FAD Magazine Vol. 3 No.1

FASHION/ART/DESIGNHORACE MANN SCHOOLVOL. 3 NO. 1FALL 2011

THE WORLD

ISSUE+Venice Biennale 2011Architecture Out of this World

The Rise of Street ArtWhat the Internet is Doing to Fashion

f.a.d. magazine fashion | art | design2

EDITORS’ NOTE

W When the September Issues hit shelves in late August, it was impossible to ignore the con-stant call to far-off places and their cultures within maga-zines like Vogue and Elle. With a summer filled with global fi-

nancial crisis, continuous rebellion and upheaval in the Middle East, and a strong media focus on issues around the world, we realized that the global context of our lives cannot simply be ignored. Everything in fashion, art, and design draws on some cultural his-tory: HM Art History teacher Mr. Schlesinger says that even the most avant-garde art is based in appro-priation, or “quoting” the art of the past. So, for our September issue, we decided to take a look beyond what we see in our everyday lives, even in a famed “melting pot” like New York. Our usual sections have expanded to include stories that may not be visible from our usual perspective. Our feature articles have a specifically global bent, and our feature editorial is inspired by films that look out on the worlds of oth-ers instead of in on our normal lives. We hope our readers appreciate the global awareness we’ve tried

to foster through this issue, if only within the realm of creative expression. “The Global Issue” examines the artistic world in its entirety. Given the turmoil that pervades every corner of the globe nowadays, we think it’s especially important to tap into the world’s culture. The atrocities we hear about in the newspaper may seem overwhelming, but they are far outnumbered by the myriad ways in which people have managed to create beauty. The modern world has allowed us to witness an unprecedented inter-connection of cultures that should be celebrated... Basically, make art, not war.

As FAD Magazine grows and changes, we hope to continue broadening our horizons. Now that we’re the official EIC’s, we’re finally coming to realize what it means to create a magazine, and how important it is to include our peers in its realization. This is-sue would not have been possible without the con-stant hard work and dedication of the FAD staff over the summer. We’d like to thank everyone who has helped to make FAD the magazine that it is—let’s keep it up for a third year, and hopefully many more!

Baci WeilerCo-Editor in Chief

Rachel ScheinfeldCo-Editor in Chief

horace mann school | fall 2011 | vol. 3 no. 1 f.a.d. magazine 3

THE WORLD ISSUE

6

SPONGE

8

REVIEWS

12DESIGN + ARCHITECTURE

14INTERVIEWS

20FEATURES

17SPECIAL REPORT

24PHOTO SHOOTS

42D.I.Y.

brief culture updates + reviews

Venice Biennale 2011Trend ReportBlog RollWhat Art Where?

Out of this World

Sarah PaijiPeter KimBradford Shellhammer

Fashion vs. ReligionThe Rise of Street ArtTracing Clothes to their OriginsWhat the Internet is Doing to Fashion

Hats Off @ HMWild Thing @ Upper East SideRoam Around the World @ UES

braided beaded bracelet

horace mann school | fall 2011 | vol. 3 no. 1

fashion passportTraditional Clothing

Cover: Photo by Flo Ngala ‘13. Model Julia Pretsfelder ‘14. This page: Photo by Gina Yu ‘14. Model Kylie Logan ‘14. Opposite page: from right: Model Maia Landesberg ‘14. Photo by Gina Yu ‘14. Photo by Rachel Schein-feld ‘12. Model Flo Ngala ‘13. Photo by Olivia Chigad ‘12. Model Yohan Hahn ‘12 and Lia Ehrlich ‘12.Back cover: Yohan Hahn ‘12 and Florence Ngala ‘13. photo by Olivia Chigas ‘12.Digital Editing by Seth Arar ‘12, Olivia Chigas ’12, and Gina Yu ‘14. Hair, makeup and styling by FAD Staff.


Co-Editors-In-ChiefRachel Scheinfeld & Bathsheba Weiler

SENIOR BOARDCreative Director Noah MargulisProduction Manager Seth Arar

Managing Editor Veronica WilliamsonFeatures Editor Anna Goldberg

Shoot Coordinators Lia Ehrlich & Chloe AlbaneseArchitecture and Design Editor Billie Kanfer

Beauty Editor Rachel Buissereth

JUNIOR EDITORSShaKea Alston, Diana Rheinstein, Paige Burris, Julia Hirschberg, Emma Garcia

SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERSOlivia Chigas, Kim Sarnoff, Ella Landesberg

JUNIOR BOARD Assistant Managing Editor Anna CarollJunior Features Editor Julia Pretsfelder

Assistant Shoot Coordinators Alex Vogelsang & Michelle KimAssistant Beauty Editor Lauren Cantor

Junior Editorial Managers Edie Comas & Jessica HellerJunior Design Editor Shinil Kim

Junior Production Editors Mihika Kapoor & Gina Yu

CONTRIBUTORS + STAFFGeorgie Bonondona, Diva Gattani, Rachel Ha, Natalie Imamura,

Antonio Irizarry, Dan Froot, Rachel Kline, Maia Landesberg, Halle Liebman, Kylie Logan, Allison Malin, Florence Ngala, Savannah Smith

Faculty Advisor Alicia Hines

We would like to thank Ms. Hines, Dr. Kelly, Ms. Rubirosa, Mr. Do, Mr. Logan, Ms. Busby, Ms. Cassino, Dr. Delanty, and Dr. Schiller for their continuous support in the creation of FAD!

PLEASE NOTE: As a policy, FAD never digitally alters photos to fundamentally change a model’s appearance, including body image and color. Aside from artistic editing, FAD only removes minor blemishes and adjusts lighting values at the discretion of the editors and the models themselves. Digital editing, including the use of Adobe Photoshop, is credited where utilized.


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BEHIND THE SCENESA

DS U M

M E R / F A L L 2

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WEAR IT

We’re all eagerly searching for the latest style in shoes, the newest trend in hand-bags, the freshest fad in fall jackets. The only element left untouched is our hair! The good news is there is an extremely unique and stylish new fashion trend for hair; feather hair extensions. It’s quickly grown into a widespread fashion, but there are so many different colors, shapes, and lengths--individuality is guaranteed. The popular style actually began in Colorado. With fly-fishing as a common past time there, and the tail-feathers of roosters used as bait—the fisherman shockingly inspired a fashion phenomenon, using the rooster feathers in people’s hair. The extensions add a touch of color and character to even a simple outfit, and look best when clipped under the hair. Though the feathers can be expensive, cheaper ones that aren’t actu-ally from a rooster are available, and just as colorful and interesting. It is debatable whether or not this fad will last, but it is definitely a modern and creative approach to styling hair. -KYLIE LOGAN ‘14

FEATHER HAIR EXTENSIONS

PAINT IT

Shocking nail art has been a trend that has grown tremendously just in the past year. In our own school hallways, manicures have evolved from I Pink I Love Yous and the occasional Cha-Ching Cherrys into a secret competition for the most noticeable nails. With brands like Sally Hansen mak-ing it especially easy to have professional looking statement nails with its new stick on manicures that range from flowers, to lace, to butterflies, to glitter, boring nails are now a thing of the past. Even singers like Katy Perry and MIA have sported mul-ticolored, bejeweled nail art on the red car-pet and at their concerts. Nail art has even gone international. The International Nail Art Gala, which holds galas in the United States, Mexico, and Italy, hosted three pro-fessional nail technicians from around the world. These guests manicured the nails of hand models with very lavish designs and then gave basic tutorials for the guests on how to replicate the designs for every day wear. The international nail art commu-nity also likes a little friendly competition. The 4th International Nail Art Competi-tion was held in Malaysia last July. Con-testants needed one 3D nail design, one French sculpture nail design, one natural length design, and one lengthily nail de-sign; winners received a variety of cash prizes. Though most looks from both the gala and the competition are hard to wear when you’re pounding out an average of 2 papers a week, nail art can be wearable and fun for every day too. -CHLOE ALBANESE ‘12

THE WORLD AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

On September 16th, 2011, the Daphne Guinness Exhibition will debut at the Museum at FIT and feature around one hundred pieces of clothing and accesso-ries from Guinness’ personal collection. This collection will include looks from Alexander McQueen, Azzedine Alaïa,

Chanel, Christian Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Rick Owens, Gareth Pugh, and Valentino. Guinness has also designed some of her own pieces, which will be on display as well. The exhibit will be curated by Guin-ness, herself, and Valerie Steele, the Di-rector and Chief Curator of the Museum at FIT, and is being supported and funded by the LEVIEV Extraordinary Diamonds, MAC Cosmetics, The Couture Council, Barneys New York, Jean Shafiroff, and BNY Mellon Wealth Management.-HALLE LIEBMAN ‘13

