VidFlip: I.T POST #5

I.T. POST #5 from Raymond Navarro on Vimeo.

Nearly "3 years young," I.T Post is a gratis publication curated by photographer Kwannam Chu, helped put together with a team devoted to the power of print in aims to unite young and new talents and offer fashion followers something fresh and exclusive, tells Chu.

"My position [as curator] is more like a creative director/editor," says publisher of the We Could Grow Up Together. "What I try to do as a curator is create a platform for [individuals sharing] the same vision and aesthetics," he says. And I.T. comes through.

Issue #5 makes the most of its dimensions, making a pop page and after page. The opening and closing of the magazine have a series of cohesive graphic images and photos similar to ACNE Paper's introduction and ending but with art/photos solely from contributors. The details in variety, order, layout and even paper type create distinctive definition for I.T's identity and content.

The feature editorial photographed by Daniel Sannwald with 3-D art by Ralph Bonilla and stylings by Lotta Aspenberg is one of the more memorable editorials this year by far. You've seen "3-D art" in editorials for titles such as W, Purple and Self-Service for a while now, and somehow Evolution eclipses any recent attempt by the major titles with a slickly woven 30-page ed' that amounts to more than just its elements of photography and design.

Looks composed with Junya Watanabe, ACNE, Alexander McQueen pieces by stylist Yi Guo on Siri and Sofi, just as those by Ann Demuelemeester, Raf Simons, and N. Hollywood styled by Lotta Aspenberg in Evolution consistently relate a young, sophisticated, never-too-flashy or over-styled look.

First flip through the large-format, glossy, it's hard to ignore I.T's established connection with advertisers less seen in high profile, international magazines. Advertisements and inserts from Alexander McQueen, Tsumori Chisato, Commes des Garçons and Hysteric Glamour are woven seamlessly in and along with content, setting a new standard for both up and coming, and established publications. It's a less obvious, less intrusive placement than say American Vogue SAKS inserts, Man About Town's showcases plus interviews or Vogue Hommes Japan promos along the feature editorials.

All in all I.T Post comes recommended for any fashion reading devotee looking for something refreshing, unpretentious and far from the blitz of tired tactics used to keep and attract readers. It is also recommended for those who couldn't give fuck about the fashion, want something for the coffee table or something to get lost in just by looking. With little text, mostly blurbs, copy in I.T is used mostly for identification purposes, leaving all the bullshit out about what's "hot" and why. I.T serves the art up raw and harbors "a place where talents can be who they are", Chu says. So take it or leave it because after all — you couldn't pay a dime for it if you wanted to!

Global distribution coming soon; expect to pay by then. Clue word on the next issue: FANTASIA.

This post wouldn't be possible without the help of Samantha at Search and Smoke.

VidFlip: Vogue Hommes No. 2

mondblog VidFlip: Vogue Hommes Japan No. 2 from Raymond Navarro on Vimeo.

Vogue Hommes Japan Issue No. I was no disappointment. Finishing the first flip through the premiere issue, you pretty much know it was a must-have and that you’d probably got a new favorite mag in your hands.. that you likely can’t read. The cover was so obviously foreign, so definitely refreshing and Hedi Slimane's photography, Nicola Formichetti's styling and the altogether moment in men's fashion seemed in sync with Ash in “Samurai Fiction.”

With last year's American presidential election gaining international attention and the last superpower falling into deeper debt/shit, one could’ve spotted the American trend just as Luis Venegas' decided on an all-American Electric Youth! Issue, Vogue Hommes Japan's staff drafted the The Americas issue's editorial calendar and Raf Simons sent down red, white and blue color-blocked suit.

To say the least, the issue is better than good. Department pages make references to designers like Romain Kremer, Bernhard Willhelm and Mihara Yasuhiro, and tell on Gang Gang Dance, Ricardi Tisci and American designers Tim Hamilton, Robert Geller and Patrik Ervell. Shun Watanabe styles the proclaimed "It Boys" Simon Nessman, Matvey Lykov, Jethro Cave along with, of course, one or two very exposed others and the Venetia Scott’s photography and Alister Mackie styling combination steals best editorial with simple, steel portraiture of some numb, resilient Euro-looking youth clad in — what else but — stars and stripes.

