Prim Magazine Winter 2010 Preview

PRIMno. 10 - fearless fashion

FEARLESS FOREVER,FOREVER FEARLESSJEREMY SCOTTVENA CAVALA ROUXROBERT GELLERTODD LYNNeminjonathan segadepedro regueraYUSUKE MIYAZAKI

NO. 10Cover no. 10 shot by emin

Coat: jeremy sCottgloves: etro

T H I SIS THE

T H I SIS THE


IS THEREBIRTH.

IS THE

IS THEREBIRTH.

IS THE


REBIRTH.

REBIRTH.

REBIRTH.

THEPRIM

REBIRTH.

PRIMEditor in Chief & Creative Director Kristin Prim

Managing Editor Alex Kazemi

PublisherPrim Magazine, Inc.

Printing Heidel Print Co. Ltd.23-1 Sunae-dong, Suite A1407Budang, Seongnam 463-854South Korea

AdvertisingNora Ferrandino, Maria-Grace [email protected]

ContributorsAbby RostochilAlex KazemiAlyssa HardyAngela AlbaAnnabell DaltonAntonia HanydenAshley BartlettAudrey GreeneAudrey RogersCaitlin McNultyCarmen GutierrezCharleston MatthewsDaiana FoleaGabriella MosesGaelle KoumouGwen JakubisinJasmine SantiagoJeanie Annan-LewinJen JaconelliJennifer Jewels

Jourdana AbrahamsLaura HavlinLauren FelixLiane EltanLisa BonomoLiz JeneaultLovisa DreverMarta RepresaMicaela MotaMichelle WinterMona AschaRaheem BrownSara McCullochSarah SopabShazmin BorlandoeWillie Norris

Contributing PhotographersAlexander NeumannAlice RosatiAndoni & ArantxaBilly WintersBrendan BurdzinskiCameron JamesEminJonathan SegadeJunichi KikunichiKumiko YashiroPaul FarrellPedro RegueraPiczoSergio KurhajecTeneshia CarrToshio OndaYusuke Miyazaki

Contributing Stylists Ai KamoshitaBeagy ZielinskiElle NobleEmma PritchardGillian SteinhardtIrene De SantisKatie BurnettKattacaLauren GrantMachiko AbeMasaki KataokaMaya YamashitaPauline MontupetSara BascuñanSvetlana ProdanicYoshi Miyamasu

Cover No. 10. Photographed by Emin. Styled by Emma Pritchard. Hair by Lacy Redway. Makeup by Azra Red. Modeled by Madeleine @ Marilyn. Retouched by He-lios Photographic. Madeleine wears a Jeremy Scott coat and Etro glovesOpposite page: Madeleine wears a Camilla and Marc bodysuit and a Gar-De fur cuff

Last issue's spread, Vogel Max: Ever Lingering Soul, Ruthlessly Seeking Salvation, A Tale by Reno Ranger, was photographed by Reno Ranger. Model: Max Vogel @ Izaio Models Berlin, Makeup & Hair: Tanja Henning, Stylist: Jennifer Hahn

Contributing Stylists Ai KamoshitaBeagy ZielinskiElle NobleEmma PritchardGillian SteinhardtIrene De SantisKatie BurnettKattacaLauren GrantMachiko AbeMasaki KataokaMaya YamashitaPauline MontupetSara BascuñanSvetlana ProdanicYoshi Miyamasu

FEAR-LESS-FASH-ION.Photography by Emin Styling by Emma Pritchard

Hair by Lacy Redway. Makeup by Azra Red. Modeled by Madeleine @ Marilyn. Retouched by Helios Photographic.

Coat: Jeremy ScottGloves: Etro

Shirt: Rock & RepublicSkirt: Manish Arora

Top: Iceberg Bodysuit: Vintage Eres Shoes: Christian Louboutin

Jacket and Tights: Jean Paul Gaultier

Shoes: Madison Harding


Dress: Toni Maticevski Ankle Straps (Wrist):

Dekkori

Coat: Jeremy Scott

Gloves: Etro

Cardigan: Helmut Lang Underwear: Agent Provocateur Shorts: Camilla and Marc


Bodysuit: Camilla and Marc

Cuffs: Gar-De

Coat: Jeremy Scott

Gloves: Etro

Cardigan: Helmut Lang Underwear: Agent Provocateur Shorts: Camilla and Marc Glove: H&M