SPONGESPONGE f.a.d. staff recommend you check out these quick

current culture fixes

WE ABSORB CULTURE

DAPHNE GUINNESSON DISPLAY @ FIT

VISIT IT


British Model Naomi Campbell has recently collabo-rated with the Italian denim-wear company, Fiorucci, to design a line of jeans. She debuted her collection on June 22nd at Men’s Fashion Week in Milan. The collec-tion contains fifteen pieces with four different fits and a variety of trend setting washes. Campbell’s collection also features five T-shirts that are printed with images of Campbell from her cover shoot with i-D magazine. The Fiorucci label was extremely successful throughout the 70’s and 80’s, but has declined in popularity ever since. Campbell’s line, which is set to go on sale next spring, is predicted to return Fiorucci as a prominent force in the fashion industry.-MIHIKA KAPOOR ‘14

BUILD IT

Thom Mayne, an American architect from Los Angeles, is well known for his unique designs. Mayne graduated from the Uni-versity of Southern California and attended Harvard University Graduate School of De-sign. With his education, he was able to pull off numbers of fabulous buildings. His re-cently completed projects include the New Academic building for the Cooper Union and NOAA (National Satellite Operations Center). Many people recognized Mayne’s talent, for he has received the Pritzker Prize, Los Angeles Gold Medal, and numbers of other awards. Phare Tower of France and Perot Museum of Nature & Science of Texas are soon to be completed under Mayne’s eye. Thom Mayne is arousing many other architects’ curiosity in what other extrava-gant work of art he will bring to the world of architecture next.-SHINIL KIM ‘14

WHAT’S NEW WITH THOM MAYNE

STRUT ITMODEL GONE FASHION DESIGNER:NAOMI CAMPBELL FOR FIORUCCI

SEE IT

CHELSEA: MANHATTAN’S GO-TO ART SCENE

NIGHT OUT

As the stores stayed open and the events went on, fashionistas, shoppers, teens, and adults pounded the NYC pavement for the third year of Fashion’s Night Out. Highlights included the Teen Vogue Block Party on Bleecker, the numerous extravaganzas at Bergdorfs and Barneys, and celebrity sightings like Rachel Zoe, Justin Bieber, and even Miss Piggy...?-RACHEL SCHEINFELD ‘12

FNO CELEBRATES A THIRD YEAR

Chelsea is Manhattan’s go-to district for both New York’s up and coming and well-known artists. Along every street, galleries hold exhibits, each for only about a month. All are free of charge and have fewer than twenty-five works. They are relatively empty - the few I visited had just two girls work-ing at the desk and three view-ers including myself. Among my favorites were the Andrew Edlin Gallery, lo-cated at 134 10th avenue and the Alexander and Bonin gallery next door at 132 10th Ave. The Edlin Gallery featured black and white drawings accompanied by mysterious cap-tions. The words themselves are a puzzle and mixed with the imagery in the draw-ing the entire work comes together under a new light. Death is a theme straddling

many of the works in the exhibit, most of which have words or depictions referenc-ing the human hand. Towards the back of the gallery the multimedia works are held; everything from photos to prints and

sculptures can be found. The Alexander and Bonin exhibit contains fewer abstract pieces, with many im-p r e s s i o n i s t i c works and a good amount of color play. This gallery exhibits works of many artists all

at once so as to throw different genres all together into a very small amount of space. Other must-sees: 303 Gallery (at 525 w 22nd street,) Skylight Gallery (at 538 w 29th street,) and ArtBridge (at 526 w 26th street.) -EDIE COMAS ‘14


From top down: SAUDI ARABIA The Black Arch (Raja and Shadia Alem); Padiglione Centrale IL-LUMInations; PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINAPervasion; SOUTH AF-RICA Desire: Ideal Nar-ratives in Contemporary South African Art; CHILE Gran Sur (Fernando Prats). Photos from www.labiennale.org

Paige Burris ‘13 gives you the inside scoop on the current festivals and events of this prestigious cultural institution.

REVIEWS

VENICE BIENNALE 2011

Venice is currently experiencing modern art on steroids. The Venice Biennial is going on and the city is booming with culture shocking, out-

of-control, contemporary works of art. Venice is al-ready known for its artwork, but from June through November the art scene steals even more of the an-cient city’s spotlight.

Throughout the last century, the Venice Biennial has been one of the most prominent and prestigious expositions of modern art in the world. It was found-ed in 1895 and has since been promoting and devel-oping contemporary art. Held once every two years, it lasts from early June to November. This year has been a huge success so far, with a record number of pavilions in the festival, 83 artists, and over 300,000 visitors.

As the Biennial is an international festival, the artists and spectators come from all over the world. The Venice Biennial is not only well known for its plastic arts, but it also for the Venice Biennial of Ar-chitecture which takes place every even year. It is also home to a Film Festival and a Dance Festival. All the venues give the artists amazing oppurtunities for global recognition.

The Biennial’s theme this year is entitled “Mak-ing World.” Many of the artists incorporated their interpretation into their work. The exposition is com-posed of one central exhibit hall and an immense number of smaller pavilions. To encompass this theme, many artists focused on the ideas of global-ization and the economy.

Lavish parties are thrown throughout Ven-ice during the Biennial. Numerous art exhibits are opened by thousands of artists who hope to become more known in the art world. The main focus of the Biennial, however, is to givelocals as well as tour-

ists from all over the world to opportunity to learn, explore, and immerse themselves in art and various cultures from around the world. It is an event that connects people from all over the world in order to explore something amazing.

The United States has many artists represented at the event. One to look out for is Bruce Nauman. Nauman is an artist from Indiana who became well known in the 1970’s for incorporating wild mediums such as neon tubing, animal hide, and expressive au-dio pieces into his work.

The main exhibition during the Biennial this year is known as ILLUMInations. It is directed by Bice Curiger and organized by la Biennale di Vene-zia. It is comprised of a single display by 83 differ-ent artists from all over the world, and it spreads over a 10,000 square meter radius. ILLUMInations was chosen as the title because it gives attention to light which is a traditional and well known theme used throughout the history of art. The suffix “na-tions” connotes culture and today’s modern world. It also supports the fact that this is a national event connecting people from all over the world. Within the ILLUMInations exhibit, the Golden Lion Award, an honor given to the best artist, was given to Christian Marclay, an American artist, for his piece titled The Clock, 2010. One of the main topics of interest and discussion throughout the 2011 Biennial is reality and its role and representation within art.

The Wall Street Journal refers to the Venice Bi-ennial as “The Art World’s Olympics,” and that it is. The trophy for any of the artists, however, is global recognition, and partaking in the Venice Biennial is a sure way to achieve success.


As a last look before the cold rolls in, Michelle Kim ‘14 reviews spring and summer’s runway & street trends. Did you measure up?

go with the flow. . . . maxi skirts

feel the love. . . . 60's & 70's

morning sunshine. . . . orange hues

DAINTY DUCHESS. . . . lace

Once the warm weather hit, the craze for maxi skirts began to appear along every street, whether on the cobblestones of Milan or on the Brooklyn Bridge in New

York. Sheer maxi skirts stirred some controversy about “revealing too much,” but everyone knows that with fashion, there’s no such thing. Models such as Abbey

Lee Kershaw were the first to flaunt their long legs through the sheer floorlength dresses. Now, many don the risky style, especially because the warm days and the light fabric of maxi skirts just go together. Bright colors and simple hairstyles are the usual accessories for the look. Sometimes they’re even worn as a day-to-night

dress: one can easily wear a long dress while strolling through the park with sandals and then switch to heels for a late dinner. The careless but polished style of maxi

skirts captures the essence of spring/summer style.

The rage of ‘sophistication chic’ has grown everywhere around the world. Elements from the ‘60s and ‘70s dressing have been spilling throughout streets. Longer hem-lines, wide-leg pants, corsets, fuller figures, and excessive pleating, were noticed in the spring. Elegant and high fashion outfits were clearly displayed both on runways and during the day, especially women going to work. Marc Jacobs portrayed the bustier countours of a woman’s body in tight corsage dresses with wide trims on the bottom. Dolce and Gabanna’s runway showed flowery and light shift dresses along with fun bandanas and big sunglasses, mixing the 70’s throwback with some bohe-mian looks. Inspiration from the class and high quality defining the swinging 60’s are playful and reminiscent. This revival of the 60’s-70’s is just a very fashionable example of ‘history repeating itself.’

