The Blackmail » Fashion

Balancing Act

tristan — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 00:26:14 +0000

Text: Sunday Ganim Images: Sunday Ganim & Note To Self

Max Olijnyk is a man of many talents. He can skate, sew, write and photograph – an incredibly humble guy, and known to be pretty funny. Sunday Ganim sat down with Max recently and, over tea and snacks, they discussed the origins of his creative endeavours, the projects he currently has on the go and how a serious accident a few years ago helped him to achieve a balance between them all.

Sunday Ganim: You make things across many disciplines but I guess I just wanted to start at the beginning. Where did you grow up?

Max Olijnyk: I grew up in country South Australia, in a little town called Rendelsham. It is tiny, 80 people live there, there are no shops, no nothing really – the nearest town is a place called Millicent where my dad was the headmaster of the high school.

SG: Really? Being a small town, you must have gone to that high school, right?

MO: It’s funny – the thing was, before being noticed as the headmaster’s son, I was also the ‘skateboard guy,’ so the people in Millicent already thought that I was from another planet.

SG: I was going to ask you about skateboarding. It seems to have played a huge part in your life, how did you get into it?

MO: I don’t know how I found it. I think I found a skateboard magazine and I became completely obsessed with it when I was about 12-years-old – that was everything for me, I learnt about rap music and punk music and clothes and attitude to everything, it was like one of those portals into another world. I became obsessed with it.

SG: Were you the only kid skating in your little town?

MO: I was the only one. The people in town thought that I was the best in Australia or something, which I couldn’t believe as I was so in awe of the American skaters and I couldn’t even kickflip properly. To me, skateboarding was so amazing and it was so hard that I just practiced everyday.

SG: So did your obsession with skateboarding get you interested in clothing, too?

MO: Yeah, I wanted to look a certain way, emulate the styles that I was seeing in skate mags and videos. The thing is, if I had the money to just buy those clothes then I would have. I showed my mum a skate video one day and told her I really wanted pants from the video and she said, ‘well, you could make them.’ So we went to the fabric store and she helped me with the first pair.

SG: Was she a sewing person?

MO: She was just like how your mum is. She knows how to make stuff. We made the first pair and they turned out really well.

SG: You have a good eye for detail. Is that something that she taught you or you just picked up along the way?

MO: On the weekends I would skate with my friends in Mt Gambier, but during the week I had nothing else to do so I made clothes and zines and videos. I was always good at writing and knowing when something looked right. I think for me it was maybe a mix of having some sort of natural talent and then combining that with skateboarding culture, which is so particular. You can get a real sense of who a person is through the way they skate, or the details of how they put themselves together.

SG: Tell me about Note To Self, your denim label. What’s your process?

MO: I make all the samples myself and come up with stuff in the studio. Then the production sets get made here in Melbourne and I work with the factory getting all the details right.

SG: But the denim you use comes from Japan – how did this come about?

MO: When I was developing Note to Self, I’d just get my denim from Bradmill in Footscray. It was great, you could just go there and get ends of rolls and off-cuts really cheap. Then the local distribution part of that business died down around 2006.

I remember showing a friend my jeans and she suggested I go to Japan and learn about their making processes. It was really good advice, but I couldn’t afford to do that, so instead I started looking into Japanese mills and the way that they do their denim. They still have the really old machines and do it all in the traditional way and they get a really nice product. I contacted a mill and managed to put in an order for 200 metres of denim, thinking I was some kind of big shot, and she replied that their minimums were 4,000 metres! But luckily they liked what I was doing and supplied me anyway.

SG: My brother-in-law has a pair of your jeans from a few years ago and they seem to have stood the test of time. Is quality something you strive for?

MO: Yeah. Well, I think that it’s mainly the material, the Japanese denim I use – it’s a lot more hardy and gets better with time rather than a cheaper product.

SG: Do you make other things, apart from jeans?

MO: I have just done a line of chino pants ‘by appointment’ to a skate brand called Passport. I met Trent through skateboarding in Brisbane, but he is doing the label out of Sydney now. We started talking about doing something together and decided that chinos would be a good one because they are good to skate in. It’s hard to make them in Australia because most of the machinery has gone offshore now and even if you did get them made here, they would be way too expensive to be competitive. We are coming in at the tail end of that local industry, even ten years ago you could drive around and get things made in Melbourne but it’s all changed now. I like being able to just drive to the factory and change over a button or move a stitch line five millimetres over. Now, you just sign off on this thing and hope that it comes back good. Luckily, the chinos did!

SG: What other denim projects do you have on the go?

MO: At the moment I am doing some dog coats – it’s Note to Self ‘by appointment’ to a brand called Best In Park. I have been making them in different sizes in the studio, and our dog Tess is the model in the photo shoot. There are some new jeans being made for Note to Self and I am also working on something for an exhibition at Mr Kitly called Denim. Dell Stewart organised a bunch of people to all make stuff with denim and I am making a pair of custom jeans for Woody Allen!

SG: Really, do you know his size?

MO: Well, I Googled him and looked into how big he is and he is five foot five and pretty slender so I figured it out. But I really love his films, his old films especially.

SG: You seem to be a really curious guy. I remember you interviewed me a long time ago and you emailed through so many questions – does this curiosity of yours lead you to be constantly documenting things?

MO: Possibly, I think so. I am interested in stuff that I like. And when you get a good sense of something, you want to find out more about it. I was the guy in my group growing up skating who was always taking photos and filming everything. I commented to my friend a few years ago that I was a bit tired of making custom jeans for people and he said, “Max, that is what you do, you are the jeans guy!” I got a bit offended and I remember thinking, damn, I do other things!

SG: It’s true: you have your fingers in many different pies, which brings us to photography…

MO: I like photography, you know, I would like to be a photographer, but my approach is way less serious than, say, my friends Conor (O’Brien) or Andrew Long. I guess it’s more the part that comes after taking the photo, like grouping them together and making a book or having a show, that I have never really got my head around. But when I take a photo it’s not like I am randomly snapping, I am thinking and when it all comes together at the right moment and you take your shot it’s really nice.

