Archive for the 'Interviews' Category

Guest Interviw n°16 – Mr. Olu Michael Odukoya

Published 17/05/2010 Books , Culture , Design , Interviews , Magazine Closed

Guest Interviw n°16 – Mr. Olu Michael Odukoya

KILIMANJARO

Ciao Olu, would you please introduce yourself & Kilimanjaro Magazine?
My full name is Olu Michael Odukoya, born to a Nigerian family. I spent my teenage years traveling from one African country to another with friends. I studied film and photography a long time ago, worked as a an official artist before deciding to use printed matter as a way of communicating Art, Love and Everyday Life.

Kilimanjaro is a printed project dedicated to visual pleasure and experimental editorials. The driving idea is to create an ‘idealist’ magazine, and is not really based on any specific market or angle. We strive to mix a bit of design, photography, style and un-provocative thoughts to create something that says something from nothing. It has a romantic punk attitude – that is, it creates without any obvious restrictions; it’s something free. The conclusions are drawn by the audience: it could be art to someone, while another might consider it a magazine.

I believe in freestyle and organic creative direction. We live in a very tight environment in which things shift from one end to the other. A designer becomes a photographer, artists become celebrities, and so on. ‘Untitled’ is the future, and kilimanjaro provides a platform to explore this.

When was it that you realized that you wanted to work in the art/publishing industry?
Since I was a kid I’ve loved collecting magazines, especially Playboys and Right On (an American teen mag). I like the sense of movement and time that magazines hold. Before going to art school I wanted to be an optician and I did actually work as a dispensing optician while still curating Kilimanjaro. It was a strange profession. Dispensing optician by day, Artist by night. Then kilimanjaro continued to get stronger and bigger, so I reluctantly became the full-time unofficial art director.

Art, love, everyday life and…?
Yes, Art, love and everyday life. The ethos of kilimanjaro is my greatest achievement because over the years when I first used this language within a printed context (2003) and now I see on newsstands that magazine publication entitled ‘Love’ as and some new magazines using everyday life as their ethos to the idea behind the publications.

It’s all about love to me. My work is very thoughtful and my art direction is a very generous way I communicate with my audience.
I like to create things that make you go ‘wow, thats nice,’ and never use shock factor or over-intelligence in my work.
I like to produce things that people think they could invent themselves.

Speaking of, Love seems to be a recurrent theme on the pages of Kilimanjaro (your payoff, issue #3, #4, #9).
Is it purely coincidence?
Love always finds a way – Ask The Beatles – “All You Need is Love”.

What’s your approach to the curation of your magazine’s contents?
I work on kilimanjaro like an artist making a piece of Art. It’s all about the process to me, while the end product is the less intriguing aspect. Since the magazine is not intended to report on conventional editorial content, its quite an interesting concept to make something up that you believe in sharing with people and they buy into it.

In some way, the curation process is quite tricky, as I can’t make up bullshit because its a printed matter and the mistakes have to be lived with. Also making the magazine involves some good research works and heavy thoughts on how to produce it in print. Then, it just happens and we flow with it. I have to say that the contributors of kilimanjaro are the main stars of the project, not me. I am blessed to have worked with some very talented people over the years.

Kilimanjaro’s printing format is unusual (96 x 68 cm). Is it just a matter of identity, or did you choose such a massive layout for other reasons?
Identity was one of the factors, but I did not want to be a magazine. I like the idea of posters, and after all these years the format is not really relevant anymore. Many other magazine have tried big format, then it fails. None are conceived as posters. Some old school vibes…..

Is there anyone you dream could work with you as a Kilimanjaro contributor?
I have actually worked with a lot of people I would love to have worked with but still i would love to work with the incredible Roni Horn… (artist from Hauser and Wirth). She rocks.

Looking backwards, how would you describe Kilimanjaro’s evolution?
My independent manifesto works. It still reaches people and I have been doing it since 2003. Self published – not overcrowded advertising – the people that buy it support it. Still inspiring a lot of nobodies and somebodies. Still trying to make interesting print work in this Digital Age.