Whether white or black, any clothing with lace or crochet is ideal for sunny spring-time. Both were very common on the runways from Christopher Kane to Dolce and Gabanna. While Kane incorporated his lacy dresses with bold neon colors, D&G kept it classy with flowery and dainty finishes. Lace and crochet could both be worn very differently: top model Chanel Iman wore a light, nude, and long-sleeved mini lace dress and a floppy suede brown hat to an after-party, whereas Lily Donaldson, another leading model, was gracefully dressed in a full-out long, sheer, navy dress on the red carpet. Isabel Marant wore a white crochet vest over a simple dress during a burning-hot day at the Coachella Festival in California while a New York socialite wore a skin-tight Herve Leger crochet mini-dress in the city. Dressed very luxuriously or easy-going, lace and crochet are both versatile and playful.

Even through Hermes’ signature color was orange ever since the fashion house began, the exotic hues of orange were truly worn throughout 2011’s spring season.

The vivid citrus coloring was displayed through makeup, especially for lipsticks and nail polishes as well. Orange lips are very flattering due to their vamped up neutral

shade as a statement tone. Tangerine, coral, persimmon, and all the other shades of orange were worn by plenty; whether it be on a J. Mendel or Carolina Herrera

model on the runway, to Rachel Bilson in an orange blazer, the orange color com-plements everyone’s skin-tone. Many individuals have embraced the fabulous hues

of the bright color to correspond to the breezy and sunny weather in the spring. The vibrant and prominent tone highlights the silhouette and anyone will definitely be

noticed while wearing the subtly- loud color on the streets.

TREND AROUND THE BEND

REVIEWS


REVIEWS

Gina Yu ‘14 reviews four international fashion/art/design blogs to keep your eye on.

BLOG ROLL

Above, from left: Susanna Lau of StyleBubble; Gary Card of GaryCardiology; Tavi Gevinson of The Style

Rookie. Below: Scott Schuman of The Sartorialist.

Well. That’s a surprise. For those who don’t know, Tavi has quickly become one of the biggest names in fashion blogging. I went to a McQueen workshop at the Met in June, and actually got the chance to talk to her, and hang out with her for a while. Friends of mine had actually said that she wasn’t very nice, so I entered the workshop, not really knowing what to expect. She was scheduled to talk about the exhibit and answer some questions about her thoughts on the exhibit. Afterwards was an arts and crafts activity, which turned out to be an 8 year-old summer camper’s haven. Nevertheless, I got to get to know Tavi and make what turned out to be a headband with a small hat on top… Tavi made a simple black tiara out of pipe cleaners and something else I don’t quite recall, although I remember there being glitter and buttons involved. Yes, definitely glitter. Her blog showcases creative photos (mostly taken by herself, and/or of herself) and insight into her life through fashion, as well as providing feedback and thought into the latest fashion trends.

Upon entering Gary’s blog, you are hit with a stunning purple background and the logo front and center. But don’t let the simple and bold theme fool you. Gary writes pretty infrequently for a blogger, but his posts are consistently interesting and unusual. Although still a fashion blog, Gary Card also focuses heavily on design and art. Chock full of colorful and eccentric snapshots, Gary’s blog epitomizes the phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words.”

This blog is similar to Tavi’s, in the sense that there is more writing and captions along with pictures. Her blog design is fun and easy to navigate without looking too juvenile. Even though the captions are plentiful, vibrant photographs fill up most of the page, showing fashion through Susanna’s eyes.

Mr. Schuman is probably one of the most famous fashion photographers, and rightly so. For one, his blog is aesthetically very cleanly designed. What I noticed at first were the ads. They aren’t loud pop ups or obnoxious sidebars, but they came from Swatch and The Gap, which are pretty high-paid com-panies. The Sartorialist is mainly a fashion photography blog, with a written entry or a longer caption thrown in here and there. His street photography from around the world is interesting and poignant.

Tavi Gevinson thestylerookie.com

Gary Card garycardiology.blogspot.com

susanna lau stylebubble.typepad.com

Scott schuman thesartorialist.blogspot.com

Highsnobiety’s layout is incredibly similar to that of style.com’s, but with fewer ads and a less cluttered front page. The blog collects entries from around the world ranging from all text to all photos. The lack of the .blogspot seems appropriate, because it’s not just a blog. It’s mélange of art, fashion, design and music articles.

david fischer highsnobiety.com


Julia Pretsfelder ‘14 reveals the ins and outs of art scenes around the world you’ve never heard of.

WHAT ART WHERE?

The collage that covers the walls of buildings in Melbourne elevates graffiti to a colorful and unique art form. In the 60s and 70s New York and the UK inspired the dissatisfied youth in Melbourne to begin the “stencil art” revolution. Many famous street artists like Banksy and Logan Hicks have done work there. The street art has become a fixture of Melbourne culture and attracts tourism from all over the world. Although the art is supported by the people, the Australian government has been very inconsistent in its support of the art. On one hand the government has produced books of the art and has profited from tourism; on the other, the government can imprison people for up to two years for “vandalism”. Victorian Premier John Brumby referred to the graffiti as a “blight on the city.” While local councils attempted to protect a Banksy print with Perspex, they also accidentally destroyed his print of a rat with a parachute. Despite problems with the government, Melbourne art is still celebrated by the art world and through the Stencil Art Festival, an event that has occurred there annually since 2004.

Many artists migrated from areas well known for their art scenes, like New York City and California, to the crumbling city of Detroit because of the cheap prices there. Now artists are taking advantage of the ruins to create art and form underground art communities. One artist, Scott Hocking, created an installation called “Garden of the Gods” out of parts from an old car factory. Two artists from Brooklyn covered a house in ice to dramatize Detroits’ foreclosure crisis. Detroit artists are also attempting to form a more tight knit community. Soup is an organization that hosts monthly five-dollar dinners for Detroit artists to discuss proposals as to why they de-serve $600-900 grants for their projects.

Wang Qingsong is one of the most famous Chinese artists and has some of the most interesting photography I have ever seen. His work is surprisingly racy for someone raised in a country where the only photos he saw were propaganda and where government censorship is prevalent. His work is critical of Chinese culture’s obsession with the material rather than the spiritual and the obsession with West-ern culture. Although he uses recognizabl modern logos like that of McDonalds and Coca-Cola, Wang Qingsong also incorporates darker parts of China’s past into his artwork through his usage of the Com-munist symbol. His work proves that government censorship in-creases the presence of counter-culture art.

pushing boundaries: melbourne, australia

reviving a struggling city: detroit, usa

anti-propaganda: china

REVIEWS


ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

Noah Margulis ‘13 & Veronica Williamson ‘13 break down four of the world’s most mind-boggling feats of architecture.

OUT OF THIS WORLD

The Upside-Down House, situated in the town of Syzmbark, Poland, is built to look like a normal house that has been dropped upside-down,

sticking awkwardly out of the ground. This otherwise standard-looking house might seem like a ploy to attract tourists to the otherwise insignifi-

cant town, especially since the architect is known for making weird con-structions—he’s been in the Guinness Book of World Records for things like the longest wood carving—but this house wasn’t meant to be just a

quirky building. Czapiewski designed it as a commentary on the Commu-nist Era in Poland. The site is dizzying and disorienting to many visitors,

capturing the social turmoil in Poland. The builders reportedly took much longer than normal to complete the project because they were thrown off

by the strange angles of the walls. It turns out, despite the bold message it conveys, the Upside-Down House has indeed led to a boom in tourism.

upside-down housearchitect: daniel czapiewski

syzmbark, Poland

Another gravity-defying building is called the “Pod House,” which is not too far away in New Rochelle, New York. One might assume the home is UFO-inspired, but the true inspiration was the structure of a local wildflower, Queen Anne’s lace. Its thin “stems” support pods with inter-connecting walkways. Each pod is circular and its walls are almost all glass, giving an amazing view of the surrounding forest. The house is an amusing example of organic architecture—build-ings that imitate forms found in nature—a style of architecture highly associated with early 20th century French Art Nouveau. The structure man-ages to transform concrete, a normally urban, nondescript material, into an expressive medium for a nonstandard place to live. The house was featured in the book Weird New York, which includes other similarly off-the-beaten-track buildings.

pod housearchitect: James h. johnsonnew rochelle, new york, USA


The “Floating Castle” in Ukraine may not be a castle, but it definitely looks like it’s floating. Many people have speculated how this building remains in the air while supported on a sin-gle cantilever. The building is made out of corrugated steel and balances on a block of concrete in the ground. It was originally used as a bunker for the overload of mineral fertilizers—it goes to show, even a building with the humblest function can be an example of amazing architectural form. The building is often compared to the magical-mechanical castle from the animated film Howl’s Moving Castle; both look like they’ve had sections tacked on haphazardly, but manage to elegantly defy gravity despite their charming clumsiness.

