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A Fashion Intellectual. Interview with Caroline Evans
Fashion historian and theorist Caroline Evans has described herself as someone who lives very much in her head. But as she explains in this email interview, her interest has always been in applied rather than pure theory, as it relates to contemporary visual culture. She also loves interacting with the students at Central Saint Martins, where she is Professor of Fashion History and Theory. In her now iconic study of fashion in the 1990s, ‘Fashion at the Edge’, she used theory as a set of tools for thinking, drawing equally on images, objects, and ideas. In her new book, ‘The Mechanical Smile’, she traces the earliest history of the fashion show, a topic that is basically unexplored within fashion studies. In the process, she also found herself dealing with the idea of fashion as a situated, embodied and spatial practice. Fleeting moments of lived experience – the walk, the smile, the pose, the gestures, the attitude. Interview by Maria Ben Saad
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Fashion Story: Another Day
Photography by Eric Hobbs and fashion by Laura Mazza.
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Jan-Jan Van Essche & Pietro Celestina
Jan-Jan Van Essche, who is Antwerp-based and launched his eponymous brand in 2010, is clearly an example of someone who has invested his clothing with intimate and personal meanings, reflected in his ongoing collaboration with his partner Pietro Celestina. In fact, the word ‘collaboration’ does not do justice to the fact that both men pretty much spend their whole time together, even though Pietro has Atelier Solarshop to focus on, a beautifully curated retail space he launched with Jan-Jan in Antwerp in 2008. Interview by Philippe Pourhashemi.
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Lust For Life. Interview with Michel Gaubert
Michel Gaubert’s job is to create unique soundtracks for fashion shows or films, and some of them are quite memorable. Think of early 1990s Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld, or more recent offerings for Loewe by Jonathan Anderson and Moschino by Jeremy Scott. Whether it be catchy, ironic, fun – or more on the conceptual side – Gaubert can craft any type of sound that will enhance, reflect and complement a designer’s vision. Interview by Philippe Pourhashemi.
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Fashioning Bodies. Interview with Karolien de Clippel
In recent years we have experienced a resurgence of activism and a more politicized view on fashion. A variety of social movements and public discussions have been centered around the body as a contested terrain for the exploration of issues about gender, beauty ideals and identity. The Hasselt Fashion Museum contributes to this discussion by launching the exhibition DressUndress. Interview by Marco Pecorari
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Did Men’s Fashion Just Get Younger, Or Finally Grow Up?
Men’s fashion was said to have its eyes wide open, but its senses tightly shut. At a time when youth-centric styles and edgy looks had characterized menswear for nearly a decade, designers were surprisingly blind to the creativity and colour that younger consumers craved. Like doctors reviving the dying, the menswear cognoscenti checked the body of fashion for vital signs, but failed to find the pulse. By Bradley Quinn.
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Get the Balance Right. Interview with Thomas Monet
Thomas Monet, who launched COOL T.M two years ago, is a designer who undeniably loves fashion and clothes, but he’s also critical of certain parts of the industry that make it tough for new names to develop. His own career path is an impressive one and he has honed his skills at Balmain and Faith Connexion, working with style maverick Christophe Decarnin. We sat down with the Paris-based designer to discuss what makes a young brand relevant, how to navigate the current fashion landscape, and why he has no control when it comes to vintage shopping. Interview by Philippe Pourhashemi
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Behind Our Screens. An interview with Fabio Donghi
Today, fashion is primarily consumed digitally. Not only is the online consumption of goods constantly increasing, but also the dissemination of fashion shows, reportages and documentaries are daily doors into the industry for both professionals and fashionistas. Online platforms like Vogue.com are therefore unique gateways and places where we live fashion. However, what appears to us as immediate and free content, is actually the result of hidden labour, economic transactions and technological innovation. We interviewed Fabio Donghi, founder of INDIGITAL.TV, one of the major online platforms and digital content production providers for fashion. He leads us inside his unique path and story, explaining what is behind our daily free consumption of fashion online. By Marco Pecorari.
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Fashion Story: Memories
Photography by Eleonora Vergnano and fashion by Alexandra Ciubotaru.
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Fashion Story: Beach Front
Photography by Tyson Ernste and fashion by Pedro Pier.