You started Kilimanjaro with your own funds back in 2004 and things have changed drastically since then.
What is, in your opinion, the present and the future of the publishing industry?
I think Bi annual is definitely in at the moment. The content of printed matter should feel like there is thought and property thats worth keeping. The monthly magazine format is less effective because blogs have supplanted them in some ways. I think its really a great time for printed matter because all the junk ad space magazines are going off the shelves .
It was just too much, this-everyone-who’s-got-a-Macbook-can=be-an-art-director kind of thing. So it a good time for projects like kilimanjaro and other die hard publishers.

It feels much easier now and there is no overly patronizing independent magazine conference and seminars which makes it a commercial underground. Back in the days I couldn’t even put kilimanjaro in art bookshops because it was too Avant Garde or because it doesn’t carry a household name artist on the cover. Now all those artists are celebrities and now people want a change. It’s happening in fashion, politics, media and I’m sure its going to happen in art soon. Still happy to be here and I’m thankful for all the people / contributors that support the project and make this project exist.

What’s your (and Kilimanjaro’s) strategy for survival?
Don’t sell out! Make things yourself. Lose the traditional ways of making magazine it costs too much money. Invest your ideas around you.
Make a good sincere publication and let people come to you. Be patient if it does not work it does not mean it’s not good.

How do you think recession has affected the art industry? Creativity?
It a blessing! Things where not right before, it was all money money!
I will say this: make what you can afford! For kilimanjaro it has been a great time. Now a lot of people could get together and make something based on the creativity. It’s also a fresh start for the newcomers. I want new contributors with new energy to collaborate with. You might probably just have been sacked from a job you hated anyway. Now you have no excuse.

Interview by Enrico Grigoletti.
Editorial supervising by Tag Christof – image courtesy of Kilimangiaro Magazine

Guest Interview n° 15 – Lurve Magazine

Published 20/04/2010 Art , Beauty , Culture , Fashion , Interviews , Magazine Closed

Guest Interview n° 15 – Lurve Magazine

Executive Editor Zana Bayne gets in depth the concept of body limits on the 3rd issue of Lurve Magazine, actually investigating what’s beyond our perception of this bound. As most of the times pure sensitivness comes with melancholy on the background, from the pleasurable net chat we had with Zana a vision of the world immediately turns out, involving an enigmatic view of dance, artists’ global fil rouge, the effectiveness of the internet and fashion evolution.

Describe the deeper love feeling that the meaning of the word Lurve presupposes.
LURVE replaces the generic and robotic term of “love”. Love is so easily spoken, so quickly used in arbitrary situations. Its overuse can flatten its meaning. By simply tweaking the letters and smoothing its pronunciation into “lurve”, a new richness is born. Lurve is a sensuous word.

Is that feeling concerning the way you approach your content and visual investigation?
We are more concerned about showcasing the work of the artists involved than selling clothing or selling trends, so the visual contributions can really be varied. Once you start to limiting content to a certain aesthetic, you instantly shut off potentially incredible work! I always love (or lurve) to see mediums and locations used in ways that you are typically not supposed to.

How would you describe Lurve’s visual strikes?
Fluctuating.

‘Beyond the body proper’: how did your contributors develop the theme? Is it a kind of interaction between the magazine and them? Does Lurve give any limit or track?
We start each issue with a broad thematic idea, and through the contributions we become more specific, so yes – the interaction between magazine and contributors is very important. I believe in artistic global consciousness; people around the world who, without any prior connection to each other, are working on similar concepts. So its not surprising when a line of similarity is drawn throughout editorials and written content even before the final theme is announced.

Is there a way to trascend reality and phisicality through our bodies?
Surely – dance, for instance, is one of the most primal ways of doing this. I can not think of any greater escape from my physical self than being absorbed into music and letting my body go. I find it equally powerful to watch others dance – they become oddly less human, alien gestures and language created through movement.

What are the body’s limits? In which situation or effort do these boundaries show up?
What the body can not physically accomplish, the mind certainly can – that is where some of the greatest art comes from!