floating castlearchitect: unknownukraine

As kids we’ve all wanted to build a tree house, and the “Extreme Tree House” in

Irian Jana, Indonesia, would be a kid’s dream come true. The Korowai and Kombai

clans carved out clearings of this remote forest for these extreme tree houses. Rather than being nestled in the branches of a tree, the houses are perched on the very top, fully

exposed to the elements. The houses are built in trees that can be up to 82 feet tall,

and the trees often seem unable to hold up the houses. However, the tribes actually

carry out their daily lives in these outstand-ing houses. Indonesia offers tours to visit the tree houses and see the Korowai and Kombai

clans. These residences are a testament to the amazing things mankind can attain

through architecture, even if to the modern world these tribes may seem undeveloped.

extreme tree housearchitect: korowai & kombai tribes

irian jana, indonesia

The nickname for this building is pretty obvious: La Lavadora, or

the Washing Machine. The Post-Modern structure is actually an

office building; the striking facade is deceiving—the “washing machine doors” are merely in front of what is basically a giant glass-skinned cube. Still, the appeal of the gaping round holes is undeniable. The building is

situated in the newest, most modern part of Mexico City, in stark contrast

to other much poorer areas.

calakmul building architect: agustin hernandez

mexico city, mexico


INTERVIEWS

Rachel Scheinfeld ‘12 Interviews Co-Founder and CEO of Snapette, “a fun new iPhone app that helps you discover and share photos of the best shoes and bags in the world around you.”

Sarah Paijiof Snapette

Sarah Paiji, left, with co-founder Jinhee Ahn Kim, right, along with their “favorite fashion blogger” BryanBoy, center.

Snapette is helping with discovery of fashion. You can instantly find out what’s trending anywhere in the world and what’s available in nearby stores–informa-tion that isn’t available anywhere else.

How did your childhood and education influence what you are doing now?I’ve spent my whole life preparing for this year. I was always of the mindset “work hard now so you can be happy later.” This year I surprised myself and finally cashed in. For some people, that “later” never comes - it’s hard to break out of the rat race. I got straight A’s, went to Harvard, and paid my dues at top firms in investment banking, management consulting and private equity. While I wasn’t passionate about any of my jobs, I learned a ton and wouldn’t change a thing. All my prior jobs required me to work very closely with companies and their management teams, and through these experiences, I learned a lot about how to build and run a busi-ness of my own. I never wanted to be a management consultant or private equity investor when I grew up. In fact, these jobs didn’t even cross my radar until college. I guess I didn’t want to be the CEO of a mobile fashion app company either, but it’s definitely much closer to my lifelong interests in fashion and connecting people through technology.In what ways do you see Snapette influencing the world of social media/communication and fashion?I think the ways in which women and men communicate are very different, and there are many instances in which women just want the feedback from a community of other women. For example, women love to comment to friends that an outfit is “so cute”…or “LOVE that bag”… there are emotions and expressions that are very unique to women and a community like Snapette can make it easy to accommodate those emotions. Women could also share their shoe and bag finds on Facebook, but this is something they might not want to share with their family, male friends, co-workers etc but would rather do on a social network specifically for other women who share their strong interest in fashion. I also think Sna-pette is helping with discovery of fashion. You can instantly find out what is trending anywhere in the world and what’s available in nearby stores – information that isn’t available anywhere else, but we’re now making available through crowdsourcing. With so many stores, each with so many products and constantly changing inven-tory, Snapette helps women cut through the noise and discover the best stores and products.What do you think is different in “women entrepreneurs” in comparison to more male led companies? If you do see a difference-in what ways has this influenced the sna-pette business structure?

Women are more expressive (we speak 7,000 words a day vs. 2,000 words a day for me), and also more inclusive and better at listening. We have a lot of open discussions, and encourage our high school interns to share their thoughts and challenge our thinking. Our team also makes a point to cel-ebrate small wins and recognize contribution of team members. I think we get an added boost of energy from being a female-founded company with a lot of young women interns. Jinhee and I also know the importance of having strong female mentors and try to ful-fill that role for our younger team members. We also bring a unique female perspective to our product development. E-commerce is still very much about applying filters and using search boxes. Women know that some-times you don’t know what you’re looking for until you see it. The fun of Snapette is that it helps women stumble upon great shoes and bags they may not have known they wanted.Why accessories?Because women are passionate about shoes and bags. These are the product for which women are aspirational and more willing to stretch for in price. And they look great on everyone and look great in photos. We want to start focused and be able to deliver strongly against it.What advice would you give to teenagers interested in getting involved in the fashion business or starting a com-pany?Definitely take advantage of your summers to do internships. Es-pecially if you’re in NYC, there are a lot of start-ups and fashion brands that would love to take on interns. Be proactive and reach out to companies that you think are doing interesting things. Many start-ups are so busy with so many different activities that they may not think to reach out to look for interns. We received inbound emails some very proactive young women who had heard about us, and we were so impressed by the enthusiasm expressed in their cover letter that we brought them on board for the summer.Last question...McQueen scarf or Birkin bag?Loving scarves right now and McQueen too. Don’t feel like I’ve “earned” a Birkin bag quite yet, but if you’re saying I could have one or the other, I’d take the Birkin of course!


Rachel Scheinfeld ‘12 talks with the Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder of fab.com. a new website that “fea-tures daily design inspirations and sales at up to 70% off retail. “

Bradford Shellhammerof fab.com

So, why design? Your site talks about “that perfect pencil, your favorite messenger bag, the headphones you use at the gym...” What about “great design” really led to the creation of fab.com?Design influences everything. When you think about design, process, ma-terial, and decide to live with good design in your life, it is hard to go back. Design makes life easier. And we all want easier lives I think. Was anything from your childhood or education influential in the creation of Fab.com? What is your role at Fab.com?Yes: I studied design at Parsons. I studied fashion design, which is not too related to Fab, but the principles of color and construction and balance and function and composition run across all design disciplines. I love sell-ing posters on Fab. As a child I collected posters and lined my bedroom walls with them, so yes, that part of me is alive and well and visible in Fab’s art. I am responsible for all the things we sell, finding them, and leading the team that looks for great design and art. I also lead the team that writes about the designs, designers, and images.Fab features a variety of products and designers—what is the process like in finding these people and items? What have been some of the most successful items sold on the site? Success has come in every category at every price point, which proves our belief that everyone wants and needs good design in their life. We find things everywhere! Magazines, blogs, trade shows, store windows, flea markets. Everywhere we go we’re thinking “would this fit on fab?” The most successful things have been art and jewelry!This issue of FAD is called The Global Issue. How has the global design world impacted fab.com? Have you seen response to the site from people outside of the U.S?Yes. But we only ship right now in the US so many people are taking to Twitter, asking us to ship elsewhere. And we will eventually. The great thing about the global economy and the ease of moving goods is that Fab really is an international marketplace. On one day we may have a table made in Brooklyn next to a basket weaved in Africa next to shirts designed in Belgium. Our company too is international. We have offices in Belgium, NYC, and India. What is the biggest difficulty you faced while creating Fab? There are so many shopping sites, blogs, and other websites out there, and it is becoming very difficult for sites to get recognized--how did Fab overcome this?We do something no one else is doing and that is why I think people are responding. We’re search-

ing for good design, not luxury, not brand names. And the humor and color we look for is a healthy contrast to many serious, stuffy showrooms and design sites out there. We live in a world that is constantly changing, especially within the design worlds. Fab has just gotten off its feet—where do you see Fab going in 5 years?I see us becoming synonymous with design online. We look to brands like Herman Miller and Ikea as inspirations, brands whose DNA is all design. We hope to grow in ways outside of what we currently do. Design affects everything so we have many directions we can move in.Is the inspiration wall on the website used in any way to find designs that relate back to photos posted by members?Without a doubt! We often times find vendors on there. Which is great: our users are acting as buyers. Inspiration comes from the masses, rather than dictated by a designers or retailers. It’s power to the people! Everything on the Fab site, even the “about” description, seems simply “fun.” Do you find this to be an important aspect of hav-ing a successful business? Is there anything the Fab team does at your offices in order to promote this fun energy?You got it. We love color. We love to laugh. We don’t take ourselves too seriously and we don’t want to be around people or brands or designers that do. So thanks for noticing. Humor is important especially in times when the economy stuggles. We sell cool things by inspired and creative people. That is a fun business and we want that to be reflected on the site.In the office we’ll have contests and joke and all our meetings are filled with laughs. Nothing is serious and we have no offices. Everyone is ap-proachable. It’s important for morale.What advice would you give to teenagers who are aspiring de-signers, innovators, business owners, or kids who have no clue what they want to do?Experience life! Understand the importance of business. Work hard.

