ASDF DESIGNER INTERVIEWS -- DONT SHOOT THE MESSENGERS

As the proverbial warning urges the guarded to stand down, designers Jen Gilpin and Kyle Callanan of “DONT SHOOT THE MESSENGERS” construct exquisite garments while exhibiting their expertise with leather and silk. Their Art Deco inspired garments are draped with geometric logistics resulting in refined silhouettes that Jen Gilpin describes as “cocooning” the form. With the launch of their online store and the release of their SS11 teaser, DSTM maintains their cerebral sensibility and offer a glimpse of what is to come.

ASDF: Where are you both originally from, and how did you meet?

DSTM: Jen Gilpin from Canada and Kyle Callanan from New Zealand. We met here in Berlin on a project.

ASDF: Why was Berlin, Germany chosen as the base for the house?

DSTM: We both love Berlin, and the space that it has for living, thinking and working. We came here for different reasons, but now we are here to stay.

ASDF: Collaborations of any kind tend to be volatile? How did you know that coming together would generate great design aesthetics?

DSTM: We work together quite seamlessly, working off of our different strengths. We both really appreciate well made things and the craftsmanship element of clothing.
The aesthetic and designs springs from there, and fits into the world we are creating.

ASDF: What was the initial point of inspiration for the very first collection?

DSTM: Things really sprang from the leather and silk combination, and the opposite poles of soft and hard.


ASDF: Which particular Art Deco works were used as a source of inspiration, and for which collection?

DSTM: It wasn't any particular work, it was more about the lines essence and shape and feeling.

ASDF: Is the juxtaposition of the hard and soft characteristics of leather and silk a means to define the DONT SHOOT THE MESSENGERS client? Why were those certain fabrics chosen?

DSTM: In a way yes, we are describing a person who inherits both elements. Leather is hard, adding a layer of skin, silk is soft, and cocooning the body.

ASDF: Can you explain how geometric elements are incorporated within the collections?

DSTM: We are always looking into different ways of pattern making and we use geometric principals to build the patterns.

ASDF: As a collaborative, explain how the design process is established - from inspiration, analysis, to the completed collection.

DSTM: It’s difficult to define, it goes back and forth, and we discuss each piece as they come placing them in the story till it is complete.

ASDF: As designers how do you feel about the direction the fashion industry is taking?

DSTM: The development of Blogging and online shops are great, DSTM online shop will be launching in August.

ASDF: Describe the Berlin fashion industry compared to the other international fashion capitols.

DSTM: It’s very small but growing.

ASDF: Has the city of Berlin influenced your personal style? How so?

DSTM: Its not important how you dress here, its about who you are not who you wear.

ASDF: Along with the Berlin, and Paris showrooms, do you plan on opening one in the U.S. or Canada?

DSTM: We are showing with Tranoi in October in Paris, and have no plans for North America as of yet.

ASDF: Could you give us a hint as to what is next for DONT SHOOT THE MESSENGERS? A possible men's line perhaps?

DSTM: We will be developing the unisex and men’s line further for the spring collection, also our boutique in Berlin Mitte will be opening in late August, we are excited about it.

-asdf

DONT SHOOT THE MESSENGERS AW10 from DSTM on Vimeo.

WEBSITE: www.dont-shoot-the-messengers.com

Introduction Image: Photographer-Maxime Ballesteros

*Special thanks to Jen Gilpin and Kyle Callanan for the interview and video!*

ASDF DESIGNER INTERVIEWS -- AMELIE RIECH -- UNCOMMON MATTERS

Balancing two worlds of cultural inspiration, and timeless elegance, designer Amelie Riech constructs structured porcelain accessories with a stylized approach. Having studied in Berlin, and applying her skills in Paris-an innate grasp of a specified European style is captured in every curvature, form, and texture of an Uncommon Matters piece. Each piece adheres to the form wearing it-hugging the collar bone, delicately draping over the chest, and firmly gripping the wrist. Amelie Riech breathes a significant source of inspiration into each piece resulting in a unique perspective of European jewelry design. Her most recent collection entitled "AU [79]" includes an assortment of neck pieces, rings, and cuffs with reflective surfaces. As Riech configures each mold and applies quality craftsmanship into every form, a sleek, and modernized statement adds as the final punctuation to a cohesive look.

ASDF: Where did you get your start in the fashion industry?

AMELIE RIECH: I have studied fashion design in Berlin and moved to Paris right after my diploma. I started my professional work as a designer and stylist in Paris.

ASDF: When and why did you decide to create Uncommon Matters?

AR: I have been working in teams in the fashion / magazine world for a couple of years. I do love styling and it inspires me a lot to work on the imaginary stylization, but after some time I was missing the creation of something "real" and very personal, something to touch and keep, to collect and to last. I was full of ideas and somehow in 2008 it was time to create uncommon matters...

ASDF: How did you decide which cities would be a proper home for your offices/studios?

AR: I do love Berlin, since it is my hometown and I am contended to produce in Germany.

But Paris is much more important for my inspiration and the business in general.

I do need these 2 locations to work and to be happy.

ASDF: The AU [79] collection seems stylized, and organic, and takes to the shape of the form wearing it. What techniques allowed you to form these particular shapes?

AR: I am working very close to the body using different techniques of molding and shaping, to create the actual piece. Everything is made by hand from the first drawing to the final piece, there are various steps and it is a complicated and exiting process.