In which way the relationship between fashion and body will evolve?
The body and clothing always have a close relationship, however their connection to each other is constantly shifting. For this fall, Maison Martin Margiela chose to ignore the natural body with trousers that have a floating waistline, Comme des Garcons and Louise Goldin continued to create new bodies with their abstract-form based clothing, Mark Fast showed his painted-on knits that utilized the body itself to inform the shape of the garments, while Viktor & Rolf supersized garment proportions and lost the body altogether.

Try to assume your readers point of view. What kind of refelctions or thoughts do you think he could have after reading your magazine?
I would hope that the reader would feel the urge to look through the magazine again. The need to take in all of the images slowly and read every word. And then a day or two later, do the same again except for even more comprehensive. It should be a seductive experience, each time finding deeper connections.

How do you choose your contributors? Is the process sometimes inverted, being Lurve choosen by its contributors?
The process is a gut feeling, less calculated more instinctual. In some situations, there is a particular individual who we feel would suit the issue perfectly, so we pursue them strongly…and at the same time, we have had people fall into our lives who instantly understand the rhythm of the magazine and have quickly become family.

What is, in your opinion, the feeling that people are mostly scared of?
Being alone, being poor, being powerless.

What are the principles (rules) dominating our culture over this century?
Well time has certainly sped up, and media has increased and multiplied at an astonishing rate. There has been a major disconnect from the personal a big shift towards worldwide access. We are at a point in time where our identities are not as strongly shaped by our location, since the internet has opened up what people are doing or look like in virtually every corner of the world. At the same time, there is a stronger feeling of international connection than ever before! And that to me is incredible.

By Elisa Lusso – images courtesy of Lurve magazine

“An attempted interview with Harris Savides ”

Published 14/04/2010 Culture , Interviews , Video Closed

“An attempted interview with Harris Savides”

We were so impressed by the skill of the director and friend Kahlil Joseph, of which we have already published the video “I need a dollar” shot for Aloe Blacc, that we decided to publish one of his most recent work, a brief interview with director of photography Harris Savides known to have collaborated with internationally renowned directors such as Gus Van Sant, Sofia Coppola and Ridley Scott just to name a few.
“Harris Savides: CAMERA DRESS” is a short film shot for Built by Wendy specially for one of her limited edition. Conceived on the set of Sofia Coppola’s new film “Somewhere” by filmmaker Kahlil Joseph, it stars the famously elusive cinematographer Harris Savides and his daughter, fourteen year old Sophie Savides – in an attempt to interview the star lensman.

By 2DM Blogazine bureau – video courtesy of Built by Wendy & Kahlil Joseph.

SPRING SUMMER 2010 – METAL MAGAZINE

Published 30/03/2010 Culture , Fashion , Interviews , Magazine Closed

SPRING SUMMER 2010 – METAL MAGAZINE

“This year has just started and some recent events are proving what professionals were expecting to happen. -2010 is a year of changes-, a brand new generation of designers is emerging with authentic discourses, and at the same time concepts and shapes are transforming, remembering what happened around nineties when a group of designers changed the fashion history course….”

This is how the latest issue of  Metal Magazine starts a special review for this spring-summer with the collaboration of two important personalities in the Parisian fashion scene, Kuki de Salvertes from Totem Agency and Samuel Drira from Encens Magazine, both giving their personal vision about whats going on and what is supposed to happen.
This review is structured by 2 interviews accompanied by 2 shots with a styling of each one, in the case of Kuki de Salvertes with Driu & Tiago as photographers shooting menswear in a decadent dandy aesthetic, and in the case of Samuel Drira in his recognizable line with the collaboration of Olivier Jacquet for womenswear.

If you want to read the complete interviews and see the amazing pictures don’t hesitate to get the latest issue of Metal magazine asap.

Text by Dodi Espinosa – Images courtesy of Driu & Tiago and Olivier Jacquet.

Phonz Says Black

Published 02/02/2010 Art , Culture , Design , Fashion , Interviews Closed

Phonz Says Black

How did the project start? Which was your first idea?
D: The project started when we decided to create something in line with our lifestyle. So we mixed our passion for motorcycle, rock’n’roll music and fashion and the result is Phonz Says Black.

Wearing Phonz Says Black means something like belonging to a gang. What does it mean?
A: Buying one of our creation doesn’t just mean add an item to your wardrobe but identify yourself in our values.