Explore your creativity. And know it is okay to not know what you want to do. You’ll figure that out. But you have to keep moving forward. Keep working hard, go to school, get a job, and try to gain something valuable from every experience in your life and every person you meet. “That perfect pencil” or “the headphones you use at the gym”?The perfect pencil is a simple #2 crisply sharp-ened. And call me crazy, but I adore apple’s ear-buds. They come with your iPhone and they’re good.

Fab really is an interna-tional marketplace: we

may have a table made in Brooklyn next to a basket

weaved in Africa.

horace mann school | fall 2011 | vol. 3 no. 1 f.a.d. magazine

INTERVIEWS

Bradford Shellhammer

is also a writer and contributer

to many other blogs and cre-

ative outlets. Photo from twitter.com

Peter Kim on vacation with his family in Italy. Photo by Michelle Kim ‘14.


INTERVIEWS

How has Bill Blass internationally spread its name?We have registered the Bill Blass name as a trademark in most of the major countries around the world in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. No one else would be able to utilize our logo and de-signs, and one can immediately notice the BB logo as Bill Blass’s. How did it feel seeing the classy white Bill Blass gown on Britney Spears on the June 2011 cover of the renown magazine, Harper’s Bazaar?It was incredible, and I even bought a copy of the magazine for everyone in my family! It is always great advertisement for the Bill Blass line when a celebrity is wearing one of pieces. How have trends around the world impacted Bill Blass?Bill Blass will always remain a classic brand. Currently we are visiting and being reminded of the beauty of the old designs in the archives. Bill Blass is American iconic women’s luxury and sportswear design. Bringing in these core elements plus some of the new more modern and younger trends make up what Bill Blass is today. Still, Bill Blass doesn’t follow any of the fashion modes around the world; Bill Blass brings these new styles in.How and why do you want to impact the world in a glob-al perspective?When Bill Blass was alive, he was the first well-known American designer; the fashion industry was mostly focused in Europe, and not in the US. I’d like to spread American Women’s Sportswear again by reviving the brand. Everything being produced by Bill Blass is for the customer. My goal is for people to recognize Bill Blass’ clothing and feel elegant in a modern way. You lived in Korea for a long time before moving to America to begin your menswear company, Peacock Ap-parel. Was the transition of moving to the complete op-posite side of the world difficult?The most difficult part of the transition was the culture shock. The American lifestyle was totally new to me and took time get-

ting used to. Although it was tough to adapt, the will to succeed always overcame the hardships. The opportunity this country of-fered was too great, and I made up my mind to expand the busi-ness here. I am very fortunate, and am still very grateful for the original opportunity.From which area of the world had trends that Peacock Apparel followed for its patterns on the ties?From a successful business man who wears a neck tie to work in Europe, to a teacher who wears a tie during his classes in New York City, trends are all around us. New colors are always discovered, and we are informed up to date on which color will be popular for the next season. All of these factors play a great roll in developing trends, but the most impor-tant factor is getting out and checking out the market personally. Getting out into the field and developing your own opinions, thoughts and predictions will help with the process of starting new trends.Your brother also helps run the mens-wear company in Korea, and there are offices in China as well. How does this affect the clothing line?The offices in Korea and China are a tremendous help to our business. These offices provide the bridge that connects us to our products. They are constantly on the lookout for product control, quality inspections, and overall a smooth operation that takes place in factories overseas. If you can imagine traveling from New York to these manufacturing sites often is not an easy task. So, the offices in Korea and China are always up to date in produc-tion and provide important information to us.

Michelle Kim ‘14 sits down with a man she could call COO of Bill Blass, CFO of menswear company Peacock Apparel, or Dad...

Peter Kimof Bill Blass

From a successful business man who wears a neck tie to work in Europe, to a teacher who wears a tie to class in New York City, trends are all around us.

& Peacock Apparel

17horace mann school | fall 2011 | vol. 3 no. 1 f.a.d. magazine

Rachel Buissereth ‘13 shows the discrepancy between traditional garb and everyday dress in four countries around the world.

Japan

india

russia

peru

Japanese traditional outfits consists T shaped garments with long sleeves and a hem line that falls to the ankle, called Kimonos. They can be worn by men women and children in Japan but in color by the season. The Kimono is rarely worn in Japan today, but can be seen worn by women on special occasions such as weddings. In the past few years, Japanese culture has changed. Young Japanese teens dress similar to anime characters. This type of dress style is called Lolita, and can be seen in many different places outside of Japan although it is most common there the Lolita look consists of skirts propped up by petticoats, and blouses with hats and accessories.

Traditional Indian clothing varies from men to women but both consists of similar aspects. For the women, the traditional clothing are the colorful, long, flowing saris. For the men, the traditional clothing consists of a jacket and long pant called the kurta, or long white sheets of cloth. Recently western fashion has overtaken the elegant traditional fashion. During the daty and to work, both women and men conform to western fashion. But women are still expect-ed to wear traditional saris to special events such as weddings, men have been given leniency. Men are seen with suits and pinstripe shirts at formal events.

The Russian national costume is one that was modified and perfected due to the cold climate. The national clothing include the kaftan, kosovorotka, and ushanka for men, and the sarafan and kokoshnik for women. In more understandable terms, these are long shirts and pants for the men with jack-

ets, and a long skirt for the women with a shawl and long sleeve shirt underneath. Russian modern clothing, like many European clothing has been modernized and westernized. Now, we are more likely to see a Russian in large fur jackets, some-times with leather outsides, large hats made of wool and lined with fur. Sometimes the women’s shawl is seen, but not often.

Many years ago, traditional Peruvian female clothing also called Quechua clothing consisted of long layered skirts with many colors in each layer. These skirts were accompanies by long sleeved jackets, embroidered with many colors and a square hat. More recently, modern Peruvian remain colorful, but reduce their wear to over-size ponchos that can extend to the ankles. The embroidery that was often seen on the traditional Peruvian clothing was kept and moved onto the Peruvian ponchos, and common symbols that were used remain.

FASHION, PAST & PRESENT

SPECIAL REPORT


FAD far and wide

St. Tropez’s style is governed by its visitors, not its locals. The name of the game here is glitz and glam. There are two scenes that travelers pack for: the beach life and the nightlife. During the day women wear sky high louboutin sandals, pucci bathing suits, and LV coverups. They tote their Dior hand bags that carry their Hermes beach towels, and to top everything off these ladies where sundry jewels ranging from diamond encrusted snake shaped rings to 3-inch drop earrings that shine so bright itís blinding.As for evening apparel, it is best described by casual meets fancy, which sounds like an oxymoron, but is somehow managed by St. Tropezís fashionistas. The Nina Ricci and Fendi

dresses are always short and slim fit. Similar to the sky-high sandals women wear during the day, women sport heels with platforms so high they literally seem 8-inches taller. The jewelry only gets flashier, and the large totes from earlier in the day are traded in for silk Prada clutches.And through all of this, the men are equally as fashionable. To sum it all up with a quick whip of the tongue, the flashier, the better in St. Tropez. However let it be said that whenever this amount of glam is involved, thereís a fine line that needs to be walked. Although these visitors sport lots of luxe goods, theyíre never gaudy, and always in good taste. Simply said, the people here have style fit for the runway, everyday.

Contrary to my expectation of white linen garments embellished with lavish floral designs similar to those on old-fashioned china, I was surprised to find that the general street fashion in Greece is similar to our own. We wear basically the same tops and bottoms since our brands, such as ESPRIT, H&M, and Paul Frank, are sold in Greece as well. Even though there are a myriad of similarities between us, there are also a few notable differences. Unlike most New Yorkers, in Greece almost no one wears denim or sneakers on the street. Typically people only wear sneakers when exercising and denim for motorcycle riding or handy work. Instead, the men usually wear loafers

or sandals while the women usually wear sandals, flats, thick heels, or platforms. As for bottoms, cargo pants seem to be the most popular trend at each destination. While Greeks, in Athens particularly , are as obsessed with brands as most New Yorkers are, they cannot afford them due to their countryís political issues. Yet despite this dull reality, Greeks have not compromised their fashion cravings. They have created a large market for counterfeit apparel and accessories. Fakes are so popular in Athens that they are seen splayed out on a blanket Times Square style, or even have their own shops, making it a little more like New Yorkís own China Town.