PRIMPHOTOGRAPHY

Andoni & ArantxaBrendan Burdzinak

Teneshia CarrPaul Farrell

Junichi KikunichiSergio Kurhajec

Yusuke MiyazakiAlexander Neumann

Toshio OndaPiczo

Pedro RegueraAlice Rosati

Jonathan SegadeCameron-James Wilson

Billy Winters

DESIR

Photographed by Jonathan Segade, Styled by Sara Bascuñan, Makeup & Hair by Fran Llobat, Modeled by Aline @ Metropolitan Models

Blazer: Calvin KleinBelt: ChanelRing: Vintage ChanelBracelets: Stylist’s Own

Shirt: Vintage Chanel

Panties: EresNecklace: Styl-

ist’s Own

Photographed by Paul Farrell, Styled by Lauren Grant assisted by Elle Noble, Modeled by Gabriella @ Select, Hair by Tomi using L’Oreal Professional, Makeup by Jose Bas using XXXXXX

CELESTE

Headpiece: Tomihiro Kono

Photographed by Toshio Onda, Styled by Yoshi Miyamasu @ Signo assisted by Atsushi Nagao and Shotaro Yamaguchi, Hair by Teiji Utsumi @ Bluerooms assisted by Fukumi Makino, Makeup by Mina Nodo @ Signo, Modeled by Sasha Luss @ Donna

FEMME

FETALE

Dress: HISUI

Jacket, Leg Cover, Leggings, Boots, and Gloves: G.V.G.V.

Belt: MIHARAYASIHIRO Necklace: ATELIER SWAROVS-

KI by Christopher Kane

Dress and Skirt: G.V.G.V. Shoes: Carlota JoakinaNecklace: Issey Miyake

Bracelets: Sisco

SHADOW

CASTINGPhotographed by Alexander Neumann, Styled by Masaki Kataoka assisted by Yuri Nagai, Makeup by Fumiaki Nakagawa for MAC Cosmetics, Modeled by Megan McNierney @ Marilyn

CASTINGDress: Helmut Lang

Jacket: Staerk

Dress: Helmut Lang

Jacket: D&G

PHOTOGrAPHED BY JONATHAN SEGADE, STYLED BY SArA BASCUñAN, MAKEUP BY SUSANA SANTOS, MODELED BY ANNA DiDENKO @ MAriLYN

SENSUALITE

Culote and Bra: ERES Necklace: Moss Intropia

Dress: Armand Basi, Belt: El Caballo, Handbag: Escada, Turban: Vintage

Turban: Vintage, Necklace: Friis & Co.

Coat: Escada

ETAGENOIRPhotographed by Andoni & Arantxa, Styled by irene De Santis, Makeup by Andreja Mrhar, Hair by Daniella Moreno, Modeled by ieva Birzina @ Next

ETAGENOIR

Shirt: Gucci Man

Shirt: Gucci Man Trousers: Givenchy Sandals: Baldinini Tie: Levi’s Glove: AB A Brand Apart

Sweater: Gianfranco Ferré Trousers and Necklace: Nude

Bracelet: Accessorize Shoes: Baldinini

Sweater: Gianfranco Ferré Trousers and Necklace: Nude

Bracelet: Accessorize Shoes: Baldinini

Underwear: Mariella Burani

N O C TU R N OP h o t o g r a p h e d b y S e r g i o K u r h a j e c , S t y l e d b y G i l l i a n S t e i n h a r d t , H a i r b y A l b e r t o G u z m a n @ J u d y C a s e y , M a k e u p b y J a n e i r o @

J u d y C a s e y , M o d e l e d b Y D e a n n a M i l l e r @ N E X T

Dress: Iceberg Bracelets: Fallon

Necklace: Yigal Azrouel

Earrings: Made Her Think

Top: Badgley MischkaPants: Allesandro dell’Acqua Belt: Vintage Southpaw NYCollar: Phillip Lim

Photographed by Pedro RegueraStyled by Kattaca, Hair by Iker Urcelay, Makeup by Ana Fernandez, Modeled by Ema Busson, Assisted by Felipe