What are the things and interests that gang members have in common?
D: Gang members have in common their background, so the most important things is the lifestyle and the passion for motorcycle and rock’n’roll.

Which kind of music does the gang listen to?
A: We listen rock’n’roll music and expecially the rock’n’roll that comes from the 50’s.

Do you think that a rider could represent your customer prototype?
D: Yes, a rider could represent our customer prototype but we aim to achive even a more classical customer.

Talking about the items quality, which is the fabric you prefer to use?
A: The project is based on 3 elements design, price and fabric. For the first collection we used just one fabric, cotton used in different color declinations and prints.

How much leather is important for Phonz Says Black?
A: It could be important and we will maybe consider to use for future collections.

Your jackets contain a foulard in the inside that can be worn like a mask and you love doing it. Who do you wanna hide yourself from?
D: The foulard is the element that gives a soul to our product: it’s a design detail but it’s even an accessory that can be used in the way you prefer.So absolutely we don’t want to hide from nobody, it’s the opposite it’s the sign of affiliation to our gang.

Describe the perfect Phonz Says Black outfit.
D: Blazer Phonz says black, skinny jeans whit justin boots.
A: Blazer Phonz says black, white T-shirt, black skinny jeans and viage boots

Where can we buy Phonz Says Black?
A: This is our first collection and the sales campaign started a few days ago, so we can’t give you yet a shop list but we hope to get many accounts.

What’s next?
D: Blazers will continue to be our main product: we will make it develop in fact of quality and design. Going over with the seasons we will add more items in order to have a complete collection,to propose a total look Phonz Says Black.

Phonz Says Black / designed by Daniele Bianucci and Alessandro Fontanesi.

Interview by Elisa Lusso | images By Vicky Trombetta & Paolo Simi

Guest Interview n° 13: Ross Tanner

Published 29/01/2010 Beauty , Culture , Fashion , Interviews Closed

Guest Interview n° 13: Ross Tanner

How old are you Ross and where do you live?
 I’m 25. I live in Hackney East London.

What have you been doing before modelling?
 Not much, working on building sites really to earn enough cash so I can afford to have a good time…

What about your BMX. Do you still ride?
 No I quit about 2 years ago…

What has been chaging in fashion industry considering the big request of tattooed model guys?
 I’m new to modelling so I never really knew what it was like before, so I’m unsure of any change…

After Steven Meisel editorial on Vogue, do you think that fashion accepted inked skin?
 Again not sure but I guess each person has their own views, some people love it some hate it?

Your arms and chest are almost covered. How many tattoos have you got on your body? Do you still count them?
 I have no idea how many. I have lost count after about 10…?

What’s your next tattoo?
 I never really plan a tattoo, they sort of pop into my head every now and again and I’m lucky enough to have a dear friend as a tattoo artist who tattoos me when I ask him to…

What does the diamond with the crown mean?
 Well diamonds are supposed to last forever but kings don’t, they perish and the next king sits in his throne shortly after his dissaperance, so a crowned diamond is a way of showing that nothing lasts forever, so live fast and have as much fun as you possibly can on the way out.

Who’s Lisa on your arm?
 Mother

Your beautiful girlfriend is Alice Dellal. Describe your typical day together.
 Laughs, hugs, milkshakes, loud music.

Do you like cooking or, in a perfect english style, you prefer to drink?
I like to cook, I like to drink, I like to cook and drink at the same time and if I cook soup I can drink what I’ve just cooked right…?

Have you got any style-icon reference?
 English punks and skins..

What kind of music do you listen to?
 Music…

What kind of people you hang out with?
 The best ones.

Interview by Elisa Lusso – Images courtesy of Next Models

In bed with Matvey

Published 25/01/2010 Beauty , Fashion , Interviews , Video Closed

In bed with Matvey

Matvey is one of the most ranked models worldwide, but especially, a very big friend of us. He is a twenty-two years old guy from Saint Petersburg, where days last more than 20 hours in the summer time. This pragmatic light fact must have turned him in a very bright and smart person, as he’s already an English teacher at his young age and has been working in fashion shows production before modeling. He currently speaks Russian, English, Spanish and a lil’ bit of Italian as well, since he completely fell in love with our land and culture. We’ve been seeing him ruling popular campaigns as Jil Sander and Gucci and now in the most important shows within Milan and Paris fashion weeks. In Italy he’s represented by D’Men.