SPECIAL REPORT

HM students report on international fashion from their season’s travels. Check out what they have to say about the style scene abroad.

FASHION PASSPORT

kickette.com

EMMA GARCIA '13: ST. TROPEZ, FRANCE

EMMA GARCIA '13: ATHENS, GREECE

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If you truly want to accessorize as a Parisian would, grab a baguette and tote it around where ever you go. I’m not one to encourage stereotypes, but this one was laughably true. Besides offering crepes on every street corner, face massages doled out by college kids, and macaroons in the prettiest pastels (I recommend the rose from La Durée if anyone ever ventures), Paris’s charm extends itself into a wealth of culture. So here goes my rendition of all that I’ve seen, a map to follow for future HMers on the Paris prowl. Hands down, the Latin Quarter holds a place in my heart as the most vibrant area. Walk down its streets and you’ll love the little boutiques by day and the young people by night. Wander five minutes away from Saint Germain and you’ll find a walking bridge that crosses the Seine. It’s full of the most unique signed locks that visitors have left behind fastened on its sides. The metro

will be your god, it’ll take you everywhere you want to go, like Marais. This cute area houses the Picasso museum and a slew of small shops. If all of this has left you tired, make sure you sit in the garden up top of Montmarte; a nice view coupled with a nice break. Notably, while the massive stores Printemps and Les Galleries Lafayette garner a lot of shopping attention, I found them less interesting than expected. Although the café downstairs of the latter offers one of the best cappuccinos I’ve ever had (and I say that having had caffeine three times a day in Paris, which might seem strange but all I can say is that in a city with so much to see, coffee keeps you moving, and dancing, at the end of the day). So, if you love to get caffeinated, and would like to be in a city that actually appreciates young people (most museums are free for students!), hop on a plane to Paris one of these days.

Cambodia’s fashion remains a mystery to many people because they are not known to be at the forefront of the fashion movement. However, their style remains unique with clothing and designs that are deeply rooted in their history and culture. Their traditional clothing, most often seen in government buildings, offices, and temples maintains a connection to its Khmer past and Asian traditions with its silk material and elephant and floral patterns. For example, the Sampot, which is traditionally made out of silk, is a long rectangular cloth that is tied around a woman’s waists like a sarong. Nowadays, women commonly wear them for special occasions such as weddings. Also, most people wear

kramas, which are scarves that often have a checkered pattern. These scarves are either wrapped around people’s heads to protect them from the sun or around their necks as an accessory. Although the people of Cambodia are very conscious of their looks, their style and designs take into account their lifestyle and weather conditions. Their skirts and pants go down to the knee and their shoulders are covered because of their Buddhist beliefs and for protection from the sweltering sun. In addition, as Cambodia develops, the people in the cities have started to adopt a more Western style by wearing jeans and t-shirts. Hopefully, Cambodia will not sacrifice too many of their customs to become more Westernized.

Everyone in Barcelona is beautiful. I can’t say it’s hard to imagine why, they live in a city with a year-round beach and eat food fresh from the sea. I’d never been to a city so full of opportunities, each day filled with the perfect mix of exploration and relaxation. Whether you give into your touristy side and go out of your way to visit such sights as the Segrada Familia or the Parc Güell, or you just walk around the city, you’ll be sure to encounter beautiful architecture either way. The city is a mix of the old and the new, a Lichtenstein sculpture standing next to a three hundred year old building. The Passeig de Gràcia is the best bet for a day of shopping, where

you’ll see a Louis Vuitton situated beside a Zara, both surprising with unique finds not available in the States. The Picasso museum offers a walk through of the artist’s life, year by year, room by room. In stark contrast to New York, Barcelona manages to be a city and a green space all at once. Even as a first time visitor, I was able to navigate, and the rentable bicing (bike) stands on every corner make for an easy way to get around. Here’s a quirky fact to finish off this travel expo on the home of the quirkiest artists, Dalí and Gaudí, the city has the largest leaves you’ll ever see. Imagine a leaf the size of your head. It’s true, I promise! I have the pictures to prove it.

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ANNA GOLDBERG '12: PARIS, FRANCE

CLAIRE PARK'12: CAMBODIA

ANNA GOLDBERG '12: BARCELONA, SPAIN


“ ”

what's really behind the burqaby anna goldberg '12

FEATURES

///vs///

Above: Two women wearing Burqas. Photo from National Geographic. Opposite: An example of famous British street artist Banksy’s provocative work.

FASHIONRELIGION

While many of us might not be in tune with the Islamic fashion world, rest assured,

it is blooming.

from the streets to museums, the rise of a contentious art form

by baci weiler '12

The scene is set in a flower shop on the streets of a Souq, a commercial quarter, in Abu Dhabi. Four American women

face four Muslim women as the latter take off their black burqas and reveal what lies un-derneath. Surprisingly, the Muslim women are clothed in the latest European fashions. For many of us our experience with the Mus-lim fashion world might be limited to Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha’s encounter in “Sex in the City 2.” Yet it might surprise some to know that “historically, Islamic clothing for women across the Arabian Pen-insula was always rich in design, color and embroidery,” according to Saudi fashion designer Sarah Binhe-jaila. Yes! I did just quote an Islamic fashion designer…and they are more popular than you think. So how can we coincide the well-known black Burqa with Islam’s rich design history? Well, we first need to understand the basics.

Let’s break down the Muslim outfit: there’s the Niqab (face veil), the Hijab (head covering), and the Jilbab or Abaya (the outer garment worn in public over house cloth-ing), which all come together to make up the Burqa. The Quran, the central religious text of Islam, and the Hadith, the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad, are the sources of the dress guidelines (and of all religious guid-ance for that matter). Their ideology can be

broken down into 6 basic requisites: women should cover their bodies except for their face and hands, clothing should be loose, thick, dignified, identify the wearer as part of the Muslim faith, and should not be flashy. These standards are loosely defined and interpreted differently by all. For instance, some feel that the exception of a face covering also means that the head can be exposed, while others

disagree. In the Arabian Peninsula many opt for an all-black outfit. West African women wear colorful dresses, and in Southeast Asia colorful pants and tunics are in fashion.

Today, Islamic women are finding ways to weave their love of fashion with their moral standards. In our modern world the Internet has allowed for Islamic women all over to in-teract with each other. Websites such as Welo-vehijab.com put together outfits from online shopping sites like shopbop.com, which in-corporate maxi dresses and long-sleeve shirts to provide contemporary yet standard-abid-

ing fashions. In England a group of Muslim schoolgirls in the London School of Fashion are busy designing clothing that merges the religious concept of modesty with modern no-tions of design, and this seems to be just the beginning of a burgeoning market.

Kamarul Aznam, Managing editor of the Halal Journal, estimates that if 50% of the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims dress modestly

and spend $120 a year on clothing, the Muslim fashion market alone is worth at least 96 billion dollars a year. The world has awakened to these numbers; fashion weeks have taken off in countries such as Pakistan, Lebanon, Egypt, and the Unit-ed Arab Emirates. Such ventures as the Islamic Fashion Festival have garnered more than 180 designers representing various cultures and nations, all hoping “to explore their interpretations of the

dress code,” according the festival’s website. This burgeoning fashion scene has brought forth many new designers such as the swim-wear company Ahiida. In 2003 Ahiida cre-ated the Burqini, an innovative mixture of the bikini and burqa.

We’ve all heard that first impressions matter, and it’s important to understand that Muslim women just want to make sure they always leave the right impression. Their call for modesty and style has been garnering a lot of attention in the recent past, and while many of us might not be in tune with the Is-lamic fashion world, rest assured, it is bloom-ing.


STREETA R T

from the streets to museums, the rise of a contentious art form

by baci weiler '12

“ ”If anybody can be a street artist,

then what kind of art is it?

Most of the time, no one gives a second glance to graffiti. It’s ubiquitous—on every highway, building, billboard, in

probably every city—growing on itself like algae does in a lake. The bulk of it is made up of “tags,” or stylized signatures of a sort. But to most peo-ple passing by, graffiti-covered surfaces melt into a meaningless blur of colors, and tags don’t sig-nify uniqueness but rather banality barely worth the attention needed to register its presence.

It’s easy to take the art form for granted, to forget the journey it has taken to become ac-cepted as an art form. The journey is much lon-ger than one might expect. In fact, one could call the millenias-old cave-paintings, which to many mark the beginning of artistic expression for hu-mans, early forms of graffiti. Of course that word didn’t exist then, and even once it did, it meant quite a different thing. Jump from cave paintings to Ancient Rome, and “graffiti” refers to inscrip-tions and drawings found on the walls of build-ings in Pompeii and the Catacombs of Rome. The word itself means “scribble” or “scratch,” already associated with an informal, perhaps rushed process. The stone walls of Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulcher are covered with crosses and other insignia carved into the stone by Crusaders—quite a different use of graffiti than what we’re used to.