Maqui and Luis Veloso

W O N D E RL A N D

L A N DTutu and Skirt: Carlos Diez

Paper Ruffle: It-SpainVest: Lydia Delgado

Belt and Pants: MoschinoBracelets: H&M

Dres

s: Am

aya A

rzuag

a, To

p: Pr

ada,

Jack

et: Ju

anjo

Oliva

Tutu

and S

kirt: C

arlos

Diez

, Pap

er R

uffle:

It-Sp

ain, V

est: L

ydia

Delga

do, B

elt an

d Pan

ts: M

osch

ino, B

race

lets:

H&M,

Sho

es: M

anish

Aro

ra

Pants

and W

atch:

Arma

nd B

asi O

ne, S

kirt: A

maya

Arzu

aga,

Belt L

oop:

Juan

jo Ol

iva, S

kirt: I

t-Spa

in, C

ollar

: Sph

er, S

hoes

: Mos

chino

LACENOIRPhotographed by Junichi Kikunichi, Styled by Katie Burnett, Makeup by Anna Hanson, Hair by Koji Takayanagi for Bumble and Bumble, Modeled by

Ben & Jacob @ Storm

Top: Lina Osterman Pants: Omar

Kashoura

Suit: Keith Grey

Coat: Tim Hamilton

Coat: Keith GreyPants: Tim Hamilton

REPTILIA GOTHIQUE

P h o t o g r a p h e d b y Y u s u k e M i ya z a k i a s s i s t e d b y M a s ay u k i I c h i n o s e , S t y l e d b y A i K a m o s h i t a a s s i s t e d b y M aya Ya m a s h i t a , M a k e u p b y K e n N a k a n o f o r M . A . C . , H a i r b y S o i c h i I n a g a k i f o r K i e h l ’ s

Top: Yusuke Hotchi Trousers: Jamie Cockerill

Dress: Yusuke Hotchi Gloves and Tights: Fettered Pleasure

Top: Calvin Klein Bangles: Freedom

Dress: Yusuke Hotchi Bodice: Jamie Cockerill Gloves: Fettered Pleasure

B R O N Z E NP H O T O G R A P H E D B Y P i c z o

Styled by Kumiko Yashiro, Hair by Hiroshi Matsushita for Bumble & Bumble, Makeup by Ken Nakano for M.A.C., Modeled by Vera @ Select

Jacket: E.G...Leggings: Fanny and Jessy

Shoulder Piece: Mungo Gurney Belt: Gemma Slack

Necklace and Bracelet: Pebble

Jacket: ReemTop: Sosume Leggings: ArnsdorfBelt: Mungo Gurney Necklace: Pebble

Jacket: ReemTop: Sosume

Leggings: ArnsdorfBelt: Mungo Gurney

Necklace: Pebble

Jacket: E.G...Leggings: Fanny and Jessy Shoulder Piece: Mungo Gurney Belt: Gemma Slack Necklace and Bracelet: Pebble

Jacket: Paul & Joe, Bodysuit: Georgia Hardinge, Necklace and Rings: Imogen Belfield, Bracelet: Pebble, Shoes: Matthew Taylor

BLINDNESS

Photographed by Teneshia Carr, Styled by Svetlana Prodanic, Hair by Kunio Kohzaki, Makeup by Kate Goodwin, Modeled by rachel rutt @ Next, retouched by Bethany Wood

Top: Daniel LeeNecklace: Aminaka Wilmont

Trousers: Qasimi

Gloves: NikeNecklace: Erickson BeamonDress: Pierre Garroudi

Dress: American ApparelNecklece: Erickson Beamon

J E A N N E D ’ A R CPhotographed by Brendan Burdzinak assisted by Aslan Chalom, Styled by Beagy Zielinski,

Makeup by Theresia Pistel, Hair by Nikki Nelms, Modeled by Taylor D @ FordTop: Balenciaga, Skirt: Hannah Marshall, Gloves: L’Armoire Du Styliste

J E A N N E D ’ A R CTop: Balenciaga, Skirt: Hannah Marshall, Gloves: L’Armoire Du Styliste

Dress: Lanvin Necklace: Club Monaco Tights: L’Armoire Du Styliste Shoes: Pierre Hardy

Jacket: Rick Owens Socks: L’Armoire Du Styliste

Shoes: Pierre Hardy

APPREHENDPhotographed by Yusuke Miyazaki assisted by Sayuri ichida, Styled by Machiko Abe, Hair by Takeshi, Makeup by Kanako Yoshida for M.A.C. Pro, Modeled by Fletcher Cowan @ Premier

