulds

Thank You

Wendy Rowan, Ben Fairless, Amanda Brooks, Megan Hart, Nica DeMaria, Ingeborg, Yukiko Tajima, Sara Long, Emma Myles, Katie Sullivan, Nikki Igol, Robert Dupree, Karolina Zastarskyte, Becca Curtis, Kia Hayes, Aysha Faith Melendrez, Lexy Weinstein, Desira Pesta, Kaia Wong, Anne Bown Crawford, Cassie Burgess, Nina Groth, Alexa Mercada, Jaffa Wahlberg, Danya Wahlberg, Kathlyn Richmond, Kailani Ney-ra-Wahlberg, Carol Heaslip, Laurence Hindley, Jim Stephenson, Jill Dedini, Shelley Stewart, Mary Cruse, Luxirare, Pascale Gatzen, Peter Burgess, Flashback Vintage, David Wilbur, Elliot Levin, Sandy Haux, Josh Patner, Nic Briand, Susien Chong, Linda Perhacs, Linda Long, Kay King.

Contributors

Sarah Wilmer, Elisabeth Moch, Jeff Brown, Laura Feinstein, Molly Butterfoss,

Jennifer Sullivan, Johanna Pieterman, Lucy Meyle, Alika Cooper & Karin Bubas.

Websitewww.chelseamagazine.us

Contactinfo@chelseamagazine.us

Painting by Jennifer Sullivan

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Linda PerhacsIf you took Truman Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s, transposed it into the Southern California of early Beach Boys songs, and spiked Holly Golightly’s white wine with a half-ounce of Peyote, the resulting off-kilter fairy tale would bear a striking resemblance to the bizarre and romantic life story of cult psych-folk singer Linda Perhacs. SoCal born and raised, Linda’s affinity for the creative arts blossomed as a high school cheerleader, when she discovered that traditional cheer-leading stunts and pyramids approximated the synaesthetic* patterns and geometric formations she had been watching in her head since childhood. Perhacs went on to study dentistry at the University of Southern California, ultimately landing herself a job assisting a Beverly Hills-based “periodontist to the stars,” where she spent the late 1960s scraping plaque off Cary Grant’s teeth. In 1970, Linda released her first and only record, the sweetly haunting and aptly-titled Parallelograms, before quickly fading into obscurity and resuming her day job at the periodontist’s office (which she holds to this day). Upon its 2005 reissue, the moody, Joni Mitchell-esque Parallelograms began to garner praise amongst folk enthusiasts, even winning the hearts and approval of notorious music snobs Sonic Youth. Since then, Perhacs has collaborated with Daft Punk and Devendra Banhart, and, in 2009, she witnessed nearly 100 musicians and video artists pay tribute to her work with a performance at the Redcat Theater in Los Angeles–the first time that Linda had performed her material live. A truly unique spiritualist with an unyieldingly inspiring worldview, Perhacs was recently

kind enough to answer a few of our questions via e-mail, proving to all of us at Chelsea that, when it comes to psychedelia and positivity, Linda Perhacs is absolutely unparalleled.

In past interviews you have discussed your lifelong ability to see moving multi-dimensional patterns of music, color, and light. I am very jealous! When did this first occur? I began seeing these patterns at around the age of 4 or 5. From the minute I would close my eyes I would see geometrical patterns dancing around in my head. They were like Irish or Scottish dancers. I had no input of this from my family at that time, it wasn’t until later in my life when I met my real father’s people that I realized my genealogy was from the British Isles! So the best answer I could give you is that it came through my bloodline, and it happened every time I went to sleep!

How have the visions affected your music? If you listen to my music, it’s very obvious that these melodies are from the British Isles. It isn’t a studied trait, it’s in my soul.

In high school you were the homecoming queen, head of the cheerleading squad, star of the school musical, etc. Quite an unusual background for an artist! How did the experience of being popular shape the person that you are today? Do you still have your crown? When I started high school, I was very struck by the cheerleaders because they were using the same geometrical patterns of dancing that I had seen every night when I was a tiny child. I knew instantly I could do this. Each one of us has a special gift and when we manifest our energies through this special quality that

*Synesthesia is a neurologically-based condition in which one type of stimula-tion evokes the sensation of another, as when the hearing of a sound produces the visualization of a color.

C O N V E R S AT I O N

Words by Chelsea FairlessPhoto by Bob Flick

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She’s my best friend.God, I hate her.