Today graffiti has evolved to connote an il-legal inscription on someone else’s property. Early in the 20th century, graffiti became a me-dium for the transmission of memes (ideas that grow and spread from person to person, a sort of cultural virus). One famous example, originat-ing from American soldiers in World War II and found on walls worldwide, is the phrase “Kilroy was here” accompanied by a quaint drawing of a man with his nose over the edge of a wall. In 1920s China, revolutionary Mao Zedong used graffiti to galvanize the public into the commu-nist revolution. But it was the social turmoil of the 60s in New York City that stimulated the proliferation of modern graffiti. The medium of choice was, of course, spray-paint in a can—cheap, fast, good on almost any surface, but still capable of creative use. At first, graffiti was a per-sonal thing. Here was the perfect way for young people to rebel: it let the whole world know just how bravely nonconformist you were, but with relative anonymity as protection from the law. The writer known as TAKI 183 (he lived on 183rd St. in Washington Heights) was the first to be recognized outside the subculture: in 1971, he

was interviewed for an article by the New York Times.

The 70s brought on a boom of the whole graffiti culture, which was intertwined with the burgeoning hip-hop culture along with break-dance, DJing, rap music, etc. It also started spreading around the world, perhaps most no-tably to Germany during the building of the Ber-lin Wall. There, the focus shifted from tags that spoke for an individual to slogans or messages that represented the voice of a society. Graffiti became a tool for social and political activists, and this function grew dominant over the next few decades. Back in New York, now in the 80s, the MTA made graffiti elimination a priority and new standards were set in place to restrict the sale of paint, increase security on popular sites, and “buff” or paint over existing graffiti. It be-came a sort of survival of the fittest for the artists determined to stay.

But graffiti was already moving in an alto-

gether new direction: the goal was to be accepted into the “real” art world. The public was ready to accept graffiti. Two movies, “Wild Style” (1982) and “Style Wars” (1983), were made about the graffiti culture; hip-hop, rap, and break-dancing started entering the mainstream music and mu-sic video industry. Speeding through the 80s and 90s, there were three important developments: first, the rise of stencil art—using spray-paint in conjunction with a pre-made stencil to make elaborate art in less time—and second, a new stance of disapproving toleration from many governments and the establishment of graffiti-friendly zones in many cities. Because of this, huge art communities have sprung up all over the world. São Paulo, Brazil, voices its struggles with poverty and unemployment through a vibrant street art culture; Melbourne’s paint-covered streets are a big tourist attraction; the Middle East has been a brewing pot for highly controversial art—for example, the walls sepa-rating Palestinian areas from Israeli ones now play much the same role as the Berlin Wall did some thirty years earlier.

The third major development is the rise of what I’d like to call the super-street artist in

conjunction with the growing trend towards gal-lery shows. Shepard Fairey, already well-known in the 2000’s for his OBEY posters featuring a stylized image of wrestler and actor Andre the Giant, shot up into the spotlight with his 2008 Barack Obama “Hope” poster, for which he was sued on the grounds of copyright infringement. It was the perfect street art story: trying to make something beautiful and valuable, Fairey was torn down by the establishment and its laws. Banksy declared himself to the world with sten-cil art bold both in execution and in content and with an unprecedented creative voice that found the most poignant, impactful ways to comment on every aspect of modern society. With his 2010 documentary, “Exit Through the Gift Shop,” Banksy even managed to question his own sta-tus, and its reflection of the current state of street art. The movie starts out following Banksy, but soon he turns the camera on his follower, French immigrant Thierry Guetta, who be-

comes obsessed with street artists and takes it upon him-self to become one. Watching this naïve, self-deluding, and self-important Frenchman stumble all the way to fame is fascinating but simultane-ously nauseating. If anyone

can be a street artist, then what kind of art is it?

This question may be troubling, and may cause us to regret the path that graffiti and street art have taken, but when you think about it, it’s not really a new problem. Even in the 60s, anyone who picked up a spray-can was a street artist. The real ques-tion is, should we have called it art in the first place? Should we have given it so much attention, analyzed and meta-analyzed it to this point? The fact that we did speaks to graffiti’s true power; the visual medium that started completely organically, sur-viving through years of attempts at eradication, the visual medium has still made an indelible mark on soci-ety—and to me, that goes a long way in justifying its status as an art form.


When it comes to sweatshops, not much progress has been made in the last 100 years. Whether you’re talking

about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York in the early 20th century or the factories run by Nike in the 2000s, the facts are the same: long hours, low pay, unsafe, unsanitary working conditions, and children in the work-place. Sweatshop laborers are forced to work up to 14 hours a day, 7 days a week, are paid barely enough to live by, and work in conditions that endanger their health and lives. Sweatshops also often employ children and treat them in the same way. Many well-known brands, brands that are standard to pretty much every mall and city, take advantage of their workers—and then try to hide it from their consumers. Buy-ers should take offence not only at this breach of trust, but also—even more importantly—at the breach of human rights that never seems to end.

Nike, the popular shoe and sportswear company, is one of the companies most often accused of having their products produced in sweatshops. Originally their goods were pro-duced in South Korea and Taiwan, but they moved their factories to China and Indonesia, where labor unions were prohibited. This al-lows them to spend less on production and turn a greater profit. They are highly incentivized to do this because of buyers in the US and other developed countries who want to be able to af-ford their products. Although companies like Nike and Walmart have begun to monitor fac-

tories where their goods are made and tighten their regulations, only a little progress has been made. Since the pressure for lower prices is still strong—perhaps even greater in the current economic climate—factories have simply gotten better at concealing their wrongdoings.

More recent incidents include the use of sweatshops to prepare for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Rumors of sweatshop use swept around the world; people accused Chinese of-ficials of using child labor and little to no break time for workers who were on double shifts.

Here in the U.S. there are also labor is-sues, but some activist groups are working to end them. In Los Angeles, California in the 90s, Thai immigrants were exposed to some of the worst sweatshop conditions in the country. Workers were paid no more than 60 cents an hour and were held against their will and forced to continue working by 24-hour guards. By 2002 many of the laborers were emancipated from their slave-like conditions and have since been granted citizenship to the US and found better jobs. The owners of those sweatshops were charged with multiple crimes, including harboring immigrants and violating labor laws, and many have since been deported back to Thailand as part of their sentence.

Yet at the same time that this sweatshop was shut down, Gap, Wal-Mart, and Tommy Hilfiger all continued using sweatshops in Thai-land clear through a few years ago.

The real difference between these sweat-

shops and the ones in the early 20th century is that the early ones led directly to reform. After the fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist factory, where almost 150 workers died, laws were passed to prevent such a tragedy from recurring. Sweat-shops became much rarer in the US and were replaced in New York by the garment district, which through its small-business structure gives fair-wage jobs to over 15,000 people. A district that once exploited workers is now a safe haven.

The irony is that the reforms that led to this healthy workplace are now causing the District to suffer because its prices can’t compete with those of overseas sweatshops. In fact, in the 60s, the Garment District employed 25 times as many people than it does today. In FAD Vol. 2 Issue 3, we interviewed Nanette Lepore, who is part of the organization Save the Garment Cen-ter. She stressed the importance of the district as a place to foster young talent. The cause is doubly important because it implicitly fights against the prevalence of sweatshops.

One may be tempted to point to hard eco-nomic times as the cause for all this, but per-haps the problem is deeper—maybe our culture has developed in such a way, with such distance between developed and undeveloped nations, that the advantages of sweatshops are too good to pass up in favor of an increased effort at bridging that gap. The problem is bigger than the CEOs who condone the activity, bigger even than the workers who have no other choice but to suffer for money. Maybe, for the sweatshop situation to change, we have to change, too.

Above: The problem of sweatshops cannot remain ignored for long; it is an undeniable reality.Opposite: Computers—more specifically, the Internet—have the power to change the fashion world.

your clothes

?

FEATURES

tracing clothing to its origins: the truth about sweatshops and

labor around the worldby veronica williamson '13


globalization and fashion: how the internet is affecting the

worldwide industryby anna carroll '13

FASHIONcom

www

.

.