Intw, Direction and Video by Elisa Lusso, Edited by Laila Sonsino

Music: The XX – Intro

Guest Interview n°12: Rory McKee

Published 18/12/2009 Fashion , Interviews Closed

Guest Interview n°12: Rory McKee

Where are you from and why are you in London?
I’m from Belfast, Northern Ireland. And I’m in London now because it’s real big and super fun.

When did you start your model career?
Two days ago!

What do you do apart from that?
Float around, climb trees, dance on moonbeams, sing to the wind. That sort of thing.

Your most embarassing moment?
I won’t tell.

What was your greatest satisfaction so far?
Oh, um, lunch today was kinda nice.

Your favourite place?
Under a hundred duvets.

3 songs?
It’s not really possible for me to pick only three songs. So of the music I’ve been listening to today, my favourite three songs are probably “Needle in the Camel’s Eye” – Brian Eno, “Marian” - Sisters of Mercy, and “Road” by Nick Drake.

A photographer who you would love to work with?
I love Leon Mark’s washed-out polaroid style of photography. He really manages to capture all the vitality of youth, and it’d be great to do some more stuff with him.

Your beauty idea?
Winona in court.

A nightmare?
 Monsters?

What is the behavior that irritates you the most?
 Overly well behaved with no sense of mischief.

A dream for the future?
 World peace.

The kind of party that you love…?
 Ones that never end.

An example of elegance?
 Horses and the Queen.

What kind of music does inspire you?
 Really, really good music.

The perfect soundtrack for a London typical rainy day?
 The rain itself!

What’s your relationship with your aspect? Do you like you?
 I tolerate myself just fine.

Complete this phrases:

Long hair…. is for girls.
Better alone than…. with other people?
Never say…. nasty things.
Avoid… awkward qustions.
Follow…. me on Twitter. Only joking.
My mother is…… fundamental to my existence.
I believe in….. $$$
My perfect breakfast consists of….. $$$

By Silvia Bergomi

Guest Interview n°11: Lovisa Burfitt

Published 02/12/2009 Design , Fashion , Interviews Closed

Guest Interview n°11: Lovisa Burfitt

Lovisa is a swedish illustrator based in Paris. He moved there in 2003 to launch her own women “pret a porter” brand. Today his career is taking off and Burfitt is sold around the world. Sophisticated and haughty lines plus androgynous classy mix are the dress codes of the collections.

When Burfitt brand was born?
 BURFITT was founded in 1998.

How many people are working on this?
 5 employed and about 7 trainees.

Where is Burfitt based?
 It is based in Paris, in the 20th arrondisman.

Which is your stronger area market?
 Japan, indeed!

What’s Burfitt’ aesthetics?
 I’m using and tweaking classic cuts with a bit of humour, sensualism and glamour.

Is there a specific message that you want to spread through your creations?
 Relax! Fashion can also be fun and glamorous.

What’s the most significative satisfaction in this work?
 To see a stranger in the street wearing my clothes!

And the worst delusion suffered so far?
 To not see a stranger in the street wearing my clothes!

An example to follow and one to avoid:
 Follow your heart and gut feeling when you create. Don’t do the opposite.

A style milestone?
 La Garconne

Never give up with…?
 Surviving!

How do you see the contemporary fashion panorama? I mean, don’t you think that, thanks to Internet, the market is too much crowded?
 Well, yes it is very crowded, but I like to believe that quality always survives.

by Silvia Bergomi | images courtesy of Burfitt

Chérie’s Tree House Warm Up

Published 25/11/2009 Art , Culture , Design , Fashion , Interviews , Music , Performance , Video Closed

Chérie’s Tree House Warm Up

Chérie’s Tree House is…

Starting from the metaphor of a tree house: a real or imaginary place in our childhood. It was a special location, that we used to store our ideas, fantasies and beloved things, a place we shared with friends. It was only ours in a time when the rest of our life was supervised by others. By growing up we maybe forgot or left this place.