The "Go West, Young Man" ed' shot by Slimane, styled by Formichetti had its moments with Hood By Air masking and the captures of a brazen bald eagle and limp American flag waving somewhere up above. The main detraction was the modeling; it was — truthfully — awkward, amateur and came with no sense of personality. Some were, in fact, kind-of candid shots but their with all the options they had, why they had to put so many... dull, dead shots must be beyond me. It seemed the number of photos on the 28-page spread also diluted the series and elements just didn't seem to align well enough to leave too grande of an impression.

The "Generation Soul The Season 09" casting, though, was, man, so tight. Marcus Lloyd and Saleiu Jalloh from red alongside DNA's Marcel Castenmiller made a harmony in Josh Olins' studio shoot. Other models in the shoot, Shih Han, Ali Mehrabian and VNY's Robert, struck some effortless looks and poses in N.Hoolywood, Raf Simons, KTZ, Commes des Garçons Plus Homme, Damir Doma, Maison Martin Margiela, Number (N)ine and damn.. Patrik Ervell, Marc by Marc, John Lawrence Sullivan, Thom Browne.. I mean, fuck. What’s good? What’s there.

The minimal print design associated with many men's magazines isn't too exciting but still not at all offensive. Set designs by Gary Card, though, are some of the more striking visual appeals The Americas issue had to offer. The Tim Burton-inspired looking hands cradling designer scents is somewhere at the top of my list for shortest, most memorable editorials featuring zero models.

One strange, can’t help but notice promotion made its way as an editorial in Vogue Hommes Japan. My guess is Dior Homme paid for the six-page advertisement/editorial styled by Shun Watanabe and shot by Karim Sadli. The clothes looked better than ever before, and I was surprised to see something mildly hot help in heat up the issue. With sinking sales and dips in advertising, we'll likely be seeing the likes of these promotional editorials in other fashion publications. I still can’t decide if I mind. Guess not too much.

Well, check out the ‘flip and enjoy. And if someone finds the editorial feature on Raf Simons' Art List, please forward it my way. I'm missing out on so much not with Vogue Hommes Japan not knowing Japanese.

VIDFLIPS COMING SOON

VidFlip: RUSSH #25

mondblog VidFlip: RUSSH #25 from Raymond Navarro on Vimeo.

Heard of Russh? — the Australian monthly publication for young women, cousin to Teen Vogue and Nylon. If it were the cousin of Nylon, references to houses such as Givenchy, Balmain and Rick Owens would definitely make Paris Vogue the influential sexy, single aunt to the down under publication. A good counterpart comparison would be its the "edgier" side of a magazine like the Italian Flair publication.

The first issue of Russh I’d ever obtained was in the summer of 2007 in Los Angeles not far from the sidewalk of stars at a newsstand where the pavement was hot, the breeze was cool and trannies on the street hit on you with no shame. What first grabbed me about Russh were the several candid, backstage photos of the girls (then a lot of Lily, Sasha, Tanya, Agyness and so on) throughout the entire magazine. The girls were fresh, the tips were spot on and trendy pulled of well. This in sum with the several Australian brands unbeknownst to an American sure spiced it up.

Shopping tips on how to “pinch the look” and numerous shot-outs to its advertisers in this issue filled the issue. Brands like Willow and Kate Sylvester find themselves in several of the editorial shots while also in the thick of the ad pages. The relationship between the content and advertising was a little too obvious in this issue but every magazine has got their loyalties. In a tough time for ad sales, publications have got to give reason to advertisers to hold on tight and ride out the economic ups and downs.

Design in the magazine is simplistic, minimalistic. Just about all text is in black ink, headlines in a bold serif'd type giving it a "tabloid"-like look said friend Alexandra felt. No daring or bold designs here — no bad design either.

The editorials —highly feminine, pretty girly, you could say — are sexy and quite distinct from editorials in Nylon, Teen Vogue or Seventeen. Strange and sophisticated references in issue #25, like those of Veruschka and Syd Barrett, also help give the publication an identity perceptibly different from other teen ‘zines.