SG: It seems really personal to me, the way you document and put your blog together, it is all very experience driven and coming from a very personal place.

MO: Penny Modra, who I used to work with at ThreeThousand, always says: “Tell the truth”. And I think that should apply to everything, you know, why lie? It has to be true, it has to be honest. It sounds like I am talking about being non-pretentious, but it’s more than that, it’s getting to the point where everything feels the right way. I find that when I read a book that I really like or looking at a piece of art or eating really good food or whatever, it has that same feeling. You feel it as you are reading it, or looking at it or eating it.

SG: I have a theory about art and generally making stuff, which is that every time I get it right and all the elements line up and sync together you get a certain feeling. For me it’s in my stomach. Do you get the same feeling from skating as you do from making a pair of pants or photographing something well?

MO: Yeah, that is a really good example of why I do all the different stuff I do, that feeling. When I started skating I was never that good at it, I mean I am alright now, because I have been doing it for almost 20 years. It’s almost more rewarding when you’re not a natural at something and you pull it off, it’s a synthesis of everything all coming together at the one time. It’s the same with making a picture or a drawing – when you get it right, it’s so satisfying.

SG: In November 2008 you were airlifted to the Alfred hospital after colliding with a van on your skateboard at the bottom of a steep hill in Rye, Victoria.

MO: It was full on. I think that accident was a terrible thing to happen, but in a way it was also really good. It didn’t completely change everything, but for me to take something positive out of it, it did accelerate me to do the things I wanted to do. Custom jeans gave me a headache and just felt like not-fun work, plus it didn’t make any money, so I back-peddled on that after the accident and got into my writing more.

SG: So where is the focus for the future, in the denim or in the writing?

MO: I work four days a week writing listings for The Age newspaper, plus contributing to ThreeThousand and a few other things, so that’s how I pay the rent. Then on the weekends and my day off, I work away at Note to Self. I always wanted to be a writer, but at the same time it has always been my dream to have a label and do that full time. I would like to have a balance between the two, I guess.

SG: To me you seem to have nailed that nice balance! You’ve got the solitary time involved in making the denim and your writing, but also the social time of interviewing people and documenting your life. Does one benefit the other?

MO: I don’t really consciously do it but I guess, over the years, when one is out of wack I try to fix it. Recently, things are in a good place and instead of being stressed out about things, I can enjoy my time in the studio. That said, I am pretty social person, so if I was by myself all the time I would probably go crazy!

Note To Self

Next story: Unslayable – Little Dragon

The Revelation

tristan — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 00:11:29 +0000

Text: Millie Stein Images: Douglas Lance Gibson

In 1912, the Austrian artist Egon Schiele penned a letter to ‘Dr. E’ regarding Schiele’s painting ‘Revelation’.

“The revelation of a living being,” he wrote. “A poet, an artist, a sage, a spiritualist, as you will. Have you ever felt the impression a great personality makes on the world?”

On a wall-length bookshelf in the Lover studio, Nic Briand and Susien Chong keep a book of Schiele’s work. Surrounding it are monographs from key creative figures of the recent past (Ed van der Elsken, Kris Kool, Harmony Korine, Poiret) plus the occasional iconoclast (Patty Heart, by way of a 1974 copy of Newsweek).

I don’t know if Briand and Chong have ever read Schiele’s words. In fact, I prefer to think that they haven’t, and that the book exerts a silent and pervasive influence as they spend their days drawing inspiration from great personalities – which, in their case, are simply those that are real.

“I think everything we’ve done has always been through an authentic desire just to connect with people,” says Chong.

“A lot of stuff which has become very standard fare for a brand, like social media and building a culture, like saying, ‘We’ll sponsor this film or we’ll sponsor this girl in a band and give her clothes’ and so on, wasn’t really thought of back when we started. It was kind of seen as peripheral and, in some cases, a waste of time,” says Briand.

“The first people [to whom] we said, ‘Yeah sure, have that top, take those pants’ were real girls. They were working in galleries or playing a guitar and doing a gig here and there. They were just day-to-day, but to us that was more exciting than packaging up a whole thing and sending it off to Paris Hilton.”

In 2001, when Briand and Chong launched Lover at the Bondi Markets, labels did not seek to make extraordinary clothes for ordinary people. Designers were not interested in a quotidian interpretation of their work, let alone the possibility that this sort of interpretation might influence future collections. Scott Schuman had yet to pick up a digital camera, or at least yet to post the results on his blog, and Tumblr was six years away from turning moodboards into a global pastime.

“We laugh because we used to drive to Mosman to go to Kinokuniya, which was quite a small bookstore then,” says Briand. “We bought these very small magazines that were – I mean, it blew our minds – street style. People were being shot in Paris and London – again, they were coming out of the shows… Those things, we pored over them. And they were sealed, too, so you didn’t know if they were going to be good or not. You’d open it and be like, ‘Crap, crap, crap… oh my god!… crap, crap, crap…’ And at that point, one girl would become a muse for an entire collection.”

“And it was a pilgrimage, too,” adds Chong. “Like, ‘next Saturday, let’s drive over the bridge!’”

The life-work parallels and dense layers of reference that seamlessly integrate into Lover’s output continue to fascinate both their customers and the media. That Briand and Chong manage to mine music, film and visual culture for far more than aesthetic value only adds to the mystery.

Perhaps this is why everyone still gets hung up on trying to pin down Lover’s ‘girl’. She is a fictional amalgam, yet her tastes and proclivities are so tangible that it has become impossible to think about the brand without her. She is their muse – the face of a season and of the label in its entirety – but first and foremost, she is a person.

To mark their tenth year, Lover held a show at the Sydney Opera House’s Studio as part of Rosemount Australian Fashion Week in May. It was here that the mythology of the Lover girl reached its greatest height, literally and figuratively: a giant Perspex screen was elevated high above the audience to display her many faces throughout their various campaigns and projects. In a more immediate sense, the literal Lover girls – the models in the show – had their faces beamed around the room before they reached the runway to reveal their look.