FEATURES

With one click of a button, the fashion, art, and design worlds have been completely opened

up to the world.“ ”

With one click of a button, the fashion, art, and design worlds have been completely opened up to the outsid-

ers that compose the world around them. The Internet has transformed these industries, making each one easily accessible to people all over the world. Designers and artists can share their work with colleagues and clients every-where and anywhere. People can search the lat-est trends and see the newest innovations in de-sign. New designers are more discoverable, and the worlds of design are almost tripping over their feet by the fast pace of new ideas that immerge each day and con-tinue to bring people together through technology.

Of fashion, art, and design, fashion may be the most obviously effected one by the Internet. Internet shopping has become as popular as drinking a cup of water. When I want to buy something, I no longer need to go into the city; in-stead I have all of my favorite stores at my fin-gertips—from any place in the world. Internet shopping has increased exposure for designers and stores alike. Instead of going to a store, say Free People, and seeing only Free People prod-ucts, you can go online and see Free People, Juicy, Diesel, and countless other brands that you might have otherwise never heard of. Peo-ple in remote areas can buy the same stuff as someone living in a big city because the Inter-net gives them equal access to these stores. New designers can make their own websites and ad-vertise online, increasing their exposure. While

in no way is it easy to become a top designer, the chances of success with the internet are greater because there are more places to display one’s work and to be discovered.

The Internet has made viewing art, old and new alike, easy. One of my new favorite sites is Google Art Project. This website has exhib-its from countless museums around the world, such as the Louvre. You are able to browse through exhibits in such a way that it seems like you are walking through the museum. You can

also zoom in on any available work of art. Imag-ine a school in a third world country that has in-ternet or maybe a child with a laptop from One Laptop Per Child, an organization committed to giving kids in developing countries access to ed-ucation through computers. There are no mu-seums nearby, and a trip to France is clearly not an option. Through the Google Art Project these children can now see the Mona Lisa or Starry Night. This project (and many other tools and sites on the internet) is not only something used for education and leisure, but is a tool that helps to connect the world and cultures and present

equal opportunities to everyone through art. Although many people still don’t have Internet, access is becoming more widespread.

Not only are famous works of art online, anyone can post their work. Websites like de-viantart.com have made it incredibly easy to share your art with the world. You can put any type of artwork out there, be it photography, drawing, or painting. Artists can share ideas and comment on each other’s work.

The Internet has also transformed archi-tecture. Let us think again about that child in a third world country who has always wanted to go to, say Rome, but cannot. He or she can go onto his One Child Per Laptop computer, Google the Colosseum and experience Roman ar-chitecture for himself or herself, and is then exposed to millennia of history through these pictures. This is the beau-ty of the Internet; everyone has equal access. It doesn’t matter who you are,

where you live, or how much money you have, you can get any information on any subject, not just fashion, art, or design, in the blink of an eye. In this way, the Internet has truly inter-connected the world. The Internet gives equal access, bolstering the presence of fashion and design in our everyday lives. One student, An-drea Ditkoff, says, “The internet has definitely affected fashion! With more people accessing new information and cultures, it’s easier than ever to foster an interest in fashion. The fashion world is now open for everyone and it can only lead to great things.”

Beauty by Rachel Buissereth ‘13, Rachel Scheinfeld ‘12, and Baci Weiler ‘12. Assisted by Paige Burris ‘13, Chloe Albanese ‘12, and Veronica William-son ‘13. Styled by Noah Margulis ‘13. Photos by Veronica Williamson ‘13, Gina Yu ‘14, and Rachel Scheinfeld ‘12. Digital editing by Seth Arar ‘12.

hats offhats offFollowing the Royal Wedding craze of extravagant hats, Models Kiki Heintz ‘13, Emma Friesner ‘13, and Kylie Logan ‘14 evoke old Hollywood Glamour in vintage hats courtesy of Sarah Heintz ‘13.

hats offhats offFollowing the Royal Wedding craze of extravagant hats, Models Kiki Heintz ‘13, Emma Friesner ‘13, and Kylie Logan ‘14 evoke old Hollywood Glamour in vintage hats courtesy of Sarah Heintz ‘13.

fascinator

27

ABOVE: Photo by Rachel Scheinfeld ‘12. Kiki Heintz ‘13 in stylists’ own dress and gloves; hat made of red paisley wool.

OPPOSITE: Photo by Gina Yu ‘14. Kylie Logan ‘14 in stylists’ own dress; hat made of black straw and lace.

pillbox

wild

thing

Summer HeatRachel Ha ’13 in dress by Paige Burris ‘13; Eliza Dunn in dress by Rachel Scheinfeld ’12; Maia Landesberg ’14 in stylists’ own; Gurbani Suri ’12 in top by Rachel Scheinfeld ’12, vest, skirt, shoes and accessories stylists’ own; Florence Ngala ’13 in dress by Rachel Scheinfeld ’12, skirt, shoes, and accessories stylists’ own, Yohan Hahn ’12 in stylists’ and models’ own.

Phot

ogra

phed

and

Edi

ted

by O

livia

Chi

gas

‘12

Beauty by Baci Weiler ‘12, Maia Landesberg ‘14, Rachel Scheinfeld ‘12, and Lia Ehrlich ‘12. Styled by Noah Margulis ‘13 and Julia Pretsfelder ‘14.

OasisRachel Ha ’13 in dress by Paige Burris ’13. Yohan Hahn ‘12.

a Walk on the Wild SideEliza Dunn ’13 in dress by Rachel Scheinfeld ’12.

Urban JungleGurbani Suri ’12 in top by Rachel Scheinfeld ‘12.

33Line UpFrom Left: Rachel Ha ‘13 in dress by Paige Burris ‘13; Eliza Dunn in dress by Rachel Scheinfeld ’12; Maia Landesberg ’14; Gurbani Suri ’12 in top by Rachel Scheinfeld ’12; Florence Ngala ’13 in dress by Rachel Scheinfeld ’12.

roam around the worldour world

through the lens: looks

inspired by foreign films

from decades past

Beauty by Baci Weiler ‘12, Maia Landesberg ‘14, Rachel Scheinfeld ‘12,

and Lia Ehrlich ‘12. Styled by Noah Margulis ‘13.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden DragonGo East in vibrant colors and prints with an Asian flair. Julia Pretsfelder ’14 in dress and accessories stylists’ own.

roam around the world

Roman HolidayAudrey Hepburn’s casual yet elegant costume in Roman Holiday is perfect

for a day of touring. Rebecca Shaw ’14 in blouse, skirt and

shoes stylists’ own.

An American in ParisSharp suits can prepare any man for a tour of Paris. Yohan Hahn ’12 and out-of-school friend Sanders Courtney in stylists’ and models’ own.

3838

Viva MexicoChannel the artistic spirit of Mexico in bright colors and embroidery. Alex Brachfeld ’13 in top by Veronica Williamson ’13, skirt, shoes, and shawl stylists’ own.Jessie Gartenstein ‘13 in stylists’ own.

Moulin Rouge C’est la Vie in a look

inspired by the can-can dancers of the 1890’s.

Julia Hirschberg ’13 in dress, stockings, and

shoes stylists’ own.

La Dolce VitaElegance is key in Fellini’s film set in Rome in the 1960’s. Lia Ehrlich ’12 wears model’s own, clutch styl-ists’ own.


When you are close to running out of

string…Stop! Tie

the end now (like you did in the begin-

ning), leav-ing enough room to tie it to the

other edge.

D.I.Y: Do It Yourself

Cut each string to be equal in length. Make sure they are long enough to wrap

around your wrist a few times! Tie the three together at the top, leaving enough room for when you tie the bracelet to-gether at the end.

you'll needScissors, three

colored strings, different color

beads, tape

Tape the tied string down to a flat surface. Make

sure it is sturdy enough so the string doesn’t come

loose from the tape!

Start braiding! Use your standard braiding technique to get the bracelet going. Once you’ve done a few braids,

you are ready to start adding beads!

If your string or other material is not thin enough to fit through the beads, try cutting an angle at the end of the piece to help fit it through. Then pull

the bead all the way up to where your braid ends, and start braiding again—

intertwining the bead with the braid.

step_4

step_5

Continue the process of braiding and then adding beads. You can ei-ther to a repetitive pattern, or give it more of an edge with a random

order and distribution!

step

_6

You are ready to wear your

bracelet! Wrap it around your wrist

as much as you can. You can put

the wraps over each other or keep

them separated up your wrist.

Tie the two ends together... and you're done!

step_1

step_2

step

_3

step_7

braided_beaded_bracelet

_rachel scheinfeld '12


braided_beaded_bracelet

luxury sports bras and coordinates

www.red-daisy.com

bloomingnovember 2011

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FAD Magazine Vol. 3 No.1

Documents

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