I haven't done a magazine review in a long time and so here goes:
Despite all that bad impressions How I Met Your Mother gives us of Canada (I'm trying to look smart here by making a cultural reference so work with me), the often forgotten other half of North America has some pretty awesome stuff to offer us: blistering cold temperatures that only seem to get colder every year, weird people who speak a mix of french and english, and also Worn. I was pretty psyched when I received my copy in the mail for Christmas because Worn is magic, like Santa Claus in paper form.
I was initially quite bothered by its title because Worn is obviously not a fashion journal. I somehow can't quite grasp why this magazine is being grouped along with other pretentious publications that seem to exploit rather than educate. But other than that, this magazine is obviously made up of fairy dust. I am a huge essay nerd so I tend to love long lengthy elaborate articles and Worn seems to hit all the right notes with this. The articles here are incredibly well-researched and the magazine also provides highly intelligent and opinionated feminist social commentary (mainstream fashion magazines really do need to include more of such articles). It is clear that this is not your regular fashion magazine, one that pretends to cloaks itself around feminist ideals. In short, Worn is pretty much an anti-fashion fashion magazine. The topics of the articles are as varied and unexplored from the history of tweed to vintage glasses to the history of the uniforms of air stewardesses. There are hardly any ads in this magazine which means that this magazine practically revolves itself around its readers rather than any sort of commercial activity. The editorials here also do not contain any trendy, seasonal clothes but works its way round vintage finds and one was done entirely out of the editor's wardrobe (tell me how cool is that). There's a zine-like free spiritedness to this: if I like it, I put it in.
Do note that there is nothing glamorous in Worn, everything is just straight in your face sincere, honest and fun. And as Worn puts it, "we're an idea bank and a what-if-you-try-this list." I DO NEED A SUBSCRIPTION SO BADLY.
P.S. While I'm fully aware that this blog is primarily about menswear, I feel that Worn is not specifically a girl-fashion kind of magazine. It's for anyone who enjoys clothes and good writing. And because the magazine does not work itself around seasons and trends, it will still be relevant even if the pages start turning yellow.
An interview with Grant Heaps, costume director of the National Ballet of Canada. And whose enviable collection of neckties and bowties I must steal......
You do not know how excited I was about this section. Tweed is of course my favourite material ever.......
Incredibly fresh and insightful article about the history of air stewardesses and their uniforms. Goes to show how much research is done here...
It comes as no surprise for LOVE to have 8 different covers for their Fall Winter issue. After all, wasn't it Katie Grand who started this multiple-covers rage that has since spread to other biannual magazines. Given the hype generated every season over who, or more importantly, what is going to be on the covers, I'm predicting that this will be a permanent fixture for the magazine. However, one thing that I really dislike about LOVE is the overly-sexualised covers-the infamous nude photo of Beth Ditto or the full-frontal shots of the supermodels (complete with nude editorials which makes Terry Richardson seem like an angel). There's about half of these covers here, that I think, will be banned by Singapore's censorship board (ok, maybe just Kelly Brook's. But seriously, how many of these have sex as its theme?). So naturally, my favourites are that of Alessandro Ambrosio's and Lauren Hutton's.
I've been wanting to write about this for the longest time. The subject of today's post, which has been living in my green Ikea box and has not been given its due recognition till today, is the world's first 'culture of fashion' magazine. Industrie, they call it. I got this magazine a month ago, but was only able to write about it today after I felt that I've read everything I should have read. This is because Industrie really isn't like any other magazine on the market right now. It is a text-heavy magazine and when I say text-heavy, I mean the ratio of pictures to words are 1:100. And a month of reading definitely does mean something. The magazine features lengthy interviews from many of the industry insiders, who can be grouped into 3 categories: 1) The influential stylists (Karl Templer, Katie Grand, Marie Amelie Sauve and Panos Yiapanis) 2) The stores (Natalie Massenet of Net-a-Porter, Jan Nord of H&M) 3) The Magazine People and The Future of Publishing (Patrick Demarchelier, Tom Florio of Conde Nast, Luis Venegas). One interview alone spans a few pages, eats into 30 minutes of my homework time and reveals what no other magazines has ever revealed about the industry. The magazine doesn't have much editorials, nor many ads nor does it showcases the season's latest clothes. In fact, this magazine isn't here to sell clothes, nor is it here to dictate trends, it is here to sell print.
There was this recurring question that seemed to infiltrate almost every other interview. The famous debate of print vs media, bloggers vs editors, democracy vs hierarchy. To be honest, I do find this debate redundant and almost to the brink of annoyance. It may seem funny for me (as a blogger) to be saying this, but I think print is in many ways much more superior than blogs and twitter and what not. I basically live my life for the sake of buying a Vogue every month. My so-called luxury item (especially when I can't afford anything really that great YET) is a fashion magazine. I look forward to the day when I would head down to the bookstore and grab COLD HARD LIVING compilations of glossy paper. Even before any bookstore trip, there would be another moment of excitement and infinite numbers of 'editorial-daydreams'. I could live my life without blogs but I can't say the same for magazines. After all, to put it in computer technical terms, a magazine is a 'hard copy' and blogs are merely 'soft copies'. It always feels good to know that what you're holding is something that can last a long time. And that one day you would be able to take Vogue out of your already-rotting ikea box and say to your grandchild, "Do you know there exists days that I would secretly lock my bedroom door so as to read POP or Dazed behind my parent's backs? And the days of Anna Winotur. God be with her soul in heaven."
