1. first user-generated fashion magazine
the 1st People’s Fashion Magazine (generated by the users of ilikemystyle.net)
i like
my
style Quarterly
this could be you!
stary
from london
Fr/De/Au: € 12,- UK: £ 9.50
Fr /De /Au: € 12,– UK: £9.50
Be/Es/Gr/It/Lu/NL/Port.Cont.: €10,–
Be /Es /Gr /It /Lu /NL /Port.Cont.: € 10,-
2. Letter from the editors
ADIDAS SLVR /
CONTEMPORARY SPORTS WEAR
New Age 1, 2010
by Eliza Koch / username: koch
Ilikemystyle Quarterly
FrEquently Asked Questions
Do I know the people in this magazine? Why would I want to know them?
There are tons of celebrity magazines out there with photoshopped images and for-
mulaic interviews, which is totally fine with us. We all read them. But we believe that
the contributors of / people in Ilikemystyle Quarterly are highly entertaining, outra-
geous, or just incredibly cute—and they’re real. Plus: Robert Pattinson, Kate Moss,
and Donatella Versace are cordially invited to join our social network ilikemystyle.net
and become co-stars in the print magazine.
What is user-generated content?
All photos, texts, and illustrations are created by users of ilikemystyle.net. Some of
them are professionals, like Marcelo Krasilcic who gave us a beautiful photo from
Ipanema (page 123). Others are simply in it for the fun, like covergirl Eloise Hindle.
Why does the photo with the guy in the furry, yellow Jeremy Scott coat (page 30) look so shitty?
Does it? We like to snap pictures with our cellphones and forward them to our friends.
It’s the way our world looks today: immediate, subjective, sometimes blurry.
Who’s on the cover of the next issue?
This could be you. Join ilikemystyle.net, send in stuff, become part of the team. This
magazine is only as good as you are.
What do Chanel brooches (page 192) have to do with street style?
Ilikemystyle Quarterly isn’t only about street style. It’s about variety, diversity, and
passion. A teenage girl in pink H&M stockings, a white-bearded architect in a Fendi
fur, some candy-colored kids in Johannesburg—they’re all relevant.
Why is there so much text?
Because some of our users like to write.
So what am I supposed to be wearing this season?
Spiky ballerinas (page 258). Jean shorts (page 74). A pendant in the shape of a Singa-
porean elephant (page 96). Your call.
And who are you guys?
A bunch of friends from Berlin, New York, Texas, Austria, and Hong Kong. Most of
us have a background in media, others in fashion. We believe in thinking high and
low. And in dressing down—and up.
Allyson Felix / 24 / Sprinter
“There is no substitute for hard work – as long as you live a balanced life.”
3. CoNtributorS
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
tHis could
be you! 9 10 11 12 13 14
People who worked
on Ilikemystyle Quarterly
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
1 username: selofan 46 username: may
2 Charlotte Cornaton 47 Felix Velasco
3 username: 48 Robin Kranz
maisonlieske 49 Pauline Hoch
4 Cay Sophie 50 Antje Majewski
Rabinowitz 51 Amelie von Wulffen
5 Frank Hornig 52 username:
6 Katharina davidcasavant
25 26 27 28 29 30
Koppenwallner 53 Delusional
7 username: KarlMarc Downtown Divas
8 Kirsten Herrmann 54 username:
9 Cody Chandler persephone
10 Jennifer Rubell 55 Joachim Bessing 31 32 33
11 Dinçer Şirin 56 Cordula Reyer
12 Sawa Takai 57 username: sigridrothe
13 username: jules 58 Michael Bullock
14 Nika Scheidemandel 59 Emily Segal
34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42
15 Guglielmo Castelli 60 Janet Cho
16 Julia Whicker 61 Etienne Descloux
17 Marco Rechenberg 62 Nils Dunkel
18 Kelly 63 Julia Knolle
19 Georgina Benjamin 64 Roy Chang 43 44
20 Chen Jin 65 Grace Hollaender
21 username: mauri 66 Haidee Findlay-
22 username: rene Levin
23 Greta Waroka 67 Ken Baldwin
45 46 47 48 49 50 51
24 Ingeborg Harms 68 Brenda Guesnet
25 Billy Cristian 69 Daniela Birnhäupl
26 Tenzing Barshee 70 Mark Krayenhoff
27 Nicolas Kantor and AA Bronson
28 Anita Pauls 71 username: petitsoleil 52 53 54
29 Anne Philippi 72 Marcelo Krasilcic
30 Eckhart Nickel 73 Pippin Wiggles-
31 Ulrika Åkerlind worth-Weider
32 Gabriele and 74 Jackie Thomae
Gabriel Schauf 75 Michael Scaturro 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63
33 username: dustin 76 Basil Katz
34 Eliza Koch 77 Volker Hobl
35 Sarah Wilde 78 Lukas Nikol
36 Pia Chew 79 Heike Blümner 64 65
37 Clark Parkin 80 username: sireduard
38 username: anoukotb 81 Lettie Jane
39 username: face Rennekamp
40 this could be you! 82 Ayzit Bostan
41 Mahret Kupka 83 Peter Kempe 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73
42 username: minou 84 username: deixis
43 Lauren Hamersmith 85 Paul Kopkau
44 username: 86 username: hydra
almdudler 87 Sofia Ekmann Neves 74 75 76 77 78 79 80
45 Alexa Karolinski 88 Daniel Reich
81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88
4. The
People
Enigmatic home stories, global
blind dates, style profiles.
Exceptional pErsonalitiEs in
their own words and worlds.
a nod to this season’s superstars
from ilikemystyle.net .
13
5. the pEoplE
international
wardrobe
Where’s the best place
to take your grandma
in Hamburg? Who to
call for an all-nighter
in Buenos aires? the
most colorful leggings
in london, the softest
lederhosen in Bavaria,
the edgiest art in
istanbul? Users of
ilikemystyle.net share
soursawanet their local expertise.
from Milano
read on page 20
t-shirt: American Apparel
tank top: American Apparel
skirt: Junya Watanabe
shoes: PLAY Comme des Garçons
15
6. anitapauls
Buenos
aires
from
read on page 20
photo: Estefania D’Esperies
all clothes: vintage store Juan Pérez
17
7. gabriel
from hamBurg
read on page 21
jacket, shirt, and jeans: Acne
camera: Rolleiflex 6008
roychang25
from taipei
read on page 21
shirt: Hang Ten
tie and hat: vintage
borrowed from friends
pants: Comme des Garçons
shoes: Energy
photo: Andreas Gessler
19
8. international
wardrobe
My Crazy,
multi-coloured 80s (username: geniegenie)
gEorgina Benjamin
by
leggings from london
Hidden on a cobbled street only five minutes from the conventional
chain stores of central Covent Garden is a treasure trove that I can’t
help delving into each time I’m in the area. The Pop Boutique is where
I go for my fix of affordable, heck–downright cheap–vintage, acid-
bright leggings (which I’m passionate about at the moment). Whether
worn with flats in the daytime, or with huge heels and white lace socks
in the evening, the leggings found at this shop should always be worn
with confidence—the swirly, polka-dot, multi-coloured Lyrca shouts
too loud to go unnoticed. My five pairs have cost me a total of £25,
but the looks of bemusement (Is she really wearing those?!?) they’ve
left on people’s faces have been priceless.