“It played out exactly how we’d discussed six months before the show, the way we wanted it to look and what we wanted it to do,” says Briand. “There can be a bit of a stigma attached to Lover that’s very vintage-leaning, pretty and it’s all sundrenched David Hamilton imagery-kind of thing… We felt that there’s quite a modern edge – for want of a better word – to the brand, in the way that we have pushed in terms of technology, the way that we’ve tried to present the clothes and the garments themselves.”

The collection was named for the Chinese fable of the White Serpent, which tells the story of a young scholar who falls in love with a beautiful woman, unaware that her true form is a white snake. A monk, eager to prevent a violation of nature, casts the woman out by trapping her for eternity in Hangzhou’s Leifeng Pagoda.

And when it came to the clothes, it was immediately apparent that magic had gone on. It felt like Briand and Chong had gathered up the successes and lapses of the last ten years and honestly, truly pushed it.

Set to music by Suicide and Spiritualized, Lover presented looks befitting (yes, really) a goddess – albeit a cool, complex, slightly contrary one. Bold red silks and strong shoulders were offset by the most dramatic of white lace dresses, and it all felt very adult. With all due respect to the person she once was, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, the Lover girl was stepping into the shoes of the Lover Woman.

“There wasn’t a conscious decision that it’s going to have more attitude and it’s going to be more sexy and more mature and more whatever,” says Briand. “All it was, was just running on the same thought patterns and the same ideas that we do with each collection, and the same [process of] trying to push the pieces. There was obviously a conscious decision that we’re putting on a show, but that attitude and that maturity, we felt, has been a slow progression through each collection getting to that point.”

“I think that there are facets to any person,” says Chong. “Even though we’ve carved out an archetype or an idea of who the Lover girl is, she can change. And that’s definitely a reflection of where we’re at – because of our connection to Lover and how it pretty much comes, authentically, from us. If you can manage to highlight those other elements of a person’s personality and explore new terrain, but still keep that Lover sense about it… that’s the biggest challenge for us.”

“I think as soon as you become comfortable, you don’t make credible art,” Briand continues. “We were very, very happy with the show, but as time moves on you start to analyse it. All of a sudden it’s: ‘those pants could have been done differently. I wouldn’t have put that look on that girl.’ Some people see that as a negative thing, being so hard on yourself, but it’s purely creativity that makes you do that. You’ve got to be pushing against something. We always think that if we clean up our desks and make everything neat, the ideas will flow. But it’s not until you’re in some weird zone where there are books piled around you and you haven’t eaten or slept properly that your best ideas can come.”

Lover‘s ‘The White Serpent’ is in stores now.

Next story: Gang Colours – Gang Atelier

Homme Time

tristan — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 00:03:10 +0000

Text: Adriana Giuffrida Images: Suleyman

Men everywhere, rejoice. Pageant – the brainchild of Amanda Cumming and Kate Reynolds – hits stores in September.

Cumming and Reynolds met at art school in 2000, and their journey has taken them from Melbourne to London and back again. During this time, they have worked with incredible contemporaries who, as well as shaping their knowledge of the industry, inspired them to launch their first collection at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week in Sydney earlier this year.

What Pageant have produced is like a breath of fresh air – from its colour palette to its fabrication choices to the style of its design. Adriana Giuffrida chats to the pair about the path of their creation, their future endeavours and how they manage to find the time.

Adriana Giuffrida: Hi Kate & Amanda, how are you?

Pageant: Busy!

AG: What are you guys working on at the moment?

P: We’re currently submerged in sampling our AW 2012 collection, as well as coordinating production for SS 2011/12, which will arrive in store in October.

AG: You have both had such an interesting journey to this point. Kate, you were working at Christopher Shannon in the UK, and Amanda, you were at Christopher Kane. Tell us about your journey back to Australia, and how Pageant began?

P: Doing a label together was an idea we had been toying with for a number of years, but the timing had never been right. Coming back home to Melbourne from London was a great opportunity for the two of us to finally start our label, as we were forced to reevaluate our creative paths. We really loved living and working in London, so when we had to leave we were incredibly sad but it was a blessing in disguise and a sign to do our own thing. We both got to work quite closely with these designers and collectively learnt a range of skills, from putting together a collection to production and sales, to the general ins and outs of running a fashion business. We guess it also proved that if these designers can do it, why can’t we?

AG: Why do you think there is such a niche for menswear in the Australian market?

P: As there are fewer menswear labels based here, we feel there is a unique opportunity for us to really create something that is inherently Australian but with an international feel. Our male friends are often frustrated with the lack of interesting and quality menswear available on a local scale and will buy online or when travelling abroad.

AG: Tell me about the theme for your debut collection.

P: ‘Outbound’ came about after looking at old camping and backpacking books and the idea of carrying around just the things you need to survive. Both of our fathers work with their hands so we were inspired to repurpose outdoor wear for the self-reliant man, adding tongue-in-cheek technical references in the detailing. It references our obsession with casual sportswear and the everyday man.

AG: The fabrics used in your debut collection for Pageant are so different to other labels out there. Do you find the fabric inspires the collection?

P: Most definitely, the neoprene was a starting point for SS 11/12 as we felt it complemented the rounded/boxy silhouette we wanted to achieve. We’re naturally drawn to unconventional fabrications and combining various textures is very important to us when putting together a collection. We like to use fabrics that encompass a modern and futuristic feel yet still have that familiarity of a favorite sweater you’ve worn for years. Our fabric choices act as the foundations to the overall feel of the collection and although sometimes unusual, they are always wearable.

AG: In the past both of you have also worked as stylists, and have recently had an exhibition at Craft Victoria. Do you find this inspires your creativity to create clothing, by having the ability to be involved in other creative processes?

P: When we started the label we had this idea that we wanted to work under the umbrella of a multidisciplinary practice. It keeps things fresh and helps keep us motivated with the day-to-day tasks of running a label. A lot of the energy that happens on shoots or projects often feeds through into the work we do for the label. It’s exciting to see our ideas take different forms rather than just a fashion outcome.

