here & now » fashion

ALTERNATIVES IN PRINT: A MAGAZINE

kvr — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:08:08 +0000

Not so dissimilar in approach to our own little print adventure, A Magazine is actually a jewel among a flux of fashion magazines that tend to all look the same, and how come there are so many of them anyway? A Magazine, however, have a unique way of looking behind the scenes of fashion by inviting one designer to guest-curate each issue in its entirety. Originally published by the fashion institute of Belgium, it is a great way of presenting the universe of each designer in a very personal and unfiltered manner.

While the magazine has lost a little of its experimental edge of earlier issues – my personal favourite being curated by Viktor & Rolf, who cheekily compiled their press clippings of reviews and editorials to make up for the entire issue – it is still a beautifully produced bi-annual title with a strong and focused concept. The current issue is dedicated to über-hip Los Angeles label Rodarte by the Mulleavy sisters, who in turn dedicated it to their vision of California – featuring a great interview with John Baldessari, editorials with Kirsten Dunst and Ellen Fanning and, erm, grizzly bears.

REALITY STUDIO

kvr — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:23:48 +0000

Berlin Fashion Week is already gearing its pretty head, and while we’re too busy to take in much this time, we will certainly make an exception for our friends at Reality Studio, because this is always worth the time, especially when in the great location of Voo Store in Kreuzberg (and who, Voo that is, are at this very moment launching a showcase of Stil in Berlin’s favourite 20 pieces).

MONO.LUX #01: MONO.GRAMM A/W 2011

kvr — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:48:30 +0000

Everyone seems to be doing a fashion film these days, and we’ve been mostly pretty disappointed with what we’ve seen so far. But since complaining is one of our bad habits, we thought we’ll just make our own – as far away as possible from being a fashion film, of course. So here it is, our first cautious steps into motion for our Autumn/Winter 2011 collection with mono.gramm.

FORM, FUNCTION AND ENNUI

mc — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 21:37:42 +0000

We are all familiar with the so-called hipster culture. The contemporary hipster hangs around at cafés, talking about art, fashion, organic food and social justice, ideally while chatting about the next big thing to reblog on their tumblr. Well, one should not categorize that harshly, since categorizing stuff is so mainstream…

A very nice and sobering fashion shoot seen in the current De:Bug issue, proves us that ‘Hipsterism’ nowadays isn’t that spectacular anymore: Unhappy Hipsters. It’s lonely in the modern world.

Photography by Gene Glover

Merry Crossmas

ub — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 08:50:16 +0000

Nice cross-dressing project by Canadian photographer Hana Pesut.

ALTERNATIVES IN PRINT: SOME/THINGS

kvr — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 09:39:27 +0000

Some/Things Magazine is a bit of a gem, the kind of publication you only come across once every few years, and then don’t want to tell your friends about, because you want it all for yourself. But since we’re all about kindness this month, we will share it with you.

Some/Things is a lush and luxurious bi-annual on fashion, art and culture, only more sophisticated than any fashion magazine you have come across. Leaning heavily towards the dark side of things, Some/Things have a distinct faible for Rick Owens, Pina Bausch and leaden skies, all wrapped up in felt and pretty boxes, immaculately printed and produced. And we mean immaculate – it’s sheer joy. There is no denying a slight scent of fetish and it has a price, but it’s one of the few publications that come close to being a work of art. Discover here.

THE VOICE KNITTING COLLECTION

tw — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 10:22:57 +0000

No Christmas presents yet?
Translate your favorite song or personal audio message into knitting patterns (orders until tomorrow will arrive in time for Christmas). The perfect scarf, cardigan, pullover, skirt, or blanket for music-lovers.

Trikoton, created in Berlin, is more than just a fashion label: as an interdisciplinary team, trikoton explores new ways of generative design and interactive production processes. Trikoton transfers voices into clothes, giving them a poetic touch.