So what else have I bought there? Pretty summer dresses,
bowties, leather skirts, mohair cardigans with massive shoulder
pads… The list of my Pop purchases goes on. I think it’s safe to say
that by now, the staff probably knows me by name; I never leave the
store empty handed.
The Pop Boutique, 6 Monmouth Street, London WC2H 9HB
Midwest MEmories in new york
ken Baldwin (username: cuddlz)
By new york from picture on page 30
My favorite place to shop in New York is Dave’s Army and Navy on
Sixth Avenue. They have the best army gear and work wear in town:
fatigue jackets, sweat pants, camouflage accessories—amazing! I’ve
always been into outdoor hunting clothes. I guess ‘cause I grew up
geniEgEnie in Columbus, Ohio. I buy Carhartt accessories here, Pointer overalls,
from london
dress: C&A
thermals, navy stripe shirts, and knit caps. You can mix the stuff into
your wardrobe and it looks timeless.
Dave’s New York, 581 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10011
www.davesnewyork.com
29
9. cuddlz
from nEw york
read on page 29
fur coat: Jeremy Scott
31
10. The People
Julia
richmond
Virginia
Julia Whicker
(username: juliawhicker)
may be the most
stylish writer since
Patti Smith. her
well-crafted pictures
(dachshunds, photo
effects and all)
read like a prologue
to her upcoming
novel, Wonderblood*.
*read the first chapter of Wonderblood
in The Words section (page 253).
dress: H&M
cardigan: vintage
shoes: Colin Stuart
33
11. The People Julia
richmond
Virginia
this page:
dress: Guess Collection
opposite page, top:
necklace: vintage
opposite page, bottom:
Julia’s dachshund Olive
37
12. The People
mknyc Mark Krayenhoff
(username: MKNYC)
is an architect and
one of New York’s
true eccentrics.
Here he offers
a glimpse
into his wardrobe,
and boyfriend
AA Bronson
(username: aabronson)
explains Mark’s
sartorial system.
suit: Ozwald Boateng
shirt: Richard James
43
13. The People
shirt: custom-made shirt, NYC
opposite:
leather jacket: Toronto, Ontario
jacket: Levi’s
t-shirt: army & navy
belt: eBay
pants: Junya Watanabe
15. The People
Doppel
gänger
The people on the following
pages are not couples.
Often they don’t even
know each other. Yet their
photos seem to have
something in common.
A study of simultaneity
and singularity.
55
16. The People doPpelgängeR
petitsOleil
from Paris
judith
from San Francisco
59
17. The People doPpelgängeR
Rene
from Berlin
SiReduard
from Vienna
61
18. The People
Girl
meets
girl
They live in Tokyo, los
Angeles, Paris, Berlin,
Buenos Aires and they’ve
never met. During their
blind dates via Skype,
e-mail, IM, or even
telephone, the girls talked
about unicorns, Flemish
paintings, and the power
Charlotte of jean shorts.
username:
chavanitas
panties: Topshop
65
19. The People
obviously I PArty all over the place
BrenDA GueSneT (username: randomvintage) from MInDen
and jAneT Cho (username: janetscho) from Tokyo
PArT 1: jAneT ASkS BrenDA
jAneT: I hear you’re in Argentina right now. Do you prefer men from Argentina or Germany?
BrenDA: Oh my goodness. Okay. So first, let me explain why I am currently in Argentina.
I’m doing a student exchange with Rotary and I chose to go to Argentina, so I’ve been
here for about six months, and will return to Germany in July to finish school (I’m six-
teen years old). So far, it’s been an incredible experience. I’ve traveled through Brazil
and the south of Argentina (I am way in the north, in Iguazú). As for men, Argentinean
guys all look kind of the same to me. I can somehow never tell them apart. Also, they are
extremely annoying and overbearing, which makes them unattractive. For some reason,
I just feel more attracted to Europeans...
jAneT: I understand. I used to prefer my kin (which is Asian), and now I am open to all
types. What’s your favorite Argentinean food?
BrenDA: Argentinean food is kind of an issue for me since I’m a vegetarian. But I really
like dulce de leche (this type of sticky carameltoffeefudge stuff) and the pizza here is
actually really nice!
jAneT: What is your favorite dessert?
BrenDA: This could keep me going for hours. On the spot, I’d say brownies with vanilla
ice cream, lemon cake with raspberries, panna cotta, and creme bruleé. All of which I
have not had in such a long time. Raspberries don’t even exist here. Ugh.
jAneT: I love the contrasting neon-color tights and matching outfits in your photos. Do you
also wear that outside?
BrenDA: I do. And I shocked my entire ninth grade class. I was in my new-rave indie
phase, (you know, 2007-08: neon everywhere, especially on skinny jeans; plus hearts
and stars, skulls, animal print–that was me right there, listening to CSS, New Young
Pony Club, Tilly and the Wall and such) so I obviously didn’t care at all. I was fed up
with my small town and wanted to be rebellious, which was very easy. All I had to do
was wear pink tights. I then moved on to vintage dresses and gold jewelry, and preferred
stockings: American Apparel
scarf/stole: Bossini
janeT
username:
black and greyish colors. skirt: mom’s closet janetscho
77
20. The People Girl
meets
girl
jAneT: What do you do with your female friends? PArT 2: BrenDA ASkS jAneT
BrenDA: I’m sixteen and I’m on an exchange, so obviously I party all over the place, and
before that, I love to get dressed with my girlfriends and I also love having sleepovers af- BrenDA: How old are you? What do you do for a living? What are your main interests?
terwards. Apart from that, I love cooking, baking, eating way too much, walking around, jAneT: I am 26. I’m currently teaching fifth- and sixth-graders English in a Japanese ele-
taking pictures, going insane, traveling, drinking tea, sunbathing, swimming, listening to mentary school. Technically, I am not a student, but I like to study languages, fash-
music, and just lying in bed talking about nothing with my best friends. ion, and psychology on my own. I love styling my own outfits, remaking clothing
jAneT: If you could be an animal, what would it be? and accessories, reading magazines and books on psychology, taking small trips
BrenDA: I’d love to be a dolphin. Or a lioness! in Japan (preferably to locations where I can dip into an outdoor hot spring in the
jAneT: I want to be a dolphin too. I have yet to swim with one in the ocean. Or I want to be snow), trying out new cafés that have DELICIOUS desserts and coffee, hip hop
a bird that migrates with seasons. What is your first thought when you wake up? dancing, and drawing people who have fallen asleep on the train.
BrenDA: Oh no! Did I sleep too long?! BrenDA: Do you live in Tokyo? If you do–first that is amazing, I am so jealous–and sec-
jAneT: If you could create any dream world and live in that world, what would it be? ond, how do you get to meet people in such a huge city?
BrenDA: I think that’s a really hard question to answer, because I know I could think jAneT: I live in a place that is a one-hour train ride away from Tokyo. I meet people
about this for ages and invent awesome things. But then I would be like: But maybe I through existing friends, coworkers, and through a dance class that I go to regu-
wouldn’t really be happy in that magical castle with unicorns grazing in my garden and larly. And sometimes I go to random “meet-up” groups just to see new faces.
that I’d rather just stay where I am because I’m pretty happy right here in this life. BrenDA: Do you live alone? What does your home look like?
jAneT: I live in a studio, and my space feels like a slightly expanded version of a room on
a yacht.
