Photographer from Jaen Violeta Leiva invites us to discover the beauty of the scenes that surround us in our daily lives through each one of her images. She arrived in Germany while studying Fine Arts on an Erasmus exchange. 7 years in Berlin have flown by…
The first time I set foot here I thought I could never live in such a big city. In Jaen, wherever you look you always see the mountains or open olive groves. You always see beyond the city but within it there is no “nature”, the two things are very separate. I like Berlin because it’s a wild and dispersed city, there’s no clear line between inside and outside the city.

What is your way of working like? Do you look for locations and models based on a concept, do you make sketches, do you retouch photos digitally?
My models are partly sacrificing friends and partly people I ask on the street. Normally I start with a more or less specific idea, other times the starting point is a person. I make sketches, I write down things that occur to me, and then weeks or months go by till I shoot the photograph. I use film and I don’t usually retouch more than is necessary.

The best thing you’ve learned in the process?
That even if things look like they don’t have any colour at first, it’s worth seeking it out.

What subjects interest you? Is there an objective in your work?
I like to establish communication with people that I wouldn’t otherwise get to know. I also like to see where what I do takes me.

What would be the soundtrack to your work?
The lambada.

What does one do in their free time when they do what they love for a living?
I like walking, and swimming. I don’t like staying put, if I had money I would travel.

Can you recommend someone that does something interesting to us?
Taiyo Onorato & Nico Krebs and their fantastic book “The Great Unreal”.

As we are often not capable of seeing what you see in the city when you live it through the eyes of a tourist in search of treasures, having Violeta’s images close by helps us rediscover what we never usually have time to look at and through her eyes we can find that, often, within the disorder and improvisation of surroundings we tend to ignore, every colour is just where it should be.

+ info. Violeta Leiva

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Video. Tanya Kechichian
Model. Iggy
Stylist. Toyo Tsuchiya
Make-up. Jenny Kanavaros
Hair. Alexander Tome
Assistant Camera. Christian Parsons

1st Look
Knit and Chiffon Top – Shui Chen
Button Down Shirt and Pants – Daniella Kallmeyer
Silver Collar – Arielle De Pinto
Sunglasses – Mykita
Gold Sandals – Pedro Garcia
2nd Look
Jacket – Daniella Kallmeyer
Dress – Nomia
Necklaces and Bracelet – Arielle De Pinto
3rd Look
Shoulder Piece – Arielle De Pinto
Vest – Nomia
Gold Leather Pants – Daniella Kallmeyer
Silver Sunglasses – MYKITA
4th Look
Button Down Shirt and Jewelry – Daniella Kallmeyer
5th Look
Blazer – Karolina Zmarlak
Dress – Herve Leger
Ring – Bevel by Jonathan Lloyd Goldstein
6th Look
Jacket – Won Hundred
Bodysuit – Dominic Louis
Drop Crotch Shorts – Park Choomoo
Bracelet and Ring – Bevel by Jonathan Lloyd Goldstein
Necklace – Ports 1961
7th Look
Dress – Herve Leger
Necklace – Daniella Kallmeyer

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Victoria Beckham and her new accessory

Victoria Beckham has replaced her luxury handbags with a new accessory: her daughter Harper Seven. Sheathed in expensive dresses, she and the little one capture the paparazzi’s flashes and even inspire fashion features such as How I Met Your Mother published by Vogue Russia this May. Soon every Mrs Beckham fan will be able sport a Harper too; this time in the form of a bag. The ex-singer-turned-designer, has baptized a new bag from her next autumn/winter 2012 collection with her daughter’s name. When I saw these pictures I couldn’t stop asking myself ‘where is the buggy? How long can Victoria hold the girl in her arms for after the photographers are gone? And what about a bag with a bottle, nappies and all the other necessary equipment necessary to carry a baby around the world? Of course the answer was as easy as looking off camera. We widen the frame and the entourage appears.