The cost of clothing pieces in the “pinch the look” department pages do make one wonder, though. Who at a young age is really affording that $110 Tigerlily zip-up-the-middle one-piece and the $400 silence is golden slashed leather top? It’s a clue the magazines aims for a diverse (yet mostly young) age demographic and for reasons of taste, it can sometimes do a magazine better.
The content inside is consistently young and fresh, just like its models and features on designers like Christopher Kane and those at Preen make for a simple, enjoyable read for those outside the young age group. If you happen to dig it, look it for out on newsstands and bookstores, it’s popularity is beginning to spread and with good reason. Just wish I’d known of the Karlie cover last issue — damn.

VidFlip: V Magazine #57

mondblog VidFlip: V Magazine, Issue 57 from Raymond Navarro on Vimeo.

V's Spring Preview issue takes a step up from its predecessor. In at about the same weight as V56, what makes V57

 dazzle is the delivery of Nick Night's photo shoot with Lily Donaldson held at SHOWstudio. The live photo shoot was

 a thrill to watch as Donaldson struck pose after pose, leap after leap in those highly coveted heels and her Sam (McKnight) styled hair.

Visions of Donaldson wearing all Balenciaga, Lanvin, Maison Martin Margiela to that

 sole Jil Sander earring, were ripped and rendered on painted cardboard sheets giving the editorial the

 entrancing and complimentary contrast needed to pull of a great studio shoot. You've got to see it for yourself.

The biggest bummer of the issue is the one and only new shot of Grace Jones on the inside. Following her cover-

moment on Dazed and Confused last year, I was hoping for a gripping Grace fashion editorial but instead there were

 rehashed file photos such as past promotional shots and album covers. Talk about a disappointment.

 Though the strange and cinematic editorial featuring the likes of Abbey Lee, Catherine McNeil, Eniko Mihalik and Andrés

 Velencoso grew on me, after an initial reaction of, What the fuck? I was stirred by the unexampled

 shoot begging me to question why I did or didn't like certain photos; I liked that I was challenged  — I concluded

I really was a fan of the Sebastian Faena concept shoot.

Thanks again to V for always bringing a variety of conceptions in glamour, style and grace.

VidFlip: POP, Winter 2009

mondblog VidFlip: POP Winter '09 from Raymond Navarro on Vimeo

.

It's buh-bye to winter, what's up to spring — I had second thoughts about posting one more winter issue or starting off

the season with spring, but Katie Grand's last issue at POP should be shared with everyone. It makes for a smooth

transition as the winter issue features spring collections from Junya Watanabe and Giles Deacon.

Nevermind the Drew Barrymore cover. (I guess?) 

Katie Grand gives the Giles' luke-warm SS/09 collection a styling (on Jessica Stam, Magdalena Frackowiak and

others) that's had me take a second, third and fourth look at the collection. Paper shirts and paper skirts? I

can almost hear the crunch, the crinkle, and I like it.

I can't not mention the sick job Natasha Vojnovic pulling a Bowie wearing only the Dolce and Gabbana cruise

collection. Katie Grande does it again. But it's the last time she does it for POP. Grand now moves on as editor-in-

chief of the new "edgy," unlike-the-rest Condé Naste publication titled "LOVE." The jump-off icon issue blazes a 

nude Beth Ditto shot by Mert & Marcus with an art aesthetic certainly relatable to POP. 

But POP isn't going anywhere. “We are working hard on a complete revamp of the magazine to provide a broader

point of view, focusing also on art, contemporary culture and the globalization of all things Pop related,” the new 

editor-in-chief Dasha Zhukova told WWD. And so expect a big turn with the 21st issue of POP as her friend and new 

artistic director Olympia Scarry will help to "stamp" a re-invented identity to the 8-year old London glossy. Will it be 

fit or will it just flop — we won't find out for another five months...

RAF SIMONS FW0910

VidFlip: 10 MEN, Issue 16

MONDBLOG VidFlip: 10 MEN, Issue 16 from Raymond Navarro on Vimeo.

10 Men improves issue by issue, keeping design and topics fresh and creative. The publication's updated their
web site to include TEN TV, a TEN blog, a showcase of all past covers and, of course, those nasty little rumours they drop. The
cover designs alter slightly about every year, which I like, because the magazine has been evolving, improving at a great pace.
The in-house writings are sometimes a little too much of that cheeky English humor for my friends and I (in America), and while
the all-Givenchy editorial is appropos, the all-Prada feature made the styling of the shoot TOO easy; we don't need to see what
we saw come off the runway again. We want you to refresh us with looks we might have not imagined. But, feature topics are what
you should be on top with if you wish to the happenings around modern menswear. I'll def be looking forward to issue 17,
my 10th issue, which has just begun to hit the shelves. 