BrenDA: What makes you wear one thing over another thing when you get up in the
morning?
jAneT: Um...I can’t even put it into words. If I feel that I want to be more creative, I
try to grab a few things that I won’t normally wear together and just go with it
for the day. I usually think about the color and shape once I am “feeling” which
piece to grab.
BrenDA: What are your favorite places for buying clothes? Any favorite designers, even
if you can’t afford their stuff?
jAneT: Actually, I don’t even buy that much stuff these days since I started remaking
Brenda
things. But if I go crazy shopping, Harajuku in Japan is on my top list, and then the
vintage stores in Shimokitazawa are also very nice. I love shoes from Balenciaga,
username: Giuseppe Zanotti, and Vivienne Westwood. I also like Giles, Theater Products, and
randomvintage mercibeaucoup. I’m interested in clothes that surprise me visually, like looking at
outfit (including mask): H&M a surrealist painting for the first time. And I like Elsa Schiaparelli.
BrenDA: What magazines do you love?
jAneT: So-En, W, French Vogue, PS, i-D. Also, magazines that talk about discovering tiny
shops and cafés in Tokyo. Magazines that show people how to pimp a kimono with
a modern edge.
BrenDA: What’s your favorite time of the year and why?
jAneT: I am a summer gal. I love sun, sexy and colorful outfits, beach volleyball, reading,
hanging out with friends at the shore, listening to the waves, eating ice cream, and
watching the sun set—oh, I forgot to mention sunflowers.
BrenDA: Why do you love your friends?
jAneT: They’re super honest, spontaneous, and appreciative. We have so much fun talking
about nothing and laughing our heads off. I love to be goofy with them.
79
21. The People
quite
a lot
of clothes
She is from Singapore and
one of the earliest and most
avid users of ilikemystyle.net .
Sharing her vision with
devoted regularity and always
posing with panache, her
constant stream of outfits
strikes the fickle hearts of
fashion addicts worldwide.
Whether she is attending an
80s-themed Depeche Mode
party; going on a romantic
dim sum brunch date with
Mr. Voodoomary; or simply
taking Rufus, her Bichon Frisé,
on a tour of duty, she never
fails to charm. Here’s a humble
tribute to the inimitable
Pia CHeW (username: Voodoomary)
and her fashion anthology.
97
23. Far
out
Traveling with curiosity
and class. Users of ilikemystyle.net
and their stories on brief
and everlasting encounters.
Their pictures of exotica,
violence, and beauty.
109
24. Far out
Into
Thin hair
They have the eyes of a woman,
they cannot be tamed, and they
produce the finest fiber in the
world. Joachim Bessing
(username: jbessing) traveled high
up into the andes, deep into
Peruvian culture, and beyond the
niceties of luxury travel in search
of the mythical vicUña.
On the Andean plateau above Nazca, at the settle-
ment of campesinos called Ccollpapampa. This
boy is wearing traditional Incan garb. In ancient
times, the hair of the vicuñas was reserved for
kings. The animal is still considered holy today.
Its hair is referred to as the “fiber of the gods”
(in a strictly non-dietary sense).
111
25. far Out
From
Everywhere
with
Love
Our globe is an enchanting
place, sometimes cryptic,
often seductive. Users
of ilikemystyle.net write
home from places you’ll
never dare to enter—or
desperately need to.
119
26. far Out from eVerywhere
with LOVe
Waves of Krasilcic / Username: marcelok
by Marcelo
Ipanema
I shot this image a few days before Xmas last year.
I was amazed at how creative the beach vendors at Ipanema are.
This one sells Coke, cold Matte, and Guarana, a popular Brazilian soda.
The two police guys at the bottom are part of the new beach patrol system
implemented this summer.
The water was warm, clean and the waves inviting.
123
27. far Out from eVerywhere
with LOVe
by
Tree hug
frank hornig / Username: atlantikfrank
General Nikol / Username: supermicro
by Lukas
Smoke There are few things both hipsters and conservatives alike hate more than
each other: tree huggers. I had never actually met one until I went to Olympic
This picture was taken on the very gentle hills in the DMZ (demilitarized National Park near Seattle. I didn’t know I was traveling into Twilight ter-
zone) on the border between North and South Korea. Upon closer inspection, ritory. Stephanie Meyer penned Bella and her vampire lover’s tales for that
you’ll notice in the background the military reinforcements that South Korea cold and foggy area. And Forks, where the two go to high school, is one of
has built in order to complicate an invasion by the North. the most depressing places I’ve ever seen.
The North Korean general shown here probably holds an enviable po- Luckily I brought a book by Thich Nhat Hanh, a Buddhist monk. I
sition within the DPRK army. He has been assigned to accompany the few have no particular interest in Buddhism—it must have been the title: Happi-
foreign visitors in the DMZ. It’s a privileged position because it comes with ness. On our long drive down from sunny Montana, I read it out loud to my
extravagant amounts of Western and Chinese cigarettes. Somehow, all the two travel companions. We laughed about it, gently.
foreigners know that cigarettes are the gift to offer to North Koreans, who Olympic National Park is home to the only rainforest in the Northern
all smoke. The General chain smokes, one cigarette continually clenched be- Hemisphere. When we entered, we were soon surrounded by the most ma-
tween two fingers on his right hand, and yet he still has enough packs to sell jestic moss-covered trees. That’s when I remembered the monk’s wisdom:
off on Kaesong’s black market. This trade commodity surely allows his fam- “I stop in front of one of the trees. I bow to it. It makes me feel happy. I
ily a comfortable lifestyle in North Korea, hence his shit-eating grin. touch the bark with my cheek. Tree hugging is a wonderful practice,” for
I gave the gentleman something else as a gift: raisins & hazelnut Ritter “a tree never refuses.” You can rely on it, according to the monk, and it will
Sport chocolate—my favorite flavor. I always wondered what he got for this make you feel “refreshed and happy.” I followed the monk’s advice. It didn’t
chocolate on the black market. change my life. But it made my day.
127
28. Far out
whatalotigot
Smarties are the non-US equivalent
of M&M’s: chocolate on the inside,
candy colored on the outside.
The “Smarties” is also what a flock
of fashion obsessed personalities
in Johannesburg call themselves.
The sharp-eyed, New York-based
stylist Haidee FiNdlaY-leviN
(username: haideefindley) went back to
her home turf in South africa where
she was taken by surprise.
A mismatch of
neon-colored, preppy
sportswear, skirts,
kilts, and clothes that
they have reshaped,
adapted, and DIY-ed
themselves.
129
30. far out
chocolate-vanilla triangle parfait
Bed Supper Club
Bangkok
Yum!
You only get to know
a country if you take
a bite. Greta Waroka
(username: noniloves) traveled
to thailand and did a
well-documented, in-
depth investigation of
the pleasures this beautiful
kingdom has to offer.
135
31. far out Yum!