Then again, the smell of magazine pages is enough to make me all giddy with joy and go "Bryanboy WHO? Tavi WHO?"
I think the editor's letter could sum up what I would like to say but didn't have the ability to say:
"Then came the explosive popularity of fashion blogs, Twitter and fashion as entertainment across all media channels. In the wake of all of that, it is easy to think that things have moved on, that fashion is now a product of a broader consensus; that today, because of sheer volume and accessibility of information, you and I shape the trends. In fact the change is merely cosmetic. More people simply report the same things. True, the broader reach and faster transmission of news has certainly created a business problem in print publishing. But when it comes to setting the fashion agenda, things have barely moved an inch."
Sorry for the digression. And so here I am, leaving you with a few more quotes from this issue.
Katie Grand says, "Authority is knowledge. If someone goes onto the Fashion Spot and writes that a certain magazine is dreadful, that's different from Cathy Horyn saying it is dreadful because there is an authoritative and experienced voice behind the latter point of view. I don't know what I think about the whole idea of blog culture yet. The internet is very much like snow blindness; there is so much information available but after a certain point I just can't look at it any more. There is no real kind of beauty."
Katie Grand says, "When Marc and I were backstage at Vuitton with 54 girls lined up in huge afro wigs, we did look at each other for a second and go, "What the fuck have we done?" But at the end of the day, you know why you make those decisions."
Katie Grand (who is a genius by now) says, "Fashion may have previously been a working-class profession but over the years it has shifted to become quite middle or upper class. There are a lot of privileged people working in the industry now and sometimes it's frustrating because it seems there might not be any hunger or need to be somewhere."
Patrick Demarchelier says,"When models are 14, 15, they come to New York to work. They are too young. The agencies bring so many models to New York now that they kill the old ones-and with that, their whole business."
Patrick Demarchelier speaks, "To become a supermodel, magazines need to help the girl. Right now, magazine don't do cover modes. When they are on covers, models become supermodels, they rise."
Panos Yiapanis giving great words of wisdom,"That idea that stylists have assumed this position where what they wear to Fashion Week is more important than their work is kind of comical. I hope that changes....The front row, the entrance to the shows-it has become a bit of a circus."
Tommy Ton makes some funny comments,"After the whole blogging massacre happened last fall, when people saw that me, Scott and BryanBoy were on the front row, I think there must have been thousands of people who thought, "You know, I could do that too." That must have been hell for all the PR companies this past season, getting all those requests. I have a friend who represents a designer and he said to me, "Look what you've done, my inbox is full with all these bloggers."
LONG LIVE PRINT AND ANNA WINTOUR AND KATIE GRAND AND PANOS YIAPANIS AND JAK&JIL & KARL TEMPLER.........
L'OFFICIEL has just released a commemorative issue containing a thousand images of Alexander McQueen's very first work at Givenchy, and through his years at his own namesake label. It is definitely a piece of history worth collecting.
So everyone here knows that I didn't get the Miu Miu collar, the one single thing I could own from Spring and I blew it. It was actually sold out, but yeah... Well, the only consolation for the day was that I kinda needed some other retail therapy for the failed one and so me being impulsive and seeing how magazines are often (actually always) so so good, I had decided to get a few magazines. And I have a confession to make, I blew the money for the collar on magazines, and you know how even collars from Miu Miu do not come cheap, so you get it...
One of them was the first issue of The Gentlewoman. The female counterpart publication to FantasticMan (arguably the best man magazine ever, at least to me), is not exactly the high-fashion, glamourous, glossy (well, the material used for the cover is kinda matte-rough, which is ten times much better than gloss), nor is it a fash-fash magazine but like FantasticMan, it presents individuals as they are, not heavily styled but strong characters who speak volumes. Not surprisingly, for the first issue of The Gentlewoman, Phoebe Philo who presented a minimalist collection for Celine, was the cover girl (now I sound like Tyra Banks and ANTM) for the simple, beige little book. See the link? Beige-Nude, Phoebe's colour of choice for Spring, Minimalist-Simple, Celine Spring 2010 and The Gentlewoman.
The different women in the book, Louise Gray, Alice Rawsthorn, Daisy Lowe, 'Princess' Julia. The Gentlewoman focuses less on fashion, but more on the mundane lifestyle of fashion and art figures, and interviews them about making lists, food, transport, ice cream. It's definitely a nice break from all the fashion-related articles.
And there's this really nice editorial that photographs two friends, one tall and one short, in shorts.
If you haven't notice this by now, the concept of simplicity extends throughout the whole magazine from the layout of the articles, to the editorials and to the styling. Power Sessions, modeled by Eniko Mihalik, photographed by Alasdair McLellan, and styled by Jonathan Kaye. Gyming in a bra and knickers, you know that's gonna be the new it-thang.