Model Management

APPREHEND Top and Trousers: Kim

Wilkins

Coat and Trousers: Robert Huth

Waistcoat and Jeans: RoCoCo, Necklace: Number(N)ine

Top: Micaela Greg, Neckpiece: Kittinhawk, Top Hat: Costumes on Haight

T H E O T H E R S I D EPhotographed by Billy Winters assisted by Tressa Pack, Styled by Pauline Montupet assisted by Chaz Schaad, Hair by Steve Elias, Makeup by Mariana Stanojevich, Modeled by John Von Tesmar @ City and Nick Hinman

@ Wilhelmina

Top: Micaela Greg, Neckpiece: Kittinhawk, Top Hat: Costumes on Haight

T H E O T H E R S I D E


Coat: Raf Simons Pants: Marc Jacobs

Sunglasses: Maison Martin Margiela (M.A.C.)Boots: J Shoes (Bulo Shoes)

Shirt: Timo Weiland, Legging: Micaela Greg, Boots: Vintage, Bracelets: Von Kottwitz, Tie: J. Crew

PRIMINTERVIEWS

JEREMY SCOTTL.A.’s golden boy

TODD LYNN Rock n’ Roll’s fashion darling

LA ROUXAndrogynous U.K. Hitmaker

ROBERT GELLERMenswear Couturier

SOPHIE BUHAI & LISA MAYOCKFASHION’S BRIGHTEST DUO

JEREMY.SCOTT.Interview by Alex Kazemi and Lovisa Drever

Jeremy Scott: L.A.’s Golden Boy

Alex Kazemi: Why do you choose to incorporate pop culture as frequently as you do in your designs? Jeremy Scott: Yes, I am a product of a pop-culture-mass-market-shopping mall-multi-media-made world fused with a love of the surreal.

Kazemi: Were you always drawn to pop culture while grow-ing up?Scott: As a child I was fascinated with Andy Warhol more as a person than for his art or what he represented; to me that was being a part of pop culture itself. It’s hard for us to imagine another world as most the people reading this right now grew up only in a pop world; that’s all we have known but there was a world before! Although dusty and gray, there really was a world before pop. I’m not inspired by the pre-pop world. I’m curious as to how long this pop world will last; I can’t imagine anything else!

Kazemi: When did you realize that your true love was fash-ion? Was it something that you tried to deny or embrace?Scott: Oh, I always loved clothes as a child! I was very partic-ular about what I would wear and how I put it together. From the age fourteen and on I was more aware of high fashion, designers and not just brands at the mall. When I was really young I wore thirft store clothes. I grew up very poor and had to shop there; I loved it! When I was older and I could choose whether I wanted to shop there or not, I still went! I enjoy the originality of having things that other people don’t have; it’s what sets us apart. I still love wearing vintage clothes today.

Kazemi: Is there a particular reason for the reoccurring Dis-ney references in your work? Scott: Mickey is an icon that is globally recognized. He has meaning to so many people which makes him a great vessel to carry a message.

Lovisa Drever: Was Adidas the first sports brand you looked to collaborate with? Scott: Yes, Adidas was the first sports brand I looked to collaborate with, and it’s been a wonderful and successful marriage ever since! I love how Adidas has had a role in pop culture, music, and art movements. It has meant a lot of different things to a lot of different people. I think that’s a wonderful quality which I try to achieve.

Drever: Did you have a hard time toning down your designs for more mainstream audiences in the Adidas collection? Scott: I treated Adidas as my own!

Drever: Were there boundaries you had to stay within?Scott: I had nothing but free range.

Kazemi: Which muse has most significantly influenced your work?Scott: Without a doubt that would be the love of my life, my best friend, Pablo. He constantly inspires me and is my driv-ing force. I am still in awe of him and have been ever since we first met.

Drever: Pixie Geldof rocked the Flinstone look in your S/S 2010 show. Is she someone you reached out to specifically?

Scott: Well, I love Pixie and her cute lil face! She’s a total in-spiration and muse! I thought a lot about her while designing this collection; she’s got the punk spirt that I dreamt of when I designed the collection.