VidFlip: Zoo Magazine #21

VidFlip: Zoo Magazine, #21 from Raymond Navarro on Vimeo.

This will be a memorable one.
The issue's so thick it jostled all over the place.


Wearing a dress from the Maison Martin Margiela Artisan collection, Alana Zimmerman
gasps at the state of fashion as people grasp on the fact there are certain things people can
and can't afford. Now feel the hangover, people.

Read about the "troubling" signs around the mens and womenswear shows in New York
from [again] The New York Times. Guy Trebay's detais in his diary on what he describes as the
"artifical urgency" and the recession's effects on New York Fashion Week here. 

VidFlip: i-D magazine, The Beautiful Issue

MONDBLOG VidFlip: i-D, The Beautiful Issue from Raymond Navarro on Vimeo.

i-D is onto the track with cover girl Eniko Mihalik gracing 2009's first issue — The Beautiful Issue.
While the month of January is over, you've got to still have a glance at the fresh-faced models and striking SS09 clothing stuffed inside:
Gareth Pugh, Raf Simons, Chanel, Maison Martin Margiela, Fendi and more more more.  

Chuckling, Calvin Klein bearing cover boy Boyd Holbrook and a nude Anne Vyalitsyna make an annual February men's issue
I hope to be delivering to you soon. So stay tuned — next VidFlip is with the one and only German Zoo Magazine with Alana
Zimmer on the cover, Ash and Cole on the inside.

It's a Make or Break Season, says The New York Times

Learn about how McDonald's is helping make Duckie Brown's upcoming fashion show possible from The New York Times..

Eric Wilson's "The Make or Break Season" article for The Times' spades into how
the age of the young designer may be coming to a close due to the recent economic downturn.

I apologize for bringing up the subject of $$$ and the recession repeatedly — but it's real, people, shit's
fucked up all around everyone. I don't really care if what I say sounds cliché. And more people will
continue to lose their jobs and no one really knows when it might get better, so watch your money,
know who you're supporting. It matters.

Sale Rec: Boutique Reborn's 50% Off

BOUTIQUE REBORN

Meet a Model: Ashley StymestVidflip: Vogue Hommes International

You're likely to know a thing or two about Ash Stymest of MODELS 1. Since in demand by Hedi Slimane himself, Stymest has quickly since then made rounds through big British mags: i-D, Dazed and Confused to Arena Homme Plus, Another Man; become cover star of Electric Youth!, Vogue Hommes Japan's premiere issue and was one of the first and few males to walk Balenciaga menswear down the runway of the SS09 show. Stymest comes in after the established edgy, tattooed, guy-you-might-know aesthetic worn down by the very-exposed Josh Beech and Cole Mohr. None of that takes away from the Brit's look or skill. I'd almost venture out to say Stymest does a thing or two better than Mohr or Beech but ultimately it's hard to compare any two models when the variables of photographers, creative directors and others on set are taken into consideration. I hate to even lump all these individuals in one post out of my respect for their work but it is undeniable that their appeal to the school-gate fetished menswear scene 10 MEN'S Claudia Croft claims has helped "[relegate] all other aesthetics to cheese-ball status" in the BOYS TO MEN article of issue 16.

More is left to be said about these lean, lanky, pale with the promise of youth look on today's runways. Croft claims these "skinny boys" with the "aching romance, unrequited lust and fumbling experience of a teenager" have got their days tallied because they lack "the one thing we all need right now": confidence. The world's muddled politicians, global economic instability in this "post-boom" era call a crave to something "tougher," "more resilient," and "more optimistic," claims Croft. It seems the 10 MEN's office has got a big hankering for the muscle-y men types that I've got nothing against, but what I do have is a problem with Croft's argument.