Kids on the front cover

When Perez Hilton, the American king of bright colours, launched Perezitos, a new blog devoted to celebrities’ children, it became clear that they sparked as much interest as their parents. Children, that before remained outside the attention of the press, are now shown with no hang ups. Suri Cruise, Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise’s daughter, has become a style phenomenon online from a very early age and even has a blog devoted to her outfits. Her miniature high heels have created a trend. After the child actress from Mad Men appeared on a ‘best dressed’ ranking, the blogger Di por Dior asked herself: “I need somebody to explain to me what goes through someone’s mind when they consider that a 12 year old girl can be in a list of the best dressed ‘women’ of the week, no matter how very Miu Miu her dress may be. Seriously. I don’t get it.” You might feel the same perplexity when you visit blogs like Bambino Street Style and come across kids like Aila, Alexander Wang’s niece dressed with the latest fashion. But she is not the only one, once you start surfing, disturbing miniature versions of the most elaborate street styles start to pop up – never without their expensive miniature accessories.

The feature that cost Carine Roitfeld her job

Rumour has it, they say, that it was the Christmas special produced by Tom Ford and starring sophisticated child models from the December 2010 edition of Paris Vogue that cost Carine Roitfeld her position as director. For some, the disrespect had gone too far and laid the obvious topic of “the growing sexualization of girls” out on the table. The ten year old model opening the feature, Thylane Loubry Blondeau, awoke hate and passion in equal measure. Her images began to circulate on the web while her mother had to close her Facebook account due to an avalanche of angry complaints. But despite the controversy, one month later Marc Jacobs and Miu Miu didn’t hesitate to hire the actresses Hailee Steinfeld of thirteen years, and Elle Fanning of fourteen, for their worldwide image campaign. Years beforehand, little Dakota, Elle’s sister had also posed for Juergen Teller.

Children’s fashion magazines

The problem usually appears when the child world gets mixed up with the adult world, generating often dubious messages. It would be absurd to deny the fact that there is a growing market of parents looking for up-to-date clothes for their children that fit a contemporary lifestyle. For this reason, there are excellent publications devoted exclusively to children’s fashion. Bruce Weber defines Kid’s Wear as “The most beautiful magazine in the world!”. The Californian photographer contributes to the magazine alongside a long list of big names in photography like Anton Corbijn, Michel Comte, Elaine Constantine, Daniel Riera… Other interesting publications for modern parents: the French magazine Milk, or the Spanish Naif and Caos Magazine.

The world of mini-mes

In the last two years and in response to the growing demand for fashion in line with the outfits of most fashionable parents, brands like Marc Jacobs, Lanvin, Gucci, Stella McCartney, Marni, 3.1. Phillip Lim or Acne have launched a children’s collection onto the market. Some create their own world, others limit themselves to replicating the adult world in perfect and delicate miniature versions. Last week New York Times journalist Cathy Horyn devoted an article to the explosion of children’s collections “That Dress Is So Preschool”, where she consulted experts on the suitability of these designs for children. The children’s fashion designer Rachel Riley didn’t hesitate to point out the ‘buts’ about these clothes: “they are expensive”, “the fabric is mediocre” and “they’re not made for children’s bodies”. And she continues “Why does a child need anything remotely sexy? For me it’s not ethical.”

The world of children

And because children shouldn’t be any more than just that, we will round up this article with a fantastic feature “We Don’t Need No Education” by Ryan McGinley. A good demonstration that when fashion crosses children’s path it’s fashion that should adapt itself to them and not the other way around. Published in 2009 in the magazine Purple, the little people wearing the latest are themselves and remind us that there is no need to grow up ahead of time.