Drever: Is there a certain aesthetic your models are required to have? Scott: I love individualistic people with personality so I often use more inspiring and less traditional models. I’m more inspired by personality than common beauty.

Kazemi: Do you have a personal favorite piece from your S/S 2010 collection?Scott: Well normally I do not have favorites because my de-signs are like little children to me, but my golden child would be my black leather jacket with tails because I want to wear it myself!

Drever: Can you give us any insight on the unreleased F/W 2011 collection? What should we expect?Scott: Expect faaaaaaasssssshhhhhhiiiiiionnnnnnnn!

Kazemi: Do you ever look back on your collections and regret designing a piece?Scott: I never really regret anything.

Drever: So you feel this is all a part of creative growth?Scott: Everything is growth. Everything I’ve done has been sincere at that moment and that time.

Kazemi: Do you feel that residing in Los Angeles has made a large impact on your designing process?Scott: Not really! I live in L.A., stay in New York, show in Europe, work with a German brand, and love Tokyo. I’m a child of the world! L.A. is a wonderful - truly wonderful place to live. I work well here because there isn’t a lot to distract me and the life is lush! So if it has affected me, it has done only for the better!

Drever: Have you ever seen someone wearing your designs? What is the quintessential way to wear a Jeremy Scott piece?Scott: Yes I have! It’s always wonderfully flattering to see someone wearing something I’ve designed. I especially love it when people make it their own. That’s the most flattering!

Kazemi: What was your experience at Pratt Institute? Scott: Pratt was a wonderful school experience; it was the true college life I would have seen in the movies growing up. I lived on the campus and still have many friends I made there then today. Tons of great memories!

Kazemi: What is currently on repeat on your iPod at the mo-ment? Scott: “Stillness in the Move” by Solange, “Bad Romance” by Lady GaGa, “Won’t You be My Fucking Boyfriend” by The Bird and the Bee.

Kazemi: So music deeply influences your designs?Scott: Music is a big influence on my designs. I think about my friends and what they would like to wear on stage or in their music videos while designing. I love to design while

PRIM

listening to their music!

Kazemi: So is there any certain genre that especially inspires you?Scott: I love all genres of music but pop is my favorite. I also like dance music and covers, especially when the song is sung by someone in a different way.

Kazemi: Do you have a favourite person in the pop industry who has worn your designs? Did you see it as a honor?Scott: It’s always a huge compliment when Madonna wears my clothes or asks to work with me, but I have so many great musicians around that I’ve been blessed to work with. I’ve dressed Madonna, Britney, Beyoncé, Bjork, Rihanna, GaGa, Kayne, MIA, etc.

Drever: You’ve worked a lot with GaGa this past year. We’ve heard there were scenes that were cut from the “Paparazzi” video. Is there anything you feel the view-ers missed out on?Scott: Yes, I’ve worked quite a bit with GaGa this year. She’s wonderful because she’s always pushing herself to take her music to the next level. I don’t think you missed anything in the video since all the deleted parts have leaked anyway!

Drever: You tend to al-ways have a certain level of tongue-in-cheek attitude in your designs. Is that some-thing you try to incorporate intentionally?Scott: It’s my personality; it’s who I am and how I think. It’s as simple as that.

Drever: Are your obvi-ous junk food influences a reflection of your own eating habits or a snide commen-tary on the fashion industries standards?Scott: I actually dont eat badly. I’m a vegetarian and have been most of my life! I do love pizza and popcorn and a milkshake every now and then. I don’t think that it was a commentary on fash-ion at all; it was more of just a play on words come alive.

I thought of a food fight... how funny is that? What if food actually started a fight?! That would be sooooo brilliant: hamburger against hotdog, cookie against pretzels, and popcorn all over the place!

Drever: Is there such a thing as being too campy in your world? At what point does it verge too costume-like for your personal wardrobe?Scott: Well, there is always a point and one must have boundaries when designing. I constantly reevaluate these boundaries and stake out new ground along the way!

Drever: You have the ability to seamlessly float back and forth between avant garde bondage pieces and over the top caricature creations. What is your main influence in going in one direction or the other?Scott: I honestly don’t think think about it. I design from a very pure mindset in my heart; I don’t overanalyze my de-signs... I just try to birth them into the world!