Our friend Antuong Nguyen approached us to be involved in this collaboration. We were really intrigued by the concept surrounding ‘Solidarity Thing’ and the work reflected a combined aesthetic between our debut collection and Antuong’s previous artwork. We made a series of 7 ‘flags’ that were installed into the space then reinstalled by Masato Takasaka and SIBLING. It was a really exciting opportunity for our work to be exhibited at Craft Victoria and sit alongside the BLESS No 38 Windowgarden.

AG: Do you have any exciting art or styling projects coming up?

P: We are working on a short film for SS 2011/12 with friends KROZM. It will be released online when the collection goes in store later this year and features a great soundtrack by Fiorucci Youth + Eurothug.

AG: What can we expect from Pageant in 2012?

P: More cute boys wearing our clothes and a Wet Dream!

Pageant is stocked exclusively at FAT.

Pageant

Next story: Donny Be Good – Donny Benet

Bleem Weaver

tristan — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 00:02:57 +0000

Text: Adriana Giuffrida Images: Brianna Lee Martin

There is no doubt that it’s getting colder during the winter months, and this creates all kinds of desires to rug up in whatever you can. So what more could one really want than an exquisite handmade wool scarf or blanket made for this exact purpose?

Brianna Martin has knitted herself a nice little niche with her incredible woven wonders. Following on from an interest in all things crafty, Brianna learned the skill of weaving. Her pieces are created by hand and fashioned with Australian wool. The vibrancy of her designs coupled with subtle patterns and textures make each scarf a piece of art, and a must for these chilly times.

Adriana Guiffrida caught up with Brianna to discuss her love for colour and a new exhibition at Mr. Kitley in Melbourne.

Adriana Guiffrida: Tell me about your journey into weaving, how did you discover your talent in this area?

Brianna Martin: I’ve always enjoyed sewing and crafts. I used to do cross-stitch and sew little tops and bags when I was younger because my Mum did. That led me to studying pattern making and sewing, then a few years ago I learned to weave. I’ve never considered myself an overly patient person, but when it comes to weaving – which takes a lot of patience – I just have it. I’m really passionate about weaving and I believe that if you enjoy something it will show in your work.

AG: What is your favourite thing about weaving?

BM: I love being able to use all the colours I want, and in any combination that I choose. I use almost all the colours of the rainbow and I like putting together combinations that usually might not mesh. I just have a lot of fun with it.

AG: In fashion, there is a tendency to ask about the inspiration for a collection. Do you find that the inspirations are different with a textile medium such as weaving?

BM: I think, for everybody, both fashion designers and artists, inspiration is different. For me, inspiration comes from everywhere. I’m constantly writing down colour combinations that I see, whether it’s a stripy tie on TV to three cars lined up in a car park. I’m also really inspired by books. I’ve got lots on crafts, Mexican homewares and weaving, of course. I’m also a huge Disney fan. I get lots of ideas and inspiration from fun and colourful animations.

AG: Within your current range of scarves, there is an incredible mix of textures, colour and patterns. Do you map out what you are going to do with each piece, or do you go with the flow and just see what happens next?

BM: I do a bit of both. The way I thread my loom in combination with the way I move my feet on the peddles determines what pattern comes out. Sometimes I thread it one way and stick to the pattern, other times I’ll change my feet, which will weave a different pattern over it. It’s fun to see what happens. A lot of my work has changes in it because the pattern gets repetitive, so I switch half way through and it always seems to turn out great.

AG: Each piece is vastly different, even down to the finishing of the tassel on a scarf. With that level of investment in the smallest details, do you ever find it hard to part with a piece after you’ve created it?

BM: It is hard sometimes. But I know when I sell a piece that the person must love and appreciate it as much as me, which is lovely. Plus I couldn’t possibly keep everything I liked. I’d have a wardrobe full of wool.

AG: You have made scarves, bags and blankets and more recently shrugs. Are there any other areas you would like to explore?

BM: My work has definitely evolved since my last exhibition, so I’m just excited to see where it takes me.

AG: Tell me about your exhibition Mr. Kitly.

BM: My exhibition at the gorgeous Mr Kitly gallery is very colourful. All of my work is displayed on logs and hung from branches. The combination of the colours in the weaving with the natural wood looks really nice. I’ve got scarves, neck warmers, jackets, bags and a big blanket showing in the space.

AG: Your flyer for the show is quite a family affair. Your Dad, on the far left, has a very proud look on his eye. How did this come about?

BM: My beautiful friend Francesca was writing a piece on my work and needed a few pictures taken. She had the idea to take a shot, with whoever was in the house at the time wearing a scarf. It turned out great so, a few weeks later, I rounded up the whole family, wrapped them in my new work and did a shoot for my flyer. It’s fun and shows that anyone can wear my stuff, including my awesome Dad!

AG: What is next for Bleem Weaver?

BM: I’m heading to my parents’ house in Foster for a nice relaxing time. It’s so beautiful and peaceful, there is a waterfall and an amazing view of Wilson’s Prom. It’s pretty special. I don’t plan on seeing any wool for a few days.

Brianna Lee Martin

Next story: RU Serial? – Serial Space

Soul Mates

tristan — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 00:01:15 +0000

Text: Louise McClean Images: Provensen

I chanced upon a shoe label, Provensen, not so long ago when I was visiting a friend. She was sporting the most amazing, ultra-stylish pair of desert boots I’d ever seen and I instantly wished they were mine. When asked where she had made such an outstanding purchase, she mentioned that her boots were made by a talented young Sydneysider which, for me, was an interesting discovery. I had always been aware of the scarcity of local brands that provided beautiful and interesting footwear which explored ideas outside the sphere of typical women’s shoe design. My friend then proceeded to deliver the devastating news – I wouldn’t be getting those boots because they were from last season.

But we can all breath a sigh of relief, because whether or not you have a pair of these genius desert boots, Provensen’s Faye Montalban has so much more genius to offer with her second season (about to hit stores). The Provensen style illustrates untethered imaginative freedom in every element – conceptually and in the use of colour and materials, that really set these shoes apart. Faye’s proclivity to push creative boundaries not only tests herself but the women she makes shoes for. But the results are undeniably beautiful, easy-to-wear shoes that radiate character and had me running to the nearest stockist to get a pair.