Match
Fanta-ice lolly fish with meatball-stick in shabu-shabu noodle soup with ice tea
Chatuchak Market ginger sauce wonton glaze Central World Plaza meatballs with carnati o n milk
Bangkok Siam Paragon Mall street stall Bangkok Park Avenue Chatuchak Market
Bangkok Koh Pangan Koh Samui Airport Bangkok
fried banana with schnitzel Singaporean food banana roti rice with shrimps chicken noodle soup
vanilla ice cream with french fries Orchard Food Court (pancake) (sweet and sour) Chatuchak Weekend
Thong Nai Pan Beach Schnitzel-House Central World Plaza Chaweng Road Chaweng Noi Beach Market
Koh Phangan Koh Samui Bangkok Koh Samui Bangkok
crushed ice with Swensen’s ice cream dim sum mango waffle meatballs-stick in milk peach cake
rambutans Park Avenue MBK Food Court MBK Food Court wonton glaze MBK Food Court
Siam Paragon Koh Samui Airport Bangkok Bangkok street stall Bangkok
Bangkok Koh Pangan
137
32. Far Out
Almost
Flying
One weekend in spring, COdy
Chandler (username: chandlerca)
took his friends amanda, Paul,
and Brett on a journey through
South Florida in the mighty
Mercedes-Benz G-Class . They *
encountered rare animals, got
tribal in the everglades, and ran
into the midnight breakers.
amanda took notes in her journal.
*Mercedes-Benz is a friend and sponsor of Ilikemystyle Quarterly
and helped to make this magazine possible.
141
33. almOst
Flying
Paul and I got naked and ran into the ocean.
It was Paul’s first time in the atlantic.
We held exotic animals. My marmoset’s
name was Meliik. Brett was jumpy.
145
35. Kultur
kritik
Reviewing the world of
fashion and beyond. CultuRal
exChanges between
bloggers, critics, the highly admired
establishment, and the users
of ilikemystyle.net .
155
36. Kulturkritik
Blogalogues
What’s the difference
between shaded and jaded?
are there similarities
between Francis Ford
Coppola’s Dracula and
Chanel’s latest collection?
Where’s the beauty in
reenacting British royalty?
the world’s brightest
Fashion BloggeRs
on their life as taste-
makers and frontrowers.
clock wise from top left:
A Shaded View on Fashion
Fashematics
Girls Are Made of Sugar
Kingdom of Style
157
37. Blogalogues
Diane Pernet [ashadedviewonfashion.com]
Call Me President Obama
Interview: adriano sack / username: adriano
She is one of the most towering characters in the global fashion circuit, a revered former
filmmaker, an avant-garde designer, and the mastermind behind the collaborative online
fashion blog, A Shaded View on Fashion. No need to be introduced: Diane Pernet.
In your blog, I just read that fashion is a snooze (most of the time). When does fashion wake up/wake you up?
Real creative talent always interests me. I enjoy the thought behind a collection as
well as the process of making it. What is important is to feel the atmosphere of the
designers in their clothes.
When was the last time that a fashion show felt really groundbreaking to you? I loved the Galliano
show when he had his models walk through a long tunnel of circular light. It was
produced by Alexandre de Betak and it was like cinema.
Has there been a fashion documentary in the last years that you considered extraordinary or are these
movies just another form of embedded journalism? In my mind, nothing is more interesting than
reality and that is why I love documentaries. My favorites are Valentino, The Septem-
ber Issue, and the Marc Jacobs documentary.
What makes movies so interesting as a vehicle to explore fashion? Films go beyond the frozen image.
My background is first film then fashion. I absolutely love the intersection of the two.
It gives me the opportunity to promote filmmakers in the same way that I’ve sup-
ported designers over the years.
How did you get infatuated with fashion in the first place? I loved it since I was a little girl. I was in-
fluenced by cinema. At first I didn’t pursue fashion because I’m not a great illustrator,
but soon I realized it was not that important. What really counted were your ideas.
Do you remember the first wardrobe item that you loved as a girl? It was a yellow cartwheel jumper
with a funny zigzag trim that my grandmother made for me. I loved it. I also loved
my plaid glasses—they were clear plastic with plaid material inside.
Is there anything really unacceptable in fashion? People should feel good in their clothes. If some-
one like Beth Ditto feels good round then all the better. I am getting sick, however,
of looking at guys’ cracks when they are not young and beautiful. I don’t understand
why they think we want to see a not-so-beautiful ass. Call me President Obama on
that one, but I heartily agree. If it is a young and beautiful body, no problem. But
when it’s not...I don’t want it in my face.
Three wardrobe pieces, accessories, or technical devices you seriously don’t want to live without? A long
flowing skirt, a simple black shirt, my veil, and of course my red lipstick—black
crayon and transparent powder.
Which other blogs do you read on a frequent basis? SHOWstudio, Style Bubble, The Business of
Fashion.
One superficial but bulletproof trick for how to be glamorous, please! Stay out of the sun and wear a
beautiful shade of lipstick if you are a woman.
Read the complete interviews and much more on ilikemystyle.net/blog
159
38. Kulturkritik
Jonathan Zawada [fashematics.com]
Keep it unreal!
interview: Martin sau tin Cho / username: bucnam
Never before have fashion and math made for such chummy bedfellows. Fashematic is fash-
ion runway shabu-shabued into digestible algebra equations! Compulsive, pure genius—the
most disparate, obscure references collide, yet all make perfect hilarious (non)sense.
What’s your inspiration? The inspiration for the equations was really just the outfits them-
selves. I really don’t see them any other way than as equations!
Some insights into your encyclopedic background? It’s really all a lie—all smoke and mirrors. By
presenting them as equations, the fashematics look much smarter than they really are.
I’m a graphic designer by trade, so I’ve had a lot of experience dissecting images, and
my own work tends to be constructed from a fairly linear sum of influences, so maybe
that has something to do with it?
Where are you from? I live in Sydney, Australia—unfortunately not the most stylish city in the
world, but very pretty nonetheless.
Describe your style in Fashematic. Nerd + handyman.
Congratulations on the launch of Fashematical, your beautiful graphic illustration-zine of zombies in
the runway’s finest from spring/summer 2010. Explain the relationship between the undead and fashion.
Thanks! The summary of rampant consumerism in George A. Romero’s Dawn of the
Dead really says it all, only to me this seems even more acute when you are watching
a hungry, skeletal woman walking to the end of a runway having seemingly no idea
why she was heading there in the first place, then mindlessly turning back, then doing
it all over again about a minute later.
Wardrobe item that you own that represents you. Tie-dyed overalls.
If you could invite anyone or anything to your dinner party, who would you break bread with? That
Honda robot and the lead singer from Gogol Bordello.
Movie(s) that color your world? Adaptation, Studio Ghibli’s Porco Rosso, and 2001: A Space
Odyssey.
I would give up everything just to... Live in Super Mario’s galaxy.
What would your dream house look like? It would be a big glass atrium filled with tropical plants—
like a big greenhouse built on top of hundreds of giant concrete cat statues. And it
would contain butterflies, a fish pond/swimming pool, and a tent to sleep in inside.
Song of your life? It’s corny, but “All Is Full Of Love,” by Björk.
Favorite expression of yours? Nothing tastes as good as skinny looks.
Character whose style you like from: a movie? Annie Hall. Comic/cartoon? Tank Girl. In real life? My
wife, Annie.
History Channel or Discovery Channel? Discovery Channel for sure. It will all be on History
Channel in a couple of hundred years anyway.
What’s the look/prediction for 2010? Ponchos!
Any last words? Keep it unreal!
Read the complete interviews and much more on ilikemystyle.net/blog
161
39. kulturkritik
clOSe-
upS
Fashion is for people
who want to be seen.