MY“I DON’T

OVERANALYZE

PRIMMY“I DON’TDESIGNS

OVERANALYZE

...I JUST TRY TO BIRTH THEM INTO THE WORLD.”

TODD. LYNN.Interview by Marta Represa

a school of performing arts and eventually found my way working on production design. One thing lead to another and I ended up working in fashion.

Represa: So what inter-ests you is...Lynn: What interests me the most is taking ideas from my head and sculpting them into three-dimension. A lot of what I do is based on the cut. I guess there will always be a part of me that will need to work with my hands, although I find it increasingly difficult to spend as much time as I would like to doing so. I try to cut as many of the patterns for the collection as possible.

Represa: Surely one of the most prestigious fashion universities in the world, you attended Central Saint Martins. What did you learn about the fashion industry by attending CSM? Lynn: Without a doubt Central St. Martins is one of the most important fashion institutions in the world. I think it’s the stu-dents it attracts that helps make the school it is. Usually they go there for one reason: Louise Wil-son (the course director.) Louise is able to advise and direct the students in a way that no one else can. Ultimately she allows you to determine what type of product that you should be designing. You have to do it better than everyone else.

Represa: Did you ever collaborate with any designer classmates after graduation? Lynn: I have never collaborated with any designer classmates.

Represa: Are you still in touch with any?Lynn: I am not in touch with any of them.

Represa: And Louise?Lynn: I see Louise from time to time. She critiques each and every collection; I am always grateful.

Represa: What kind of inspiration do you have

in mind when creating out-fits for rockers like Mick Jagger or Courtney Love?Lynn: Each project is dif-ferent, but ultimately the pieces have to fit my aes-thetic. The artists approach me because they like the look of my work. Ulti-mately everything I design is something that I would wear. That’s the most important test. If I can’t see myself in the pieces, then I won’t put them in the collection. The inspiration for each collection comes from what I happen to be thinking about while I’m designing it. I start thinking about the next collection as I’m finishing its predeces-sor. The pieces that I work on with celebrities all stem from the collection.

Represa: How did your work with Roland Mouret help you to start your own brand?Lynn: Every job that I do and every design enables me to learn something. It’s crucial to expand my knowledge of the industry that I work in every day. When I was working with Roland it was the same. I would spend every day expanding my skills. Specifically I would say that Roland showed me the speed that is required in this industry. Product de-velopment has to happen so quickly and decisions have to be made on the spot.Represa: Who are your fa-vourite designers through-out history? Lynn: There are many de-signers that I have admired. One of my favourites would have to be Claude Montana. I always admired his clean modern lines and the fact that he

I find incredibly inspir-ing. There are some very impressive examples of this in museums all over the world.

Represa: Do you think of a particular person or muse when you design or do you design for the essential Todd Lynn consumer?Lynn: I don’t have a muse per se. It’s more of a char-acter in my head. Essen-tially I design for myself. I consider my clients and make the clothes that I would want to wear if I were in my client’s shoes. It does tend to take on the look of a rock star but that’s not the intended goal. I just design what I like.

Represa: Define the Todd Lynn woman:Lynn: Fearless and cool. She mixes up her look de-pending on how she feels. There is no such thing as an off day; it’s just about dressing with a different intensity.

Represa: And the Todd Lynn man?Lynn: He’s a rock and roll

“It does tend to take on the look of a rock star but that’s not the intended goal. I just design what I

like.” -TODD LYNN

LA.ROUX.Interview by Alex Kazemi and Lovisa Drever

“IF YOU pRO-

DUCE AND WRITE YOUR-

SELF, THEN

THERE IS NO NEED

TO WORk WITH

ANYONE ELSE.”

-ELLY JACkSON

Alex Kazemi: What kind of audience has your music attracted? Elly Jackson: A younger crowd than we thought, I think largely due to the unexpected success of “In For The Kill” and “Bullet-proof” which appealed to a more mainstream audience.

Kazemi: You have had much mainstream success. Will your next album have a more mainstream sound?Jackson: Not in-tentionally, we will always just make the music we like mak-ing, not because it sells records. It’s just a nice bonus. Our music is definitely pop but we’re not going to try and make the next album even more pop than this one. That would be a very strange way to start making an album.