Call it confidence out of naïveté, but its still confidence. Part of Ash's charm, I believe, is the fact he's got a look that LOOKS like he's just been plucked out of southeast London. He skates, he bikes, he plays drums — tell me if that's doesn't carry the confidence of youth people would love to escape to.
Maybe I could relate to Ash better than Claudia Croft, therefore like him better, because of my own age and interests.. or maybe she’s more vexed by the "Bambi-eyed boys" donning swimwear as oppose to her "honed hunks" than I really know. But I do know that she’s really making it seem as if the 10 MEN mag crew are the ones you fear leering at you in the gym.

For now — check out the interview with model cohort Tyler Riggs at Pony Ryder, check out the Ash and Eliza Show Pt. 1 and Pt. 2 and enjoy this VidFlip of the premiere issue of Vogue Hommes Japan. It includes photography by Hedi Slimane, Sølve Sundsø, Daniel Sannwald, Nan Goldin, styling by Nicola Formichetti, Shun Watanable and work by many other talents that helped make the premiere issue a must-have. I was (so) lucky enough to get it as a birthday gift.

VidFlip: Vogue Hommes Japan, Issue 1 from Raymond Navarro on Vimeo.

VidFlip: L'Officiel Hommes, Issue 12

L'OFFICIEL HOMMES, Issue 12 from Raymond Navarro on Vimeo.

While not totally new, I found L'Officiel's issue 12 to be relevant enough (and certainly good enough) to wrap up the sportswear theme. Most of the magazine comes shot and styled by former Jil Sander designer Milan Vukmirovic, with the exception of the Moto Cross editorial shot by Nick Clements. Some of the visuals tend to be more literal of the sport sense but all inspiring, nonetheless. Enjoy.

Shopping is a Sport

Check out the pieces — buy one, some or none.

More importantly, become inspired.

Complex Geometries Sad Rainbow Sweatshirt, $139 @ CG webstore

Marjan Pejoski leggings, 29,500kr (Icelandic) @ Kron Kron

Balenciaga knit dress, £440 @ Browns Fashion

Henrik Vibskov drop crotch jersey sweatpants, $249 @ Boutique Reborn

Football leggings, $62 @ The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

YMC wrestling boot tennis shoes, $60 @ Gargyle

Bless baseball cap with attached scarf/hood, $499 @ Boutique Reborn

Kokon To Zai embroidered track pants, $289 @ Farfetch

Miu Miu sequined bomber jacket, $3,135 @ Net-A-Porter

Miu Miu over the knee socks, $289 @ Net-A-Porter

Fad-3 shirt, ¥15,750 @ Alley Company

Antipodium hole-in-one bodysuit, $139 @ MyCatwalk

La March Merveille green jeans, ¥15,000 @ Alley Company

Where Sports Meets Fashion

The blatant sportswear influence in Miuccia Prada's Miu Miu FW0809 collection — color-blocked jumpsuits, long-sleeve netted onesies and track jackets worn with cone-shaped heels and bright skullcaps — made some mixed reactions amongst friends and peers in the "fashion community," but I knew Miuccia's athletic expression in the hardly wearable clothes would serve as inspiration to me and many others.

The influence in design and function of sport is actually quite pragmatic and refreshing, two elements I'd believe to be necessary for selling clothes at a time when 1) economy's in the dump and 2) retail sales are down, way down. And while maybe none of the aforementioned designers' collections are exactly

"wearable," looks from designers like Raf Simons sleek, slim silhouettes for men, Balenciaga's austere, architectural forms and Undercover's spacey, tailored outerwear could be, has been, styled in sporty fashion in magazines. The look is more than believable, it's a reality. A sexy one at that.

And thank be to independent designers like Romain Kremer and Louis Goldin who on their own have integrated the aesthetics of sport making the surreal sleek linebacker-chic a reality on the runway. In them lies fashion's actual optimism; their exploratory trips on what's possible and "impossible" makes dreams played out in editorials and from your closets onto the streets.

Maybe you buy this, maybe you don't, but this is the first set of three posts dedicated to you finding an inspiration, or at least appreciation, for what's sporty in fashion. On the next update, find store items — new, vintage, slightly pricey and those comparatively cheap — from a list of international shipping stores.

There's so much to look to!

About Complex Geometries Video, plus interview with designer Clayton Evans

About a Label: Complex Geometries from Raymond Navarro on Vimeo.