Experts in the visual
arts analyze some
outstanding pictures
from ilikemystyle.net .
clock wise from top left:
Ingeborg Harms
Jennifer Rubell
Cay Sophie Rabinowitz
Delusional Downtown Divas
Cordula Reyer
Daniel Reich
167
40. kulturkritik clOSe-
upSMatch
She doesn’t Want to answer
my quEstions
by cordula REyer
A lady, a housewife, a whore in the kitchen?
The bourgeois environment of that small kitchen with the silly paint-
ing of some unhappy flowers above the tidy stove is in sharp contrast with
her looks. Nevertheless, the photo elicits a strong romantic feeling for me.
So does hydra herself. Her vintage, glamorous brown fur adds to her exotic
looks and beautiful black hair. Almost stubbornly, she turns away to light her
cigarette. She doesn’t want to answer my questions. Obstinately, she twists
her foot and keeps her secret. I like the fact that she almost walks out of the
frame to escape me. Her shredded punk skirt would for sure be a favorite
for Rei Kawakubo. I love the combination. Her vintage shoes are fantastic.
It seems liberating to be in somebody else’s shoes. “Give her a cigarette,”
Peter Lindbergh would often shout during his photo shoots. And indeed–all
of a sudden–the photo would come alive. It does the trick here. I look and I
see a story. A story that could be told by Fassbinder. I see Lola, Lili Marlene,
Petra, Veronika. This is about a girl from a far away place trying to escape
that timeless frame of a kitchen that’s way too small for her style, her preten-
sions, and her desires.
Cordula Reyer was a model and Helmut Lang’s muse. Today she is a writer and
lives in Los Angeles and Vienna.
hydradonkey Boy
from
173
41. kulturkritik clOSe-
upSMatch
SO yes, I would date hiM
by the delusional dOwntown divas
Swann: Well somebody needs the Apple Bottoms and the boots with the
furrr!
A g N e s s : This guy just slipped a girl a roofie at Lit but by the time they got
home, he was so dehydrated that he passed out first.
O o n a : This guy is totally going to grow up to be someone’s creepy uncle
who always wants to close-dance at Channukah parties. So yes, I
would date him.
MaISonlieske
from BErlin
The Delusional Downtown Divas are the stars of a series of webisodes about vanity,
presumptions, and ambition in the New York art world.
177
42. Kulturkritik
With
Compliments
We didn’t produce these photos
ourselves, but we think they’re
remarkable. Some of the season’s best
fashion spreads seen by our users.
Paradis No. 5 This display of morbid innocence has the capacity to ren-
der the editorial somewhat unassailable—confusion paired with veridicality has something
ultimately seductive in its despair and ethereality. At least that’s how I see it. Perhaps that’s
Paradis No. 5
“Haunting and Touching” because, to this day, I would still like to hang David Hamilton’s nymph-like images on my
photographer and stylist: Hellen van Meene wall. I look at the dresses in this shoot by Hellen van Meene for Paradis, which stylist Van-
essa Reid has chosen, with great pleasure. They’re brilliant dresses you can’t buy, but that
doesn’t diminish my interest at all, because they really look marvelous in photos. They’re
like nightgowns that scream for bloodstains but disguised as street wear. And they’re fea-
tured in Paradis, which is a semiannual men’s magazine, run by a Dutch woman with a
background in the arts, hence the handsome morbidity. About ten years ago, Hellen van
Meene made a name for herself with pictures of plum youth in distress. It seems only natural
today to linger at the edge of our romantic nightmares by casting these somber Bilitis girls.
Or, as the dreadful Rachel Zoe would put it, Love, love, love... I die.
by Katharina Koppenwallner / username: k-koppenwallner
181
43. Kulturkritik
Vogue Italia, February 2010
“Bohemian Way”, pages 366–373
photographer: Emma Summerton
stylist: Edward Enninful
Vogue Italia, Febraio 2010 I have an antipathy towards
the “chill girl” strain of “boho,” the kind that recalls slouchy hats, snow sports, one-hitters,
and small vocabularies. What follows then is that for me, the stomping ground of “boho,” the
“music festival,” is, the most horrible subtext for fashion. I don’t want the gloss of my maga-
zine to be on any continuum–synthetic, staged, or otherwise–with any order of jam band.
Acid, on the other hand, is no problem. Unfortunately, Vogue Italia’s spread, Bo-
hemian Way, by photographer Emma Summerton has the trappings of banal bohemia: an
Afghan /patchwork/antique jumble, chunky turquoise, a bell sleeved tunic, and tie-dye. But
Sasha Pivovarova is dead. And it’s not dead like the zebra whose pelt she’s flung over, not
the numb absence of a DNR, but elegantly, vampirically dead—dead like a rich deranged
zombie. Look closer; the chunky turquoise is in fact a pile of heirlooms, her shoes; pearled
little opera houses. She looks like a time-machined and cryogenically-unfrozen Anna Piag-
gi. It seems like something very, very terrible has happened.
A couple pages later, we get to see the whole room. It has deep-sea, showgirl-voo-
doo vibes, like in Romeo + Juliet’s Miami with a vitrine full of funeral roses for a rotten,
gilded Catholicism. Here, Pivovarova’s skin is too blue for her to just be a corpse—she
looks capsized. Maybe “the bohemian way” isn’t just over but undead: It embodies what
Slavoj Žižek calls “...dead but nonetheless alive...what Lacan calls tissue of libido, ‘la-
mella,’ a substance of life which cannot ever be destroyed. The problem here is no longer
mortality but the opposite: It’s this kind of horrible life form, like that of vampires, which
you can never get rid of.”
Later yet, our girl’s back is on the couch in a mess of patchwork. The colors and tie-
dye are still textbook bohemian but the silhouettes are refined: a strapless gown and shawl,
weighed down with unreasonable cuffs at the wrists. Then it’s the last set of images, and
Pivovarova is upright again and (sullenly, scarily) anticipate. It’s my favorite outfit of the
bunch: the long orange gown with one digi-print leg exposed and all those nutty bangles.
We can see the room again, but this time it’s as if all the junk–the pop art vase full of roses,
the setees, the Old South lamps, the patchwork–have been tidied up for what’s to come, and
keep on coming:
Eternity.
by emily Segal / username: rIPyourself
185
45. HoBbies
Badges of
glamour
What do chloë sevigny,
madeleine albright, and
Peter KemPe (username:
peterkempe) have in common?
all treasure their collection
of brooches, but only he
specializes in chanel.
Photographer rObin Kranz
(username: robin) stages
the precious pieces.
left: classical badge, Summer 2003, after a
photo by Horst P. Horst from 1937, redone
in a pop art style. right: Cameo brooch
from the runway collection Fall/Winter
1987. It shows Coco Chanel during her
“English period,” when she had an affair
with the Duke of Westminster.
193
47. HoBbies
sketches
of style
Paul Newman’s new ears.
Martin Margiela’s brain.
Miuccia Prada’s delicate
melancholy. Italian
illustrator GuGlIelMo
CastellI (username: skydoll)
pays tribute to his most
cherished fashion icons.
Audrey Hepburn, actress
203
48. HoBbies
Remember
where
you lost it
Parties bring out the best in
people: laughter, joy, dance, and
★
theglamourai
from New york romance. But in the heat
at Basement burlesque party
read on page 224 of the night, they might encounter
ghosts, excess, and their own
demoNs. snapshots from the
beautiful realm called
n ig htl ife.