Kazemi: Do you feel that the style you have brought to the main-stream market may influence upcoming bands?Jackson: Maybe! Or

maybe the quiff will have a longer lasting legacy...! To be honest, I think musical taste changes so quickly that using our record as an influence would probably make it out of date before it was even released. Who knows! Kazemi: Do you have any pet peeves about the music industry right now? Is there anything you disagree with?Jackson: There are a few main producers that everyone seems to work with, so a lot of what’s out there sounds the same. The industry also seems to be full of women who dress and act in a certain way be-cause they know it will

ROBERT.GELLER.Interview by Willie Norris

Willie Norris: What was your childhood like?Robert Geller: I was born in Hamburg in 1976. My father was a photographer and my step-mother owned an amaz-ing second hand store called Seconds; I was always sur-rounded by creative environ-ments. My family was very supportive of artistic endeav-ors which helped to develop my interest in art and design.

Norris: Did you always want to be a fashion designer or did it emerge as an interest later in life?Geller: I originally thought that I would follow in my father’s footsteps and become a photographer.

Norris: When did this change?Geller: When I was studying at the Rhode Island School of Design I took a class in fash-ion design and that experience made me decide to concen-trate on fashion instead. I am still very happy about that choice.

Norris: How did you know that fashion was the right thing for you? Was there a specific moment you remem-ber?Geller: One moment that I’ll never forget occurred after graduating from RISD. I was working for Marc Jacobs and had tears in my eyes while watching the run through of the Fall 2001 runway show at the Armory. It was all so mas-sive and cool.

Norris: What is your educa-tional background?Geller: I went to an interna-tional high school in Germany and received a fashion degree from the Rhode Island School of Design.

Norris: What were you doing before designing under your own name?Geller: I was interning at Marc Jacobs for a year and then became the partner and co-designer of Cloak.

Norris: I’ll avoid asking you what you’re inspired by, but are there any ideas that you try to convey every season?Geller: I always try to convey

a sense of romance each season. Although that idea is somewhat broad, ro-mance is always a part of my creative process and an important mood of the aes-thetic that I like. I’m also inspired by history, not liter-ally in the sense of histori-cal costume, but rather the evocation of a mood from a faraway place and time.

Norris: Any signature ele-ments? Geller: I would say the signature element of the Robert Geller collection is a certain mood that is dreamy, romantic, and loosely based on historical references.

Norris: So it’s more...Geller: It’s more character-istic than a particular design.

Norris: Do you have a theme for each collection? Do you start with a design detail or idea and go from there? Or do you start with an image and go from there?Geller: Each season I have a unifying idea that is often the result of several feel-ings and inspirations. For example, the Spring 2010 collection focused on opti-

I ALWAYS TRY TO CON-VEY A SENSE OF RO-

MANCE EACH SEASON. ALTHOUGH THAT IDEA IS SOMEWHAT BROAD,

ROMANCE IS ALWAYS A pART OF MY CREATIVE

pROCESS AND AN IM-pORTANT MOOD OF

THE AESTHETIC THAT I LIkE.

-ROBERT GELLER

VENA.CAVAInterview by Jen Jaconelli

Vena Cava: Fashion’s Brightest Duo

Jen Jaconelli: How would you describe the essence of your label?Sophie Buhai: Clothes we make for ourselves, our moms, and our friends. It’s about a certain type of woman rather than an age. We reference moments from the past in a simplified, subdued way. We always look to art deco and Navajo motifs, with 1970’s and early 80’s references.

Jaconelli: Is there a story behind the name of your label, Vena Cava? Lisa Mayock: The Vena Cava is the main vein that carries blood into the heart. We spent so many hours trying to figure out what to call our brand and found this phrase while pouring over a medical dictionary in Sophie’s family’s backyard in L.A. It looks great on paper, it feels good to say, and we like that most people don’t know what it means.

Jaconelli: When you design, do you have a particular type of woman in mind? Buhai: It would go something like Faye Dunaway, Isabelle Huppert, Angelica Houston, our Moms, Shelly Duvall, 90’s Michelle Pfeiffer, Cleopatra, and Joan Didion.

Jaconelli: You both studied at Parsons School of Design be-fore creating Vena Cava. When studying together, was it your friendship or your similar design style/tastes that sparked off your collaboration? Mayock: I would say that one fed the other. We have similar interests, come from the same city (Los Angeles) and like a lot of the same music, etc. which almost serves as a kind of reference point, or code. It makes it easy for us to understand where the other is coming from, in our friendship as well as in our creative relationship.