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The Naked And Famous. The Sun

Collage. Alicia Meseguer
Music. The Naked and Famous. The Sun

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Fever Ray. Keep The Streets Empty For Me

Foundation Mat teint 32, Chanel
Concealer Natural, Bobby Brown
Shadow Carbon, M.A.C
Eyepencil Smolder, M.A.C
Lip Balm, M.A.C
Mask Fellini Helena Rubinstein

Photography. Anabel Luna
Model. Cristina Jurach @ Francina Models
Make-up & Hair. Ruben Marmol
Accessories. Manuel Bolaño
Music. Fever Ray. Keep The Streets Empty For Me

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Before standing out in the field of sculpture, Gavin Worth (Zimbabwe, 1981) studied Drama, he never stopped drawing and defines himself as a self-taught plastic artist.

It’s clear you had an artistic vocation but have you finally defined which discipline you relate to most, have you left acting behind or do you still combine it with plastic arts and sculpture?
Wire sculpture still has a long way to go. I definitely feel very excited to be starting to make pieces on a much bigger scale and sculptures that play more with form, but I am also thinking of ways to combine everything further in a narrative structure. It’s a new idea, so it’s difficult to talk about it at the moment, but yes, I am seeking to combine various disciplines.

How did the idea of wire sculpture first come about?
I was looking for a new medium that escaped all traditional materials: oil paints, canvas, and stone or metal in sculpture. I had experimented with all of them in the past and I was tired of the stigma and exclusiveness they held.
I wanted a new material that could take the audience aback with its immediate presence within a different environment. I was looking for a new vocabulary to express my ideas. I began to wander through a hardware store and experimented with cardboard, spray paint, aluminium, steel plates and wire. I saw a programme on Calder and I was impressed by the shape of his works and I knew that’s what I wanted to explore but in a more realist style. A week later, I was creating my first sculpture.

Gavin was born in Zimbabwe, grew up in New Mexico, California witnessed his performances with Shakespeare Theater and now he is professor at the American International School in Cairo. Where does a person with your life experience feel your roots are?
That is a difficult question. My paternal family were from California and they were all involved in show business: my grandparents were musicians and my grandmother’s brother was a famous cinema actor. My mother is Iranian. I was born in Zimbabwe and grew up in New Mexico. I think if I had to call anywhere home it would be there. It’s one of the most beautiful places on the planet and the people are wonderful.

Why Egypt?
My wife and I had lived in San Francisco for a while and were looking for opportunities to live abroad. We wanted to move out of our bubble and live in other places. I received job offers in Cairo and Hong Kong. The job in Cairo was very interesting so we decided to come here. It’s a fascinating place, but it’s not easy: we face many challenges everyday because we are basically so different. But what is not lacking here is inspiration, everywhere you turn your head you see something amazing.

What is your way of working? Do your surroundings have an influence on your creations?
The idea and design are everything. If I see a person move in a particular way, or if the way in which two people interact draws my attention, I’ll try and capture it in a drawing. I try to translate it and express it with wire. I am currently living in Cairo, Egypt, and it seems clear to me that the atmosphere influences my work. You can’t look at things in the same way when the world and the way of life are so different.

Where do you see yourself in twenty years time?
That’s very hard to say, because a year ago I could never have predicted that I would be working in Egypt, commissioned to create a fountain in France. But basically, I would love to be working on something that inspires me to get out of bed every day and to eat well, go camping, and spend time with my friends and family. And a dog. I’d like to have a dog.

+ info. Gavin Worth

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Russian Red. My Love Is Gone

Photography. Josefina Cervero
Make-up & Hair. Bernardita Cervero
Model. Francisca Benavides
Music. Russian Red. My Love Is Gone

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BE YOURSELF vs COPY THE STYLE OF…

Last January 17th, as a result of the following headline on SMODA: “Tell me which celebrity you look like and I’ll tell you how to do yourself up”, artist Joan Morey, posed the following question on Facebook: whatever happened to “Be yourself”?. This motto, a pure symbol of individuality in the eighties and nineties has been replaced nowadays by the stale: “Copy the style of…” And though the boom in social networks and fast fashion seems to have widened our options, there is an overwhelming need to look like someone else.