Light, easy to move designs with versatility in mind stay quite well defines the Complex Geometries aesthetic.
The collection “inspired by the culture of mobility, exploring the pragmatics and aesthetics of travel” has pieces
ranging from draped, dyed tees and dresses to scarfed-tops and hooded jackets.  They’ve just recently put up
their SS09 collection up on their website, so you can check it out for yourself. Photos accompanied with a short
video by Jason Last featuring the soon-to-come collection shows off the springwear pretty damn well.  With the
help of friendly Adam DeKeyser at CG, I was able to get some questions to the designer Clayton Evans about the
FW0809 collection, his latest SS09 collection and the direction of Complex Geometries.


Tell us about the inspiration behind the collection.
The theme for fall was “Sex of the Ancients”.  To be honest, the title came first and we TRIED to
figure out what it meant.  So we pulled in all sorts of elements relating to sex and gender in the past.

There seemed to bit an element of bondage and "binding" along with
traditional Japanese costumesilhouettes;is this fair to say? 
The binding and bondage elements are related to the sexual theme, in probably the most literal way.
The Japanese elements are more removed from their origin, referencing other styles that
reference Japanese silhouettes.  Kind of like the game “Broken Telephone” where you whisper
something to the person next to you and they pass it down the line until the final message has nothing to
do with the original.

It seems you've got a much larger collection this coming spring. How has the
process of making a collectionbecome more efficient over the last couple years?
Well, it definitely gets easier as the style because more and more defined. And having a great team helps
things to get done faster (and better and more  creatively). We also reissued a dozen of the strongest unisex t-shirt
styles from previous collections.  

Are there any prospects of CG expanding the line to include — to say, shoes, underwear or denim? 
Shoes, yes.  Very soon, we hope.  That's always a problem when we come to the end of the collection and realize
that we just can't find the footwear that adds the "write" [or right]  punctuation to the statement. There's often denim
in the collection, but I don't think we'd ever do a “denim collection” per se.  When we use denim, its for a specific reason,
not just to fit into a defined market. And underwear, its possible.  I'm more interested in the way people use their clothing
to communicate, and underwear doesn't really communicate much except in intimate circumstances.  If we were exploring
that kind of communication in a collection, we'd try a few pieces, but not just as a way to pump up sales


There's a much-flattering juxtaposition between pieces the SS09 collection involving
fabrics,fits and color. What can you tell about the fabrics used? 
We try to balance every element in a collection.  So, for every smooth and shiny surface, we try to have
a soft and rumpled one to contrast.  There are garment dyed cotton jerseys, PU coated linens, washed
silks and shiny nylons.  


Are there any traditions when it comes to the ethic of Complex Geometries design? 
Lots of playing around.  When we make a sample, we try it on every way we possibly can.  Its that kind of experimentation
that leads to new ideas.  


Is there anything you could tell us about the audience(s) you try to reach? Is there a person,
or persons, CG has in mind when designing?
No, not really.  Diversity is what we aspire to.  

How much direct response to you get about your clothing and designs from buyers? Have there been any notable
compliments and/or clues recently that what you're doing is "right" — "with-it," yet still forward?
Sales certainly are the most notable compliments.  You know you're doing something right when fashionable consumers are still
excitedto buy the same styles season after season. It was new enough to catch their attention and strong enough to maintain it.

Store Spotlight: Ashtray (w/ Interview!)

ASHTRAY, a clothing store based in Orebro, Sweden, blends independent designers
with larger brands to get a electic and “rousing” collection. The store’s goal is to
“create a venue for people with a genuine interest in clothes,” which I believe they’ve
already accomplished.
ASHTRAY carries some of the latest, most praise-worthy collections from Swedish designers
and has aspirations of carrying more international brands in the seasons to come. If
shipping costs ever strained your thoughts on purchases from abroad, ASHTRAY offers
free shipping worldwide and is tax-free to EU customers. Unheard of if you ask me.

The team at ASHTRAY was cool enough to reply to a few questions via e-mail so be
sure to at least check ‘em out at ashtray.se.

How many people make the ASHTRAY family and how long has it been around?

We are four persons behind ASHTRAY. We started up with two when we started up the

store November 2007. Our online shop was released in February 2008.