Jaconelli: What makes your working relationship successful?Buhai: We are both slight OCD workaholics, although we’re working on that with self help books. I’d say we work well together because we cover each others back, we each have different strengths, and we work together constantly toward achieving the same goals and vision for our company.

Jaconelli: Many graduates hope to be spotted by established designers - were you always in the mind of creating your own label rather than designing for someone else?Mayock: Not at all! I was putting my portfolio together to try to get a job with other designers. Both of us had a few part time jobs right after we graduated and we thought we’d make some stuff together just for fun. We were never expecting it to turn into a real business.

Jaconelli: When you started Vena Cava, did you find it diffi-cult to integrate into the fashion industry being young gradu-ates?Buhai: No, it was surprising but the industry was very wel-coming to us. People embraced us and liked our youthfulness. We were amazed at how many editors came to our first show. Jaconelli: I read that you gain inspiration from found objects, which is reminiscent of pioneering artistic movements such as Arte Povera. What is the most bizarre object that has given you a design idea?Mayock: There is a really cool weight inside toilet tanks that helps close the flusher lid thingie- it’s a big metal ball with a

chain attached to it. We ended up casting it in a really beau-tiful shiny brass and using it decoratively and as a closure.

Jaconelli: On your website you host visuals of your inspi-rations for collections which currently contain Egyptian in-fluences. How important are other cultures in your designs?Buhai: Very important. We reference a lot of Native Ameri-can weaving, African textiles, and Mexican silver. Every season we seem to take a trip somewhere through the books we find at the library. Research is a huge part of our design process; it’s a sort of scavenger hunt at the library to find the next culture that will inspire the coming collection.

Jaconelli: Out of all the cities you’ve visited, which has your favorite style?Buhai: We were really blown away by India. We became obsessed with the uniforms of Grounds Keepers. Even the most subtle t-shirt had an amazing cut and cotton feel. On so many levels India was endlessly inspiring. We still refer-ence Maharajah jewelry, colors, and textiles we found there.

Jaconelli: What’s your favorite thing about living in New York? Mayock: The convenience! Its really, really spoiled me. If you want duck with orange sauce and a basketball jersey at 3am in New York you can figure out how to get it.

Jaconelli: The word ‘style’ holds much ambiguity. What is your definition of the term?Buhai: Style is like cheese; it gets better with age. Old ladies have the best style. I’m also really into DAD style; it has nothing to do with fashion but everything to do with personal comfort and routine. Think Larry David.

Jaconelli: Do you think having style is something you’re born with or something you can be attained?Mayock: I don’t really know what style is; it’s a slippery thing that’s difficult to describe. I don’t think it’s something that can describe as a constant; people are in a constant state of flux, and I think of style the same way. I went through a period of wearing exclusively striped clothing and also a pe-riod of wearing fake blood on my clothes as an “accessory.” Is that style? No idea. I do think if you’re a creative person, you can use that to make some interesting decisions about what to wear.

Jaconelli: Describe a typical day at Vena Cava.Buhai: Caffeine, Greek yogurt, emails, talk about found ob-jects from the hardware store, more emails, sign some checks, look at the sweater from Korea, have a conference call with the L.A. factory, emails, make a collage out of aerial photog-raphy, Italian meat sandwich, more emails, fitting, hand draw on a pair of converse for collaboration, phone calls, done.

Jaconelli: Do you feel a constant pressure to look stylish due to your profession?Mayock: Yeah. It blows.

Jaconelli: Let’s get personal. Your apartment is burning down and you can save one item of clothing. What is it?Mayock: There’s a parade called the DooDah Parade in Pasa-dena every year where everyone runs in costumes. My dad is a

SpRING.pREVIEW.Photography by Cameron-James Wilson Styling by Katie BurnettAssisted by Tom Lockyer and Graham Woolie, Modeled by Kathleen Burbridge @ Premier, Makeup and hair by Maddie Austin for Chanel, Manicure by Ceri Lee

Dress: jasper garvida shoes: topshop

ring: Kabiri

Dress: Jasper Garvida

Dress: Jasper Garvida

PRIM

Documents

Prim Magazine Winter 2010 Preview