Louise McClean: What got you started in shoe-making business?

Faye Montalban: I was originally meant to start a clothing label with my best friend but she ended up wanting to become an artist so that idea was scrapped! The idea of starting a clothing label without her defeated our original purpose of wanting to do it together, so I was left to pursue things that purely interested me. It was simply down to the other things I love as far as apparel, underwear and footwear. It wasn’t too hard to decide. I had been collecting footwear for years. At the time I was hoping I could produce shoes that provided a certain aesthetic that I felt wasn’t really being offered in the market, particularly in Australia.

LM: Did you have any background in design or shoe production before you started Provensen?

FM: I haven’t had any formal training but have completed basic design courses years ago. I did a Bachelor of Communication at university, which is far removed from what I am doing now but I did really enjoy studying it. I have however been in and around the fashion and retail industry for several years and worked for a trend-forecasting agency while living in London.

LM: You have a new season of shoes which has recently hit stores, can you tell me a bit about this collection?

FM: For this collection I felt I pushed the boundaries a little bit more for myself, in a way, and possibly for customers. I felt it was a little riskier producing some of the styles. I wanted to see what the response would be from people, whether they would like some of the things that might appear somewhat unusual. I like to challenge myself to try and see if I can make things work or make a look or idea work. I wanted to be able to offer that challenge to other people, hoping they could also feel good about making more unique styles work for themselves as well. I recognise that some styles may not be for everyone, but feel that the people who do like them want to embrace them for that very reason.

LM: What is typical in the process of designing and producing a pair of shoes?

FM: I often start by gathering as much visual material as possible. I like collecting bits and pieces throughout the year, of things that I like or have caught my interest in one way or another. For instance, I’ll take a close up photo of a section of a painting for a colour reference or keep a found postcard or become obsessed with a particular song that reminds me of a particular time and place. I also love the library and, of course, the Internet for other ideas. The Internet is great for chasing ideas that come to you quickly and you need to research them further just as quickly. I can be on there for hours. I guess I am constantly forming ideas even before I actually sit down and put them on paper, so to speak. From there it is really a case of what I feel I might want on my feet for the following year. Next, I get specs together and then go and work directly with the factory for sampling.

LM: What do you find is the most challenging aspect of this process?

FM: Getting the first ideas down can be a challenge for me. Sometimes they come to me quickly and other times I feel like I have to squeeze my brain to work out the feeling I am trying to represent. The design process is really a gut feeling thing for me. I’m not sure if anyone else is like this when they try and put a range together but that is the only way I can explain how it works for me. It’s almost like I have to try and have conversations with my stomach!

LM: Where does your inspiration for shoe design come from?

FM: I’d say mainly people and some of the other things I mentioned above. Memories, time periods, movies, sub-cultures, current affairs and so on.

LM: Can you describe what it is about your overall design principles and methods which makes your shoes so unique?

FM: I like to mix up materials. To use things that myself or others may not have really used for a while. This year I’ve used canvas, leather and metal (Rhythm Nation Boot) and last year I used cotton drill on a court shoe (Yoko). For example, this season I purposely chose nubuck instead of suede on one of the styles – the Lishy steel toe-cap court shoe because it had a finer softer grain which off-set the metal. The shoe had the potential of looking really tough and that’s not what I wanted to achieve. I also purposely chose a softer colour palette and colour matched the hard rubber sole to the upper to help the over all look appear not so harsh paired with the metal.

LM: Is there any other fashion or not fashion related creative outlet you’d like to explore in the future?

FM: Hmm… Definitely guys’ shoes. Living abroad again quite soon would be great as well.

LM: What’s your favourite pair of shoes from your collections and why?

FM: From the first season it would have to be the Boo desert boot. It is very typically me and had a great response from customers, press and buyers etc. I had the idea for Boo at least five or so years ago and she was really first inspiration for Provensen. From this season it would have to be the Lishy steel toe cap. Again, it really represents me and she has been an interesting one for me to see how people take to her (all the shoes are named after friends, that’s why I refer to them as “she”!)

Provensen

Next story: A Good Route – Yimmy Yayo

The White Horse

tristan — Sun, 01 May 2011 11:46:38 +0000

Text: Adriana Guiffrida Images: Jordan Askill

It took one beautifully fine yellow gold love heart ring to draw my attention to Jordan Askill’s work, and from there the fascination has only grown stronger. Jordan has an uncanny gift for transforming jewellery and sculpture into pieces that resonate on a level akin to an emotional journey, leaving the viewer or wearer – more generally, the recipient – with the feeling that they are part of something very special.

Jordan combines traditional jewellery-making techniques with very modern technology, and these methods have had a resounding effect on his work to date. In short, the intricacies he creates must be seen to be believed.

I caught up with Jordan to discuss his work and its intrinsic message.

Adriana Giuffrida: Hi Jordy, Tell me about your journey into making jewellery.

Jordan Askill: I began my career working in fashion for a while and naturally progressed into jewellery. I like to start with sculpture and take out elements from there.

AG: Did you find it was a natural progression from working in fashion to working with jewellery and sculpture?

JA: It was, completely. It’s what makes me feel like I am being honest to myself.

AG: Your subject matter is so varied, in that you explore the elements of love with your incredibly popular and delicate love heart rings, but then you display a strong connection to animals in your collections, and a link with mechanical elements. How do you go about creating a range of jewellery and collating all these ideas in a cohesive manner?

JA: All these elements are relevant to me exploring the time we are in, [as are] personal feelings, pop culture, the earth around us, history and who we are as a society. I also find the notion of transcending quite fascinating. I like to use organic shapes while giving them a geometric feel.

AG: There are two elements to your jewellery, with JORDY and Jordan Askill. How do you differentiate between the two when creating new work?

JA: I like to make one line that can be readily understood and simple to wear, almost like a personal tattoo. I also like things that have a positive message that people can pass on to others. My next body of work is more mythological and less dependent on practicality. I find this is an important area to be able to channel, and the messages embodied are more interesting to the wearer.

AG: I’ve read that you use quite an amazing technology to create your sculptures. Are you able to share this process with us?