Plus: factsheets about these
notorious hours.
209
49. aBc
★★★
from munich
at a New year’s party in los angeles
read on page 226
213
50. HoBbies
Pippin Wigglesworth-Weider, username:
PiPPinweider
from Zurich
When? Sometime in 2004, after my final exams, and having graduated from
boarding school, jumping into the afterlife.
W h e r e ? Old, cheesy, rich club in Zurich: Diagonal. After they kicked me
out, I organized my own party: Vertical.
W h o w e r e t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t p e o p l e t h e r e t h a t e v e n i n g ? The waiter.
He always was. A good waiter whom you’ve known for some drunken years
is a nice kind of family.
To p i c s : I really can’t remember.
W h a t w e r e y o u w e a r i n g ( c l o t h e s , f r a g r a n c e , m a k e u p ) ? Black Zegna
cotton suit. Very, very dark violet Van Laak shirt. Black Zegna tie (lost
while having fun). Black Hermès croc-belt. Black Bally scribes.
W h a t w a s s p e c i a l a b o u t t h a t n i g h t ? Due to incompetence during
sabrage, the methusalem’s neck was fractured, I cut my lip, blood every-
where, some foreign guy started pressing toilet paper against my mouth…
S o u n d t r a c k o f t h e n i g h t ? Can’t remember. If I could choose: Huey
Lewis & the News!
O t h e r p e o p l e ? Who was the guy pressing toilet paper against my lip?
Was he gay?
T r a n s p o r t a t i o n ? Old bulletproof S-Class—the edgy, heavy one, with a
trusty driver waiting to bring me anywhere.
D r i n k / S t i m u l a t i o n ? Vodka. Champagne. Stuff.
H i g h l i g h t ? Yeah, he was gay. Actually, he was in my class.
S e x ? He wanted me. Didn’t want him. Too drunk anyway.
S l e e p ? Duh!
217
51. adriano eckhart
photo: Martin Fengel
★★★★★ ★★★★★★
from New york from sonoma county
at Kenny scharf’s Halloween party at Buddha Bar, Kathmandu
read on page 228 read on page 229
221
52. Remember
where
you lost it
Billy cristian, username:
Billy
from barcelona
When? Summer 2009, my best friend’s birthday party!!
W h e r e ? In Barcelona in my apartment and then to the club.
W h o w e r e t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t p e o p l e t h a t e v e n i n g ? It was me... and of
course my friend whose birthday it was.
W h a t w e r e y o u w e a r i n g ( c l o t h e s , f r a g r a n c e , m a k e u p ) ? My little brother
and I wanted to dress up a little that day so we both were wearing a bowtie
and vintage Levi’s jean shorts. I was wearing a dark gray jacket with spikes
from some stupid store in Barcelona, a white shirt from Tiger of Sweden, a
bowtie–but the thing is, it wasn’t a bowtie, it was a hair clip, so I had to re-
make it–glossy black Dr. Martens, the rings my dad bought me in Sweden,
and my dearest necklace—a Jesus cross. When it is a special day or a party,
I always use a Dior Homme fragrance—the people go crazy.
W h a t w a s s p e c i a l a b o u t t h a t n i g h t ? I remember it because we had so
much fun. All my friends were at my place, eating, drinking, laughing,
telling stupid stories about days we had been drunk together and playing
beer games.
S o u n d t r a c k o f t h e n i g h t ? Can’t remember. But I know it was my friend’s
birthday party and she loves Dizzee Rascal, so I think it could have been
one of his tracks.
O t h e r p e o p l e ? The Indian family who wanted to take pictures with me…
haha!
T r a n s p o r t a t i o n ? I usually walk because I live in the city... okay I lied, we
took a taxi, and usually we do that.
D r i n k / S t i m u l a t i o n ? Mojito, wine, beer, and yes, I got stimulated…
H i g h l i g h t ? We filmed a lot that night and I can’t stop laughing when
watching my brother getting angry and screaming at me: “I HATE YOU…
DIEEEEEEE!!” He was really drunk and all of this is recorded.
S e x ? Scott wanted me, I said no, but now I regret it. Damn!
S l e e p ? Sleep when you’re dead.
223
53. The
words
Hardboiled interviews,
eclectic chitchat, and
deep-digging essays by
users of ilikemystyle.net
on the pHenomena
of our world.
233
54. nine sTeps to THe Words
World domination
nine sTeps to
World domination Why Korea is the new Japan
by martin sau Tin Cho / username: bucnam
In August 2007, the Seoul Fashion Artist Association (Seoul’s version of the Chambre Synd-
ical de la Couture) declared “Year Zero” for Korean fashion, officially christening the dawn
of a “Korean fashion wave.” Because Koreans are drilled into taking orders and government
memos very seriously, Korean streets instantly exploded with a variety of fashion tribes and
extremely individualistic expressions of style. All of a sudden, the impact of Seoul’s street
fashion presence was felt throughout the blogosphere, with Google spewing images and
analyses of the new Bryanboys and Susie Bubbles from Seoul. When Seoul-based fashion
designer Juun J. sent his models down the Paris men’s Spring/Summer 2007 runway in a
collection inspired by the military and his personal fetish for the officer’s trenchcoat, fashion
capitals from Milan to New York clamored to heed to his order.
At Feburary 2010’s New York Fashion Week, Korean fashion designers debuted with
polished shows supported by an exhibition at the New York Public Library entitled ‘Concept
Korea.’ It should have been penned: ‘Voilà Korea.’ With just a blink of the eye, style from
this tiny peninsula was knighted pop.
In a somewhat ironic reversal of cultural imperialism, South Korea has managed to
outshine neighboring Japan’s hegemony. Korea’s conquest for global domination, which
would make Alexander the Great both proud and dizzy, was propelled as swiftly as the the
kicks of their TaeKwonDo fighters. Everything designed, new, and technologically-driven
grows here under catalyzed lab-like conditions.
The Korean success story is deeply rooted in many motifs and summing up the rea-
sons makes it clear that this won’t be a passing trend:
seoul: Seoul, the engine and soul behind South Korea, is fiercely fuelled by its ambi-
tious and design-obsessed mayor, Oh Se-hoon. Making the city’s urban redevelopment his
priority, his mission is to place Korea firmly onto the list of the world’s top five nations of
cultural exports. Cultural figureheads and avant-garde designers the world over instantly
took note: now the fashion-obsessed can shop at the capital’s very own 10 Corso Como and
Ann Demeulemeester’s flagships in shopping mecca Cheongdam-dong. This past winter,
Miuccia Prada set up shop next to Seoul’s historic royal palace, where she made her contri-
bution to the future of the city’s arts endeavors by erecting the Prada Transformer, a state of
the art performance/movie/cultural venue.
poem to praise mountains Technology: Being on the manic fringe of technological innovation, South Korea
by Chen Jin / username: chenjin is the world’s most internet-wired nation, its netizens buzzing down a constant highspeed
243
55. eyes at the end of THe Words
Your Fingertips
whereas most genetic women are afraid to put all of it together. They’re afraid of
what their friends will think of them–whether they’ll scare the boys–whatever; they
Wonderblood,
Chapter one
shouldn’t be.