What's been the most positive aspect of change at Ashtray since opening?

When we first opened up our online shop, the majority of our customers were from

Denmark and Sweden. Today, people from all over the world shop at ASHTRAY,

which is very positive.

Tell some thing about your customers.

While most of our customers are aware of designers’ background, some shop here

pretty much because they like to buy good-looking clothes. It is the shoppers who

are interested in knowing the "story" behind the clothes really inspire us.

Who in the fashion industry might you all find particularly inspiring?

There are a few names out there. Besides our labels, there are brands like BLESS,

Giuliano Fujiwara, Number Nine, Rick Owens, Damir Doma and Patrik Soderstam

(to name a few.)

Does the store have any projects in the work? Any parties or collaborations?

Yes, we’re working on some projects right now but we can’t reveal any details at

this stage. We’ve done collaboration with art galleries, agencies and some

designers in the past, which we hope to see more of in the future. The store is

just a small part of the ASHTRAY company.

Your store “editorial” shoot was executed pretty well. Tell us about that.

The editorial was a fun project that we did the last second with some of our

friends, actually. We plan to shoot some new photos soon, which will be up in December.

Are there any prospects of an ASHTRAY clothing line?

No.

Are there any magazines you have placed around the store\?

We have Livraison mag and fanzines from Cederteg Publishing. There are also some

magazines in our ground store, which we unfortunately don’t display, online but we’ll

probably extend our magazine selection next season, online and in-store.

What new lines have you picked up? What’s coming in the future?

Our latest received designers lines are HEDERUS, The Local Firm and So Last Season.

We’re in fact the only retailer chosen to distribute So Last Season. In the future we hope

to offer more international designers.

And what's the most surprising place you've ever had to ship an item?

It was to Macau, which is a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China.

Macau is located 65 kilometers west of Hong Kong and is commonly known as

“Asia’s Las Vegas.” We had never heard of Macau before that, and had to “Google” it to get

to know where it was located.

The item shipped was an A Bug Collection tee, whose shipping costs matched the tee cost.

Not a good bargain for us, but it was a fun surprise to have a customer from Macau — a place

that we didn’t know existed.

photographer: emma arvida byström

stylist: ylva fred

make-up: fanny sandberg

models:

rasmus/kid of tomorrow, eddie/kid of tomorrow, olivia/mikas, david , miranda, einar

Bblessing 1-Day Halloween Sale, 30th of October

Best sale I've seen around — 30% off Bblessing's entire winter collection this Thursday, October 30, in-store only. From 1 to 10pm, find Raf Simons, Patrik Ervell, Rag & Bone, Surface to Air, the in-house Bblessing brand and more at great discounts at Bblessing's 181 Orchard St. (NYC) location.
Can't make it? Shop the collection (without the discount, sadly) at bblessing.com.

VidFlip: 10 MEN

WATCH THE HI-QUALITY VIDEO HERE  (HERE)

Shapes & Forms

From hats, belts, skirts and coats… Shoes, vests, pants...

and did you see those Louis Vuitton curved hairpieces?

Every piece of clothing has taken new and odd shapes this fall/winter season.

The truth is, the aspect in design for these striking, sometimes odd,

garments is always 'round; it’s just fun to focus on the scores of forms,

figures and silhouettes here and now.

And les’ not forget, one of the main forms for the fall was the “nude”

body itself. Bodysuits and comparable tight-figured silhouettes

ruled both the men and women’s runways for the current season.

You can’t not find a field to play in all the choices of sexy, playful,

exaggerative or structured forms all out there.

Meet a Model: Flo Gennaro

Flo Gennaro's is everywhere she should be before people start dropping her name like its Alyona or Iekeliene. The Supreme Model Management star has got some South American brand name deals under her belt, and also a new cover shot on Qvest. She was shot for TopShop alongside Iekeliene Stange and Egle Tvirbutaite by Emma Summerton earlier this year and her photos have made their way into fashion mags Amica and V.
Don't get us started on the number of big shows she's walked within the past year (Louis Vuitton, Lanvin, Louise Goldin, Ann Demeulemeester...) because you'll feel you should've seen this rising star coming long before. (She's been on V's radar for a while!)
Find her photos on style.com: here.