JA: I use a lot of digital technology and artisanal techniques. It is important for me to keep exploring and developing these as the duality of the future and our past history is so important.

AG: How has living abroad inspired your creative process and helped you develop your use of these technologies?

JA: It’s just kept me exposed to understanding more.

AG: You come from a very talented and creative family, with your brothers Daniel and Lorin at Collider. How do you divide your time between all your endeavours, including film projects?

JA: It just seems to work out at the best times. We are due to do a fun project together pretty soon.

AG: You have recently produced a series of love heart rings for Opening Ceremony with birthstones included. Do you see yourself doing more collaborations in the future?

JA: It was great, not to mention a perfect collaboration for us both. I’d love to collaborate again with someone when the opportunity arrises.

AG: What does 2011 hold for Jordan Askill?

JA: I will be working on my next installation and body of work for September. Another project under development is the JORDY line, which I am working on with a wildlife organisation.

Jordan Askill

Next story: Inner City Life

Shape Up

tristan — Sun, 01 May 2011 11:26:20 +0000

Text: Millie Stein Images: POE

About a month ago, with very little fanfare, a shop called Poepke launched the first season of their in-house label, POE.

With one look-book, a short introduction far too congenial to be called a press release and some space made among Poepke’s racks of Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester and Bernhard Willhelm, POE took its place.

Sometimes barely announcing oneself is a bold statement, and POE’s relative insouciance gives a good insight into its ethos and intention. This is a label that focuses less on whether clothes maketh the woman than it does on who maketh and weareth the clothes.

Fresh from a stint at Eley Kishimoto in London, Olivia Mai is the sketchpad behind POE’s clever and sweetly wearable first collection. While she has obviously taken notes from her time at EK – a lighthearted approach to detailing and eye for contrast are two of POE’s calling cards – POE’s Spring Summer 2011 collection strikes a unique balance between thoughtfulness and spontaneity.

I caught up with Olivia Mai, well into designing POE’s second season, to talk inspirations, resignations and old London town.

Millie Stein: You finished your fashion training in Sydney and then moved to London. What motivated the move?

Olivia Mai: I moved to London because my life in Sydney was too good. I think you’ll find a lot of people say this about why they move. I worked, at the time, not just one job I really liked but two. All my family and friends are here, so I felt like I knew everything there was to know about Sydney and I wasn’t feeling challenged. I’d been to London on holidays before and I’d read UK fashion magazines. It just felt so exciting. I think I wanted an upheaval, and I got it when I moved because it was really competitive in the fashion industry. Everyone says that and it’s true, because every second person you meet is creative, which can be amazing and also frustrating because you’re all going for the same jobs.

MS: Did London change your idea of what a career in fashion was?

OM: I think the ins and outs of fashion in Sydney is different to London, but you get that anyway. Every company does it differently. I think, having worked at Eley Kishimoto, it was so amazing to work with Wakako [Kishimoto] because she’s just a creative dynamo and you couldn’t stop her if you tried. You don’t even really know what she’s thinking until you see it all at the end, so watching her and her concept – she designs everything from head to toe – like how she thinks about print and shape, and watching that come together each season… It was amazing creatively and production-wise.

MS: At what point did Nicola Lie [Co-Director of Poepke] approach you about doing a collection?

OM: I had worked in Poepke before as a shop girl, and I think she must’ve known I was coming back from London because she sent me an email asking me if I was interested in working on this new project, an in-house label. When I got that email I was so excited. I was at work at Eley Kishimoto at the time and I had to run to the archival room just to call my sister and say, “Ah, this great thing is happening!” It couldn’t have come at a better time: I was coming home and didn’t know what I wanted to do here or who I wanted to work for. In London, I knew who I wanted to work for and I got to work for them, so I was on such a high, and to come back I was going to have to work all that stuff out. For Nicola to offer it to me at that time was just amazing, a dream come true. I think Poepke is like one big family. It feels like there’s always a place for you here.

MS: Has it been different designing a range for a shop, as opposed to a label with an established history?

OM: I think it’s the same thing, because I think of it as working for a client. It’s about fitting in with the Poepke philosophy and aesthetic, so when I design for POE that’s what I’m thinking of. Especially when Nicola and I talk about it or she looks at my designs, it’s always the question, ‘Which Poepke customer is going to buy this?’ So I think, even if I worked for an existing label, it would still be about the customer base.

MS: How much do you have to temper your own ideas with what works for Poepke’s customers?

OM: I guess, because we’re just starting, I have to be more aware of what the customer wants. I think once they start to know and trust the label, I can express myself more. But, having said that, when we shot the look book and I saw the looks come together, there is a lot of my personality in the print and how the looks were styled. I showed the shots to my friend who had never seen POE before, and he said it was how he imagined my range would be. So even though I don’t think it’s very me, I think you can’t help but inject your personality. I see it now: the jerseys and how the arm is cut, the print, the fact that the collection is very blue but with pops of mustard – it’s very me. Although I think I have distance from it, I don’t.

MS: What was your focus for the first range?

OM: We concentrated on wardrobe staples, so shirts, trousers, skirts, a coat. Jersey is a big thing I had to think about. They were the shapes, but in terms of what I was inspired by, there are always three things that I like: abstract shape, colour and pattern. I always like those things. When I look on style blogs or image blogs like Ffffound, I notice – and sometimes I laugh – that it’s really predictable the things that I am drawn to. It was really exciting to be able to design a print for this collection and see it go into production.

MS: Tell me about the print you designed.

OM: It’s called Tossed Matchsticks, and I was kind of thinking about something shape-y. It was kind of influenced by a coat I found at Rozelle markets, that idea of a bold print all over a coat. I was influenced by this Japanese pattern book I have, it’s full of kimono prints, but this particular one was so weird, it was a print of lit cigarettes all over a kimono. When I saw it, it just stuck with me.

MS: If you think back to when you were in fashion school, did you think you’d be here now?