And the star article of the whole magazine is most definitely on Phoebe Philo, the cover feature. Written by editor in-chief of The Gentlewoman and portraits photographed by David Sims, the article delves into Phoebe's return to fashion and her work in Celine.
Other than being styled in Celine and Phoebe's own wardrobe (Duh!), The Gentlewoman does the unthinkable in this photo. You see on the right, that's not a naked Phoebe Philo. That's a nude leather shirt Phoebe's wearing from the Celine Spring Collection. Ingenious, no?
What I really appreciate in the magazine is the lesser use of models in the editorials but the focus on artists both in fashion and in art. The one seen above features Catherina van Eetvelde, photographed by Willy Vanderperre, styled by Olivier Rizzo. And I would like to make the statement that the Prada coat never looked this good.
The Wardrobe Section focuses on the details of the clothes, something that you would hardly get to see unless you go to the store and something that you would hardly even see in the details column at style.com. But the thing is that because I forgot to turn on macro mode (and i'm too lazy to retake it) so you are not able to see them clearly on these photos and that defeats the purpose so....sorry. The tiny details, the materials of each piece is a beauty on its own and because I own this editorial and I have seen what Miu Miu and Celine and Prada looks up close, and that my life is officially complete.
ARGH, MIU MIU. UP CLOSE.
So good....obviously not this photo because it's blurry and stuff, but in magazine-life, it's so good.
The thing about FantasticMan is that they have these amazing articles on the smallest, sometimes insignificant details to some such as the bowtie, and likewise for The Gentlewoman, knots have become the main focus for this issue. It's funny how The Gentlewoman (and The Fantastic Man) are able to explore these tiny details that no one ever seems to notice.
P.S. I believe that many seem to have the misconception that fashion magazines are for women, especially this magazine is called "The Gentlewoman" but I believe that there comes a point in life where I do not read magazines to gain information about fashion, I get it from everyday life, my interest and twitter and blogs, and magazines just make fashion fun and insightful. From a new perspective. If you do think magazines are for women, then I'm thinking that you are only exposed to ones that tell you what to buy for this season, what are the latest trends, blah blah blah. Those are obviously catered to woman whose dressing is dictated by a mag.
I'm a very happy boy today. And to show how happy I am, I'm gonna go photo-boothing with my magazines (inspired by MeiselPic of Vogue Italia Dec Issue).
My new photo-booth partner: Vogue Italia December Issue. Woohoo.
Hi guys, meet my new friends. Dazed & Confused and Abbey Lee.
How could I forget my long-time buddies. LOVE and POP. And Tavi.
Buying magazines is an art.
Firstly you would have to sneak into the magazines section without people noticing that you are actually buying Vogue in your smelly school uniform. Secondly, you would have to squeeze through the crowds of people, usually middle-aged women browsing through Elles and Chic-s, and men in their (fourties, yes you did not read wrong) looking at style-men or something. (I do realise that men have the tendency to buy the magazines, more than women do.) Back to the topic, instead of finding a quiet spot to indulge in their magazine-reading-for free, these people would tend to block the shelf that has your Vogue or Bazaar. And so, while waiting for the crowd to clear, I find myself in the quiet bridal magazines corner along with another man (who does not happen to look like he is getting married), overlooking the Vogue shelf, finding a chance to head quickly down the shelf and grab a Vogue Italia.
Then comes another tricky part. The Dazed and Confused that you want, has a label that says 'Not Suitable for the Young." I have no idea how young is "young" and so in order to not get the staff all suspicious and stuff, one would have to quickly get the book off the shelf, and head to a quiet spot. Now my quiet spot in this case, is the Arts Section (which does include a section on Fashion).
There were so many amazing fashion biographies of Christian Dior and Lanvin, photographs by Demarchelier and Nick Knight and tutorials on pattern-making and fashion illustration. But well, always come prepared with money because these books cost a bomb. And did I mention that I saw Facehunter's new streetstyle book there (Hey Scott, you've got a competitor and Tommy, are you going to release a book too?)
Ok back to the topic, find a quiet corner, and check if there are any security cameras around. You wouldn't want anyone videotaping your heinous crime. Then dig your fingers into the plastic wrapping of the magazine, and slowly peel off the "not suitable for young" label. Well, in my case, it took kinda long mainly because the books were so distracting and you may never know when some staff may surprise attack you, drag you off to the detainment room and question you why are you reading a magazine not suitable for a 16 year old kid like me. Come on, it's not porn or anything I'm reading. It's just a magazine with the very cute Abbey Lee dressed up as Alice in Wonderland as a front cover. And in my case, let's just say that this might risk getting some of the magazine cover being torn off.
I still have no idea why there was such a label on Dazed & Confused. It definitely wasn't nudity but I have a strange suspicion it could be due to the pictures of some gory band or something that I still can't figure out. They did look weird and bloody and their guts were spilling out.
The cashier part should be no problem, since you got yourself a trainee serving you, and what makes it better is that the cashier is a male and probably never ever heard of Dazed & Confused.
And there you get it, a guide on how to get a Vogue Italia and a "Unsafe" Dazed and Confused magazine that is not very unsafe.