Isn’t that a matter of style and how comfortable you are with expressing it?
Style is not about what other people think. You don’t learn it; you’re born with it.
Taste, you can learn. Taste is based on seeing more and more and more things. You Julia Whicker’s novel starts as a tale about a
can read Vogue as much as you want, but that will always be someone else’s style fragile future and a somber past, populated by
superimposed on you. Style is innate; it’s not borrowed. fairytale characters, lost children, and medieval
Is your passion for knowledge analogous to your passion for acquiring stuff? brutality. and this is only the beginning.
Well look: when I plan to buy something, I buy it. Then I can take it home and I can
play with it. If you look at an object in a book, it’s not the same thing. You can’t hold by Julia Whicker / username: juliawhicker
it in your hand, you can’t walk around behind it, you can’t pick it up. The only way
you can understand art objects is to actually have them physically. This is what I call Deep hunger, so cavernous she barely noticed, as well as an odd excitement filled her as she
‘eyes at the end of your fingertips.’ I respect people the most who have a direct physi- entered the city. Gimbal picked up the little dog and carried her because she did not want her
cal knowledge of things. to get lost among the goats and sheep they were now passing—spindle-legged black goats
What do you think of New Yorkers’ style? with curved, vicious horns and daemonic eyes and hooves that could kill the little dog with
I live on the Upper West Side. It is a styleless pit. I mean if Dante has a circle of hell one kick, and others with udders drooping almost to the ground and sad long stripes up their
for people who have no style, these people are going right there, direct. I have by far faces. Gimbal passed goatherds, mostly children, and then as she went further down the
the most style of anybody up there. path, in the dust, under the spiny shade of a line of palms, she began to see women carrying
Most genetic women will not wear wigs; they don’t think about wigs. They water, men on horses, magicians with their girdles of chalky, severed heads and their furious
spend thousands of dollars on a gown, but their hair always looks kind of like their eyes. Carts with wood for fires, a man with a gun, a lost child.
hair. Like Anna Wintour’s hair always looks like Anna Wintour’s hair. But if you re- It was not really a city, but a glorified camp—lean-tos and huts and tents striped
ally want to transform yourself, you should just change the way your hair looks. gold and red, cooking pits and unmarked graves and noise, noise, the screaming gulls—the
Do you have any designers that you particularly like? carnivals returned to winter over here and when they left, only the officials and the servants
Besides me? I don’t look at designers, I look at what they make. ‘Cause I’m object- of the castle remained, but these mostly lived inside the compound proper. But in this deep,
oriented, not personality-oriented. I’m not going to be his/her follower just because balmy February there must have been fifteen carnivals set up around the castle and Gimbal
of what they are. reeled from all the sounds and the smells as she elbowed her way through thicker and thicker
What kind of advice would you give to aspiring drag queens? swaths of people. No one looked at her. She pulled her scarf closer around her hair and
Go out there and do it! It has to be an image in and of itself; it should be an honest wiped at her cheek—some tear was there, astoundingly, though she could not imagine why.
form of self-expression. And that means, therefore, that anything you do for some ul- The dog did not squirm in her arms, but watched everything with oil-black eyes.
terior motive will work against you. If you’re a dancer, then you really have to turn it Near the wall, she stopped to get her bearings. Gimbal could not determine where
out; if you’re a comedian, you really have to be funny; if you’re a performance artist, or how to enter but to her left–yes–rising inside the walls, was the greatest execution stage
it really has to be weird. And the cost of entry is really small. Basically it’s a couple she’d yet seen, a tall shell-shaped platform painted pitch black and curtained in iridescent
of dresses and a cheap-ass wig. silk so expensive, so foreign, she studied it for a full moment before realizing it was silk.
Are you a performance artist? She hadn’t seen silk since her mother was alive all those years ago—her mother kept scrap
Absolutely. I mean it is, ‘cause that’s what I do. You know I’m not a singer, I’m a of printed silk in a box of her treasures. The scrap had seemed full of liquid-water coolness
fairly good dancer but that’s not what I do. Performance art is as much about the idea and moonglow—a celestial fabric. Now, this conch-pale silk hung under the fanned awning,
behind the performance as the performance itself. With me, there’s always some coup rippling in the breeze and varying in a gradient between shades of white, peach, pink, and
de theatre involved. Whatever happens, happens; you never know. blue. They must tie it back during the executions—otherwise, the blood.
“Why the staring, oldish lady? Have you never been here before?”
She turned and there stood a woman with a metal basin of blood at her feet, of inde-
terminate age, with an indecipherable expression, gazing up at the execution stage from one
of the booths. In profile, her nose was sharp and long, and her hair–colorless and wispy as a
253
56. THe Words Wonderblood,
Chapter one
child’s–was parted low on her forehead so her face seemed very small. Upon it, all her fea-
tures appeared tight and slanted, but her hair was shining markedly for having no particular
color. Gimbal could not decide if she was pretty or very ugly and when the woman faced her,
she found herself staring. The eyebrows were pale and heavy, the mouth, childlike. The eyes,
ravaging, painful to behold, looked like wounds in her head. Gimbal stepped back.
“I don’t mean any harm,” she muttered.
The woman nodded.
“I didn’t expect you did.”
She wore a loose, long-sleeved tunic, feathers fashioned into a necklace, and over-
the-knee boots of bloody-looking leather—everything black but the feathers, which were
teal, brown, and white. Inside her stall, the ground was covered in sawdust and sacking. She
gestured to the tub of blood: “It’s not for me. It’s for the magicians.”
“Of course,” Gimbal said.
Her lips curled slightly. “Would you like some?”
“Oh. No.”
She nodded once more. “If you don’t mean any harm, why stare so hard? What are
you looking for, at? Or who? Whom?”
She raised her eyes. “I should say, if you’re not doing anything in particular, per-
haps you might want to move on, because this space is occupied by me and mine. Since
I don’t know you and you’re not here to buy my blood, I should think you’d like to press
on, lady. Maybe.”
Gimbal blinked. “I…didn’t realize I was in the way.”
“Oh, you’re not…in my way. My sister’s way, yes, probably, you will be if you don’t
go on. She’ll be along soon. For the blood.”
She cast her hand almost disgustedly at the basin. On her left middle finger was a ring
of blue glass that caught the sunlight in a scintillating flash, and Gimbal wondered where
she’d gotten such a thing and why she wore it around the blood, the wrongness of it curi-
ously upsetting. The ring, a giant star, cosmic and iron, and somehow like a crown, seemed
to hold light within its facets. A murky apprehension grew in Gimbal’s temples. She very
courtesy neugerriemschneider, Berlin
much wanted to walk away. The woman watched with her expressionless face and said, “She
has to get it while it’s not too cold. The blood. My sister’s not very nice.”
Gimbal attempted to turn but the woman continued.
“Of course, if you are doing something particular—” She frowned. “Who am I to
stop you?”
“I have to go,” Gimbal said.
“Where?”
Gimbal did not reply. She took four steps to the right.
“Oh no, not that way. Any way but that way,” said the woman.
“What?”
“Looking to go inside, are you?” She was glaring now.