OM: You know, you’re in fashion school, so the idea is that you will one day be working on your own label or someone else’s. Straight out of school, I was a design assistant and production assistant for years. It was for labels that I loved, but I always knew there would come a time when I would want to do something for myself. It’s funny, because I feel like I do own this but at the same time I know I am working for Poepke. I have a lot of creative control. There are people who are happy to be working for someone else, which is fine, but I felt like maybe this is the next challenge that I needed… So, did I think I’d be here? Yes!

POE

Next story: On A Whim – WIM

Inner City Life

tristan — Sun, 01 May 2011 11:09:50 +0000

Images: Jo Duck with Pageant

Norse Projects – Black and white ‘Risor’ knit jumper
Sunglasses – stylists own

10 Deep – Navy ‘Big 10 Athletic’ t-shirt
Bassike – Navy and white ‘Stripe Crew’
PAM – Navy ‘Hung Out’
New Balance – Navy trainers

Huf – Yellow ‘Woodstock 5 Panel’ hat
Nike – Blue camo windbreaker
Huf – Blue and white ‘Dot Check’ shirt
Pageant – Blue and orange ‘Rock climbing’ necklace

Norse Projects – Black ‘Elka’ raincoat
Alife – White cotton shirt
For The Homies – Black calf skin shorts
Yuketen – Black ‘Skin Stretch Penny’ loafers
Pageant – Black ‘Survival’ necklace
Stylists own – White socks

For The Homies – Orange calf skin bomber jacket
Libertine-Libertine – Golden yellow ‘Hunter’ shirt
PAM – Grey marle ‘Hung Out’

Norse Projects – Black and white ‘Borderline’ knit jumper
Asuza – Black and grey ‘Blocked‘ shirt

Huf – Grey ‘New Era’ suede hat
For The Homies – Silver leather bomber jacket
Norse Projects – White and blue ‘Villads Block’ shirt
Stylists own – Customised black string tank
For The Homies – Black calf skin shorts

Nike Sportswear – Purple ‘AW77’ hoodie
The North Face – Denim blue ‘Stretch Wool ¼ Zip’ skin
Nike Sportswear – Green windbreaker
PAM – Navy ‘Hung Out’

The North Face – Yellow ‘Nuptise’ puffa jacket
ALL knitwear – Multi ‘Coney Box’ knit jumper
Pageant – Purple ‘Garbage Bag’ headpiece

Huf – Blue monogram embroidered shorts
Phuong & Seb’s Belt Co. – Black ‘The Special’ leather belt
H frame backpack customised by Pageant with:
The North Face – Orange ‘Base Camp‘ duffel,
The North Face – Red ‘Base Camp’ canister,
Nike – ‘ACG Airmax’ trainers,
ALL knitwear – Multi ‘Dash Dotter Box’, ‘Cheeto Matrix Box’ and ‘Coney Box’ knit jumpers (rolled up),
Pageant – Black ‘Survival’ necklace

Stylists own – Green knit jumper
Libertine-Libertine – Army ‘Rash’ jacket

Stylists own – Moschino print t-shirt
The North Face – Black ‘Eurus’ pant with elastic straps
Libertine-Libertine – Red ochre ‘Liar’ knit

Photography: Jo Duck
Styling: Kate Reynolds & Amanda Cumming (Pageant)
Stylist Assistant: Ally Wickens
Model: Alfonso @ Scene

Next story: Trans/Tender – Billy Maynard

Sole Man

gabe — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 12:41:22 +0000

Text: Fleur Mitchell Images: Tristan Blair

It’s pretty simple: Tristan Blair makes shoes that you need in your life. His designs are everything that’s lacking on the market right now: they’re adventurous, kooky and totally on-point. Blair’s creations are skilfully made, with complex architectural shapes paired with way out textures and dreamy colours. Balancing out the more daring designs, Blair consistently revives classic forms and styles season after season.

As often noted, Perth-born Blair started out in his family’s construction business, then sort of fell into shoe design. Quite simply, he is like no one else in the game.

It’s easy to see why Tristan Blair has such a strong cult following both here and overseas, especially on every fashion blog worth reading. His designs offer something that you can spend a lifetime searching for: the perfect shoe!

I spoke to Tristan about his new collection, autumn and… fishing week.

Fleur Mitchell: Tell me about your new collection, what’s the inspiration behind it?

Tristan Blair: This season I have kind of laid off the women’s shoes a bit in aid of producing a men’s line. I have still worked on a few women’s designs but they are based on the men’s shoes. My inspiration for this season comes from my grandfather’s obsession and immense skill at polishing shoes. He was a avid fan of having a respectable shine on his shoe so much that when my brothers and myself would return from school he couldn’t get our school shoes off fast enough to get them ready for the next day. Max (Grandad) always had great style and was well presented as most of that generation are, so I have looked at this for my inspiration.

FM: What were you like as a kid? Did you always have a bit of a thing for shoes?

TB: Yeah I did, but from my answer before you can understand why. My father is also a advocate of the ‘good quality shoe’, I guess it transpassed the male gender and left me with a distinct interest in footwear design.

FM: How do you navigate the world of fashion… do you like being part of the industry?

TB: The industry has its good sides and bad as most do. I try to get what I want out of it, which is a canvas to express my thoughts. So it’s great for me. Yeww, fashion!

FM: We don’t have that many visible shoe designers in this country, especially with such a cult following as you have overseas. What do you see for the future of shoe design in Australia?

TB: Australia would really benefit from a small manufacturing industry with some skilled workers. I think then we could really become a strong contender in this contingent of the industry. Unfortunately, until this happens, I don’t see that many people being able to bridge the gap but I have been wrong before and I am sure someone will prove me wrong.

FM: What’s the design process like? How do you go from a spark of an idea to rough sketch to final product?

TB: It all happens via the hand, then is scanned and put onto the computer to be retouched.

FM: What makes a good pair of shoes?

TB: There are two types for me: one being a understated, classic, good quality design and the other something that is very different and makes you stand back and think, “How the crap did someone think of that? They must be crazy!”

FM: How do you balance fashion versus practicality?

TB: The balance is not really something I try to consider. What I do is do a bunch of prototypes and then discuss it with friends and my agency. Through that process, we try to narrow down what is going to work and what should be left in because of its uniqueness.