Trikoton’s limited editions are available in selected shops in Berlin (other stores here):
Trikoton Showroom, Manteuffelstrasse 48, 10999 Berlin
Temporary Showroom, Kastanienallee 36a, 10435 Berlin
Zehnle von Langsdorff, Oderbergerstrasse 51, 10435 Berlin

LIGHTSCAPES

kvr — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 07:27:27 +0000

Much talk has been made of art and fashion in these past few years, mostly in a superficial and unsatisfying way. More sense makes a recent collaboration by Belgian fashion designer Dries van Noten, cover star of our issue #20, and photographer James Reeve: when van Noten discovered Reeve’s beautiful Lightscapes, a series of night views of different cities, he asked for permission to use the images as prints for his forthcoming spring/summer collection.

And indeed, it’s amazing how effortlessly the images blend into the aesthetic universe of Dries van Noten. Even better, you can view and compare the results in a small traveling exhibition starting off tomorrow at the lovely Song Song in Vienna, and later on in Hong Kong, Toyko and Paris, where the photographs will be on display alongside the items from the collection.

Vienna
17th – 24th November 2011
Song Song
Praterstrasse 11 – 13
1020 Vienna

Hong Kong
29th November – 17th December 2011
The Fringe Club
2 Lower Albert Road
Central Hong Kong

Tokyo
2nd – 17th December 2011
Aoyama B1F, 5-5-4
Minami – Aoyama
Minato-Ku
Tokyo

Paris
7th – 25th January 2012
Joyce Gallery
9 Rue de Valois
75001 Paris

Photography: Lightscapes by James Reeve (top), S/S 2012 by Dries van Noten (bottom)

STORE OF THE MONTH: VOO / BERLIN

kvr — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:27:28 +0000

It was only a matter of time that Berlin’s Kreuzberg district would get its own proper fashion store. Lucky for us, it happened to be Voo, which has its own particular style of fashion, magazines, decent coffee and understatement that blends in perfectly with our favourite area. A great selection of designers including Henrik Vibskov, Damir Doma and Stine Goya, a great range of magazine including, erm, mono.kultur, and a great and relaxed atmosphere, it’s a store run on passion just as much as immaculate taste. They also host events and launches on what feels like a daily basis in their beautiful courtyard space – most recently celebrating their first anniversary. So happy birthday Voo, and thanks for making such a great addition to Kreuzberg.

Voo
Oranienstrasse 24
10999 Berlin

MONO.CONTRIBUTORS #03: ADRIANO SACK

kvr — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:00:31 +0000

Anyone who has indulged in our still current issue #28 with Bless will have noticed that the interview is radically different to our regular approach, with Bless asking almost as many questions to our interviewer Adriano Sack as they give answers. In fact, the text developed out of an informal e-mail follow-up conversation that took place after the actual interview, and the credit goes to Adriano to let the e-mail exchange expand and replace the original conversation, leading to a personal and much more appropriate insight into the world of Bless in all its curiosity and confusion. And it’s really Adriano’s finely expressed observations that gently guide us through a roller-coaster ride of a conversation.

You will find Adriano’s fine writing on fashion and style all over the place, from large newspaper titles to small print such as mono.kultur, but in the meantime, Adriano Sack has realized his own idea of a magazine named I Like My Style, which might be one of the most daring experiments in the printed format of the past few years. With all the talk about the ever growing importance of blogs that fashion magazines in particular have been trying to incorporate somewhat desperately, it’s actually I Like My Style that goes to whole different lengths by creating the first user-generated print magazine closely linked to a fashion-based social network. There is no other title that blurs the lines between author and audience as radically, using the website to nurture the magazine and vice versa.

A great way with words coupled with an insatiable curiosity usually make for a killer combination, so we were really excited to hear that Adriano Sack has been appointed editor-in-chief for the German release of Andy Warhol’s classic Interview magazine – we can’t wait.

Illustration by Elisabeth Moch