EXACTITUDES

Photographer Ari Versluis and editor Ellie Uyttenbroek are the creators of the enthralling Exactitudes project that began to take shape in 1994. The name for this series arose by shrinking the words ‘exact’ and ‘attitude’. Here they group subjects with similar styles photographed in the exact same pose and against a neutral backdrop. With a scientific and anthropological perspective, the couple take the contradiction between individuality and uniformity to the extreme.

VIRTUAL TRIBES

Fast fashion brands are the new rock stars. Kids become fans of their Facebook pages, buy their clothes and wear them with pride on the net. Pages such as Lookbook, Chictopia, Chicisimo or Trentation are the virtual meeting places belonging to this new urban tribe that brings the work of Exactitudes to real life. With celebrity poses, they show us their latest acquisitions and proposals for fashion outfits. In the picture: one of this season’s hits, floral print trousers from H&M, a well-made copy of Céline. Far from wanting to be different, “looking like” brings a sense of calm and security.

THE ATTACK OF THE CLONES

What is a clone? In fashion this expression is used to define a copied garment. Usually, the original comes from a luxury label while the clone is the work of a fast fashion firm. Lovers of the latest trends avidly seek out the replicas of their favourite designers. At astronomical prices, the originals orbit outside of their possibilities. To assist in the matter, there are experts on the subject such as Cameron, creator of the blog Devil Wears Zara: a glance at the fashion world through the art of the copy and ‘look-a-likes’. Though in other industries a mere whiff of a copy is rejected by the best part of the status quo, Devil Wears Zara has been lodged for months on Vogue.es.

IS THE COPY LEGITIMATE?

One of the reasons why the issue of plagiarisms and inspirations generates a much more lax attitude in fashion, is because copying is an important part of the creative process. Many designers borrow from vintage patterns to create their new designs. Replicas and revivals appear in many collections. But there are lines that are probably not fair to cross. One of the cases that caused the most surprise was in 2001 when, from Hintmag, the industry’s darling, Nicolas Ghesquiere was found out to be a copycat. The Frenchman had replicated a design by a small-scale designer from San Francisco who had already passed away, called Kaisik Wong for the spring/summer 2002 collection for Balenciaga. Is the copy really part of the creative process? journalist Cathy Horyn asked herself in The New York Times. The fact is that rather than taking inspiration from the archives belonging to the house he represented, Ghesquiere used Wong’s design as a basis for the best part of the collection. This case made it plain that those most vulnerable are small-scale designers. A recent case in Spain is that of Casa Peseta, that saw how Salvador Bachiller copied one of their shoulder bags.

JARMUSH. THE DEBATE IS OPEN

I’d like to finish with this mini-manifesto by Jim Jarmush and a recommended visit to REMAKE: Material for a study on the ORIGINAL and the COPY and Inspiration/Plagiarism: a fine line.
I’d love to hear your opinion.

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Noisia. Leakage

#1. shirt and shoes PRADA + shorts LEONID ALEXEEV
#2. shirt and cloak LEONID ALEXEEV + shoes PRADA + shorts MISSONI
#3. shirt ALEXANDER McQUEEN
#4. shirt ALEXANDER McQUEEN + skirt LEONID ALEXEEV + shoes TOPSHOP
#5. cloak and shorts LEONID ALEXEEV + boots TOPSHOP + shirt D&G
#6. glasses TOPSHOP + coat and shirt LEONID ALEXEEV
#7. total look LEONID ALEXEEV

Photography. Fedor Bitkov
Stylist. Anastasia Shepelevich
Hair. Maria Lischouk
Model. Arthur Daniyarov @ Andy Fiord Models
Music. Noisia. Leakage
Special thanks. Babochka

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The Beatles. Here Comes The Sun

Photography. Yuvali Theis
Styling. Valeria Popov
Model. Denise Dulnig
Music. The Beatles. Here Comes The Sun

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