FM: Your designs seem to provide exactly what is otherwise lacking out there at the moment. How do you know what women are after? Do you consult your friends?

TB: Thanks, I just do what I feel like! I suppose I am inspired by my surroundings.?

FM: Speaking of inspiration, who or what inspires you?

TB: No one in particular, I am inspired by the world and how awesome it is.

FM: What do really love at the moment?

TB: Autumn. I am overwhelmed by how good Autumn is. I love this season.

FM: Do you think you might branch out to do something else, perhaps other accessories like bags or even clothing?

TB: For sure!

FM: What’s a typical day for you like?

TB: I wake up, walk to the coffee shop, think along the way, then sit in front of my computer, go drive around, do something obscure, obsess over something, get home, read my emails, reply to emails, fish in the afternoon, then start cooking dinner.

FM: And lastly what’s next?

TB: Fishing week?

Tristan Blair

Next story: See The Light – Martin Bell

All In A Leather

tristan — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 23:33:01 +0000

Text: Adriana Giuffrida Images: Benah

Brenda Harvey is a diamond in the rough. She is an honest, kind-hearted designer who juggles her time between being a mum and running her own accessories label. The latter creation, Benah, is now in its second year. The label is fast becoming known for its timeless take on accessories and careful attention to materials, including Italian leathers mixed with canvas and subtle gold hardware. These are pieces that will only get better with age and their creator hopes that each item will inspire a journey.

Adriana Giuffrida speaks to Brenda Harvey about the importance of narrative to a collection, the beauty of having a sounding board and the overriding importance of being ‘nice’.

Adriana Giuffrida: I read on your website that Benah is a person, or a place, or a mood. I really like this way of thinking, and you have such strong imagery to support your themes and moods in your collections. How do you go about creating this identity for each collection?

Brenda Harvey: I grew up in a really small town in New Zealand called Taumaranui. There were 32 people in my primary school, and four kids in my age group. In terms of pop culture and things like that, it just didn’t exist – so I don’t really draw from the typical pop culture icons. It comes from more of a philosophical idea, which starts in my head and filters down into a narrative. I always wanted Benah to be something that did not necessarily exist solely in the fashion industry; that somebody from the film world or from industrial design could appreciate it as something that was beautiful, or something great to be involved in, with a life beyond a season. Especially when I am doing imagery, I don’t want it to be a product shot. I don’t want it to be a typical look book because, to me, that is just boring. You look at it once, then you throw it away. The amount of time, especially in the fashion industry, you pour your heart out every three or four months…

AG: And no one really sees all the backup work you do.

BH: Exactly. So I just thought, for everyone involved in it, and for myself, I want to create more. I want it to be longer lasting and for more people to get something out of it. I mean, I look back on my first collection, the imagery that goes with that and the film, and I’m still really proud of it. That makes me feel like I’ve achieved what I set out to do. I hope it continues like that.

AG: I wanted to ask about the film you made for your first collection with your partner, Ben Briand. Can you see yourself making more of these?

BH: I mean, it’s interesting because we are working together on a project for the next collection – and obviously he is my life partner and the father of my child – and we had a meeting today about what we are doing, and for the first time it actually made me realise how in sync we are; how so many things don’t need to be said. You know, we are totally different in our personalities and design process and everything like that, but it comes together and compliments quite well. It makes me excited to think of the possibilities. I’m in awe of him everyday, and I think that in itself is pretty amazing.

AG: Your current collection, You Promise Me is inspired by how life is a patchwork of expectations and promises, and the process of growing older and wiser through experience. How do you translate this narrative into a product?

BH: I think that was just a really reflective time for me. You know, I’ve had a baby, I was thinking about the type of person that I was, the type of person that I am and who I want to be. So I start with that kind of idea, then I just think of the person, I think about the colours and the textures. It was quite moody and the imagery came across like that. I wanted to have rich colours, and the hints of gold with the hardware. In the collection before that, Living Light…

AG: Living Light comes across a lot softer.

BH: Yeah, I had an idea in my head of what I wanted the model to look like. I just wanted her to be really light and bright from a visual point of view, but I wanted her to have something behind her eyes, because it was about simplicity and how humans do tend to overcomplicate things. We can’t just take things at face value. We go, “Oh yeah it looks like that, but I’m sure its really like that.”

AG: Do you ever design with a certain person in mind?

BH: I kind of think of the Benah girl as ageless. She just appreciates beautiful things. I think, instead of targeting a certain age, a certain country or whatever, it’s more about like-minded people. I also wanted it to be unisex, to include mens’ beanies and backpacks and that kind of thing.

Sometimes I think, “oh, am I just designing for my self? Is that bad?” But I like the fact that my accessories don’t overpower people. I think that style is essentially an inner quality, and you shouldn’t see what a person is wearing before you see them. I want it to look like a quality piece because I have put time into designing it.

AG: You work with Italian leathers and Mongolian cashmeres. How do you source these fabrications?

BH: I worked in production for years, dealing with factories in Hong Kong, Mongolia and China, India, and Indonesia. I’ve been blessed with finding amazing people to work with and they are just so lovely, which I hope is a compliment to my personality, and how I communicate with them. The woman who has the factory that does all my silk scarves sends me photos of her family and the lakes she visits on her holidays, and I have literally only had an email relationship with her. I think, being in production for so many years, I saw how makers in factories got treated and I was like, “I am never ever doing that,” because, at the end of the day, who is going to want to work with you if you are not nice?

AG: What is your dream for Benah?

BH: I just want people to get where I’m going with it. I want some person in Paris who makes perfumes to discover my brand and think, “That’s amazing”. Whether they buy a bag or not, they will appreciate the imagery and think, “This is a really great brand that takes pride in what it does”. Ultimately, I’m running a business – and yes, I do want to make sure that it’s a successful business – but in 10 years time I also want to think that’s something that I created from scratch and hopefully be able to look back on my first collection and not cringe. I think it’s just about being really honest with yourself and going with your gut feeling. I think if I continue to do that, which I have, then I feel my ‘dream’ will come true, and that it will be something that I am proud of.

Benah
Next story: Live It Lovett – Dane Lovett