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Fashion Psychic

Words & Illustration by Chelsea Fairless

At Chelsea, we’re beginning to find the fashion industry’s current preoccupation with “trend forecasting” a little unnerving. All trendcasting ever really uncovers are sartorial truisms along the lines of “Young people in Japan dress wackier than young people in America!” or “The women of Williamsburg have recently taken to sporting oversized mens’ basketball tanks with exposed lace bras” or “Jeans are as cool as ever!” Has anything valid or revolutionary ever come out of the millions of dollars fashion consulting firms pump into snapping digicam portraits of fifteen-year-old candy ravers from Cincinnati? It seems to us that shifts in the way people dress tend to ebb and flow naturally, almost arbitrarily, as if controlled by some sort of incredibly chic, diamond-encrusted Iron Hand. Operating from beneath this hypothesis, it strikes us as obvious that the only possible way to gain insight into the future of fashion is to go straight to the source. That’s right–psychics! Those lucky, enchanted souls whom the cosmos have gifted with the ability to see far beyond what we mere mortals presume to be “reality.” Armed with nothing but a tape recorder, twenty bucks in cash, and a burning desire to find out whether or not Marc Jacobs will ever get fat again, Chelsea recently interrogated a motley crew of seers in the hopes of unearthing some clues as to what Forever 21 will be knocking off come 2015.

A few days after conceptualizing the idea for this story, a scuzzy-looking gutter-punk handed me a flyer advertising a psychic named Esme outside my local Starbucks. This struck me as a classic case of “cosmic coincidence,” so I immediately paid a visit to the musty sub-basement apartment from which Esme dispels her psychic wisdom.

While I was pretty sketched out by the dude passed out on her futon (Editor’s Note: it was two in the afternoon), I did my best to suspend all judgment and keep my mind open to the tran-scendental power of Esme’s psychic wisdom.

How do you feel about metallics?Metallics will always be in style. You don’t want to be too flashy though; I think duller, less flashy metallics will come into style. Harem pants. Do you see them staying or going?Going. They will not last very long.What about heels? Will they get any higher?No. This is as high as it gets. In two years we will return to a more sophisticated look. The classic, plain high heel. There will be no more excessive straps. Do you have any premonitions about Marc Jacobs? Will he ever gain the weight back?I don’t think so. There is a competition, a jealousy with Tom Ford. Do you feel that too?I do, I feel an energy between them. That’s because [Tom Ford] is more fit, more happening, more modern. Younger in spirit. There is definite competition there. Marc is motivated by this jealousy. What about Karl Lagerfeld? Do you think he’ll stay thin?He’ll stay thin to the end of time, until his last dying breath. When do you foresee him retiring?He will die before that happens. But there is a young man that is behind him, Karl is teaching that man. Can you tell me anything about this person?I feel that he is gay and very young. He is just entering the fashion world. Karl loves his ambition. He loves that he is so humble,

Psychic Reading

Opposite page: Rodarte eye brooches , Aesa necklace, Alien by Thierry Mugler per-fume, Alexander McQueen shoes, Viktor & Rolf gown, vintage brooch.

CHELSEA Fall 2010

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Previous page & this page Kia wears a Carin Wester blouse, American Apparel skirt, San Diego Hat Company hat. Aysha wears a vintage blouse, Lyell shorts, Urban Outfitters hat. Becca wears a Church & State dress, vintage hat.

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CAT PEOPLE

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PREVIOUS PAGE: UNIQLO SHIRT AND TRENCH COAT, VINTAGE FUR COLLAR, TOP-SHOP JEANS, KAREN WALKER SUNGLASSES. THIS PAGE: LEVI’S JACKET, BDG SHIRT, VINTAGE SCARF

Opposite page Zara jacket, J.Crew sweater, 3.1 Phillip Lim pants, Chanel brooch, vintage clutch. This page Zara coat, J.Crew sweater, Uniqlo shirt, vintage tie, Topshop purse, Steve Madden shoes.

CHELSEA Fall 2010

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Painting byKarin Bubas

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“ THEREFORE I AM

“I BITCH,

Memorable quotes from Dynasty

Alexis Krystle I just can’t wait for the day when I see you walking out of this house carrying the same two cheap plastic suitcases that you walked in here with!

Blake Alexis: You can sleep in the master bed-room tonight. I’m having it disinfected tomorrow.

Krystle Alexis I love the desk. The tusks...they’re so you!

Alexis Krystle You stupid bitch! Look what you’ve done to this outfit! Krystle I’ve never seen you look better.

Blake Krystle: Do I really have to be poor to turn you on?

Alexis Krystle Perhaps you’d like to look at our new collection? Some of these things might even fit you.

Sable Alexis Hello Alexis. Glad to see you’ve uh, sobered up. Alexis And now my hangovers’ arrived.

Fallon Krystle (on prenups) It’s like a rich man’s divorce in advance!

Sable Alexis Now go take your trained mon-key and go play on some other street corner!

Alexis Adam It is my right to play anything I wish. Just as it is my right to change anything I wish. My clothes, my hairstyle....my will.

Steven family You know what really hurts me the most? I hate what you all stand for. I hate your values, your morals, your blindness. But I love you. I love you all very much...

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