Gimbal froze. The woman pushed through a hinged half-door and exited her booth,
Kopftuch, 2009 came and stood beside her, and all around her was the sharp smell of citrus.
by antje majewski / username: oskarbravo “You should’ve said so. You should’ve just told me. What, exactly, are you looking
255
57. THe Words ping pong review
ping pong review: slightly protruding under his skin-colored t-shirt (another one of this season’s musts) is es-
Wrap it like
pecially fetching. Please make sure you steer clear of the shank-snap, nylon varieties from
adidas with triple stripes running down the side—opt for the cotton, frat boy drawstring
marc JaCobs!
sweatpants instead.
Phoebe Philo is wrapping the fashion world around her fingers. Her debut for Céline
was stellar (eclipsing the latter), especially those nappa leather t-shirts. Every good collec-
an e-mail conversation about: the stylistic message tion this season has some traces of Céline’s DNA in it—the return to minimal, wearable
of the movie Un prophète, the reign of fashion sportswear. Her all-neutral color palette (khaki, camel, ivory, black, beige) rules. ALSO: she
designer phoebe philo, skinny arms versus confident brought back military drab and safari jackets as staples. And it’s not some designer’s com-
arms, The Tin drum, the eternal question of how ment on the wars (blah blah snore), it’s just one designer spearheading the zeitgeist! I’m so
to wear an Hermès scarf. plus: some bitchy remarks looking forward to seeing her on the cover of Gentlewoman!
about german fashion sensibility. Watching the Oscars right now. Tom Ford on the red carpet is trying so hard to give
his best Olsen Twin face…he does look better again, though. He’s like a greenhouse flower:
by adriano sack / username: adriano needs warmth, love, and care. And lots of light (on him).
and martin sau Tin Cho / username: bucnam Talk soon,
Martin
On Mar 7, 2010, at 6:35pm, Adriano Sack wrote:
On Mar 8, 2010, at 12:29pm, Adriano Sack wrote:
Dear Martin,
Just listened to “The time is now” by Moloko, which pleasantly reminds me of how Hey Martin,
much Sigrid’s hair in the “Smart Moves” story (page 89) looks like singer Róisín Murphy’s Weird morning: Dysfunctional internet gave us deadline trouble. A woman on the
hair in the Moloko music video. Guess I’m sidetracking before I’ve even gotten started. street was complaining to her cell about “spring break girls gone wild” at some holiday
Let’s start the conversation, like Hillary used to say. destination to which she’ll never return.
One thing: Did you spot obituary references to Alexander McQueen in any of the But: my Armenian laundry retrieved my lost shirts. The GOOD news of the day. It
recent shows? would have been a painful loss: two +Js, a vintage Thom Browne, and two shirts from this
Then: Should I dress like Tahar Rahim in Un Prophète this spring (adidas sweatpants, crazy store, Piombo, in Milan. The latter I strongly recommend to anybody who wants dial-
black leather jacket from Orchard Street, thick but short moustache, longish hair)? up color in his wardrobe. At first sight, it looks like the cave of a cashmere-loving parrot, but
Also: Please explain the rise of Phoebe Philo! the deeper you get into the sweaters, shirts, and scarves, the more you feel a kindred spirit to
Can’t wait to hear your take on this, the owner. He had Nan Goldin shoot the campaign images for his store–which seemed like
Adriano the ultimate luxury–before Bottega Veneta hired her to rip off her own iconic images from
The Ballad of Sexual Dependency.
Anyways: There were two “women with arms” moments at the Academy Awards.
On Mar 7, 2010, at 7:29pm, Martin Cho wrote:
When Sarah Jessica Parker was interviewed on the red carpet and showcasing her carrot-
Hey Adriano, colored face and a cream-colored Chanel couture dress, her incredibly skinny arms made
First of all, Sigrid looks ten times better than Róisín Murphy! She’s got it right: me wonder what kind of diet makes your shoulders look like latex-covered collar bones. It’s
hair/wig is the new hat—the Uma Thurman-in-Pulp Fiction-hairdos at Lanvin; “Krusty the cheesy to praise the winner, but Kathryn Bigelow looked as if she had been working out
blonde clown” at Junya Watanabe; and that oversized beehive at Prada. Miuccia’s new col- with two 8.5-pound Oscar statues for years: her arms looked defined but not excessive. Con-
lection wouldn’t have felt complete without the double bobblehead effect that tops off the fident. The overall impression, however, was that of a very corporate and old school glam-
orthodox Jewish wife silhouette. our. Where is Björk dressed as a swan or Cher as a hooker when we really need them?
Still reeling from the loss of McQueen. Typing this makes the hair on the back of my After investigating Prada’s Women’s Fall/Winter 2010 show, I wonder if the ortho-
neck stand up. Surprisingly, however, no real tributes yet. Tribute = inspired copying, so it dox Jewish wife is the right reference. I was more reminded of the White Ribbon aesthetic of
would never be as brilliant anyways... north German, protestant farmers before WWII (before WWI, actually). Also in the opening
Tahar Rahim is a sight to behold. I completely dig his ghetto fab style. His belly scene of The Tin Drum by Günter Grass, a man has to flee from his prosecutors and hides un-
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58. THe Words ping pong review
derneath the many layers of the underskirts of an unknown peasant woman in a potato field.
While the police are looking for him (in vain), the woman starts breathing heavily because
the guy takes advantage of her while hiding in her garment. I’m probably over-interpreting
here, but there is some dirt on Miuccia’s black widow dresses. That look is so radically sex-
less, it vibrates.
Going to Berlin soon. Might have to take some presents. What does a girl really need
this spring/summer and why?
Can’t wait to hear from you,
Adriano
On Mar 8, 2010, at 4:21pm, Martin Cho wrote:
Hey Adriano,
Swung by Uniqlo this morning to check out the latest from +J. Well done as usual.
I wanted a few things–some wardrobe basics–but all of a sudden my mouth felt dry at the
thought of half of New York owning the exact same things. I stormed out and bumped into
a stylish girl who obviously culled her wardrobe from vintage/obscure places—the tired
cliché of mass retail killing true personal style crept into my mind again. Btw, I think my
look for Spring/Summer will be Tom Waits’s character from Down by Law: cowboy boots
with spurs. Then again, I always look so hopelessly faux grunge/punk that slathering myself
with actual colors–bright colors–would be a more challenging experiment for me. Those
neon, pink-toed brogues from the Fall 2010 men’s Comme des Garçons show could be the
perfect starter.
Some gift extravaganza ideas off the top of my head:
1. Jean-Charles de Castelbajac’s black, “Like a Prayer”-inspired mini-dress from last season
with zip-open multi-colored cross motif.
2. Christian Louboutin’s spiked ballerinas. Sooo German.
3. Any moribund jewelry from Delfina Delittrez Fendi.
4. Tragic leftovers from former New York darling Phi, e.g. 5-inch metal strappy heels for $35!
5. A pair of Chanel clogs. Before the Germans discover the crocs.
Hit me back when you get a chance to peel away from the mag.
Yours,
Martin
On Mar 8, 2010, at 4:50pm, Adriano Sack wrote:
Hey Martin,
Re: Uniqlo: Non-shopping can be a necessity but never an ideology.
Re: Gifts: I opt for 1, 2, and 5. And some knitwear by Tom Scott.
Re: Next season: what will be the smartest shape and why? And what happened to the
dream couple, art & fashion?
Whispering Foxes, 2009 Enlighten me!
by nils dunkel / username: dunkel Yours, Adriano
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