By creating our Chérie’s Tree House, we reopen the beloved house, to provide a platform for creations of emerging artists, special things, a place to feel good, to discover new objects, a location packed with design and fashion, live performances, home-made food and drinks, dj sets and live music. Everything made with love.

How did the idea of Chérie’s Tree House start?

(Chiara) In April 2007 I started my project Chérie’s Flakes, a brand of hand-made bikinis. I was searching for a location to present my first collection. Since in Milan there wasn’t really a place for a new and yet unknown brand, I was talking to Sylvie who was in the same situation with her jewel brand Bambi eats frog. We actually found out how many people were in our situation, not finding any platform for their productions.  So we decided to do our own platform for emerging artists.

What kind of artist you give space to?

Any kind of emerging artists of fashion and design, who realize their products with passion. We’re doing continuous research to find new brands and projects, and it’s amazing how many beautiful brands of emerging artists are out there. For any single event we select attentively the work of creative people. And now that the project got known, artists contact us, to be part of the Tree House.

What kind of products do you offer?

Unique objects from clothes, jewels, bags, swimwear but also furniture, lamps, ceramics, mirrors and photography. The mix can vary as it depends on the new brands we find for each event. All this is accompanied with artistic live performances, bio-food and dj sets, inserted in a showroom full of tree leaves.

Describe the crew you’re working with.

The crew is Chiara and Sylvie. Since we are two on constructing this tree house each time, it’s difficult to say which roles we have, lots of things to do. For sure Chiara is the creative director whilst Sylvie is the head of communication. The rest is made with love, together, and thanks to all the people, djs, friends, photographers, editors, stylists, who believe in this project and help us to realize it. Every event there are people who ask if they contribute somehow to the exhibition, a fact that makes us really happy and shows us that we are on the right way.

Our friends from the Multiplayer Studio in Milan are doing the illustrations for flyers and website. Giandisco is head of music, doing selection of djs and bands. Plus then so many more treelovers, friends who help us before and during the event without them the event would never be possible.

What does the “house on the tree” represent in your minds?

A tree house is a magic place where we can share our passions, ideas and dreams. A place of our childhood, that we left by growing up, but it’s never worth to leave it. Let’s stay young in our minds, keep our dreams, live our passions!

How did the project evolve in these years?

The first edition took place in a private loft with 12 designers. It was a trial, we had not really an idea how Milanese people would react, if they would appreciate a project of emerging artists. Since it was successful, we chose to go on in a more professional way, and did second edition in the 247 showroom with 25 designers. It was fantastic to see how many people appreciated the project, from young to old, how many requests of collaborations we got, and so we kept on doing it, twice a year, always with a varying selection of artists and djs.

What do we have to expect from the next Chérie’s Tree house?

In the winter edition of CTH, there will be many more amazing products of new great designers, also a new vintage proposal, which will be proposed in a selection of themes and timeframes. There will be also a performance of Chiara Cappellini who will paint a huge tree house on PVC for both days. The painting will then be cut and transformed into products, that will be shown at the summer edition. All this in a showroom full of leaves, music and – hot wine punch. There will be also a new official tree house soundtrack, mixed by Giandisco, the CD is available for the first 100 people who come to the event, and can then be downloaded on our website. New is also the official tree house video, we have a new photographer who does analogic pics, we have a great dj set and finally also girls playing records. And yes, finally we have our website redone!

What will be your next step for the Tree House?

One aim is to grow, to augment the number of editions and always the quality. We are in contact with other cities like Rome, Turin, Alassio to expand the project there. We are enchanted by the nice hippie idea to pack all the artists, wood and leaves in a bus and reopen the house on the seaside.

The other aim is for sure to find a sponsor, since till now everything is autofinanced.

You should come to Chérie’s Tree House because… end this sentence

Mmh! So many reasons! … to discover unique objects, the work of amazing artists, to jump into a colored place full of passion! A tree house in the middle of a city. And: to dance under Tree’s leafs slurping hot wine punch.

Text by Elisa Lusso | video & editing by Sara Scappin and Elisa Lusso

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