ASDF: You initially started as a design duo with designer Jana Patz. How does the design process differ from two to one?

AR: There are pros and cons for both situations, but if you work in a team it is inevitable to pull in the same direction and work with the same intensity, otherwise it does not work. I am happy to work on my own at the moment and there are great people supporting and assisting me.

ASDF: Berlin has been a creative bubble for many designers. What is it about that city that generates so many inspiring design collectives?

AR: Living in Berlin is quite cheap compared to other capitals. This attracts a lot of young people, especially creatives & artists.

Their work does not have to be primarily commercial, so things can develop more freely and easy-going. Moreover, there is not much industry or establishment in Berlin, that's why people have to develop their own structures and businesses.

ASDF: What was the source of inspiration for the overall aesthetic for Uncommon Matters?

AR: I am getting inspired everyday, along the way through all sorts of things. It can be a memory, an object, a song or a photograph. I think that aesthetic develops subconsciously through ones background, way of living, visual experiences... it's my very personal and own sense or feeling of beauty which expresses through the things that I create.

ASDF: How do your pieces define the person wearing them?

AR: I think my pieces are very strong and need a confident person to wear them.

ASDF: Describe your conceptual ideas for design in its general form

AR: I do have a multidisciplinary approach towards the things that I create.

There is a deep emotional fascination for fine traditional handcraft and the experimental search for something surprising and new.

In general I am working very intuitively, on a special subject or material trying to apply unexpected function or perception.

ASDF: Describe the reason for the name "Uncommon Matters".

AR: It is just a word play, which hopefully arouses curiosity.

ASDF: Having two offices in Paris, and Berlin, describe the needs of the Parisian client, and the Berlin woman/man?

AR: The parisian woman has a great natural, femine and understated style, Berlin style is much more unconventional, sporty and casual. The Paris look is elegant, enjoyable but somehow uniform on a very high level.

Berlin offers more variety, whether cool, or ugly, everything is possible. In general people have less money, that’s why designer clothes have less significance.

ASDF: The lookbook theme for the "Handle With Care" collection, and the "AU [79]" collection differ greatly. Describe the concept for both shoots.

AR: The "handle with care" shoot happened very spontaneous without thinking much. We chose the model, because Suzanna is not only a classical beauty but also a great actress with a very strong personality. I wanted to create an emotion, a timeless and modern look, artistic and not too fashion.

The AU [79] shoot adapts to the series, which is more feminine and soft. The rounded forms follow the female body, the pictures are much more concentrated on the body than on the facial expressions.

Thanks to my friend the photographer Mark Pillai did a great Job !

ASDF: Do you have any future projects coming up?

AR: I am exhibiting at the Galerie Oona in Berlin in July and I am working on a line of uniques (unique pieces).

ASDF: What can we expect for the next collection, and when will it debut?

AR: Wait and see !

-asdf

Exhibit: Berlin
July, 2010
Galerie Oona
Auguststr.26-10117

Website: www.uncommonmatters.com

LD Tuttle

*Source: youtube*

Sophia Coppola

*Source: youtube*

ASDF Product Review -- LuShae Jewelry

At great affordable pricepoints, LuShae Jewelry Art Design offers beautiful pieces with a luxury undertone. Pieces can be purchased online-demonstrating the easy accessibility customers are able to enjoy. With four categories including rings, pendants, earrings, and bracelets, and subcategories including-cross pendants, and dangle earrings-Lushae provides a large selection for varied tastes. Pieces range from the "Anatomy" earring with white onyx, and 14kt gold features - the "New Era" pendant which Lushae describes as "antique" in aesthetics - the "Monaco Gold Bangle" that gives off great illusion of texture - the "Contemporary Cocktail" ring which showcases two"triangular" cut stones - and the "Golden Compass" pendant which is detailed with beautiful design components. As you explore their easily navigational online store you will find that you cannot go without one item of a LuShae Jewelry piece.

-asdf

LuShae Jewelry Art Design
www.jewelryartdesigns.com/

Sandra Backlund (Fall/Winter 2010)

I have been a fan of Sandra Backlund's dramatic, and exaggerated silhouettes for some time now. For Fall/Winter 2010 she manages to play with textures as illustrated in this piece above. As a knitwear designer Backlund manages to design conceptualized shapes for the garments form and distort the fabrics structure. These are all resons why Sandra is so great!

-asdf

Image: Lisa C (rodeo.net)

ASDF DESIGNER INTERVIEWS -- Paige Martin (KLUMPA DESIGN)

A professionally trained dancer, and Zero Balancing instructor, now producing charming, and conceptual rings with organic sentiment, Paige Martins' ingenious statement pieces shape a distinctive image for the person wearing them. Using wood as the primary medium, Martin draws from cultural influences, and artistic periods to create CodeName: KLUMPAs' sculptural rings. The collection of rings ranging from size, detail, and texture gives the KLUMPA customer not only a lasting and functional work of art, but inevitably owning a piece that they will forever be remembered for.

ASDF: Where are you originally from?

PM: I came to NY from Texas. I had come during my youth to study Dance and so ended up at NYU, but only for a semester, after High School. I had a pretty heavy dance career, I’m still in it actually, and then I began working as an apprentice to an Osteopath and this led me to the Zero Balancing work.


ASDF: Why did you decide to go into jewelry design?

PM: I had always made objects of various sorts. Usually they entailed found items. Eventually I made a wooden ring from a piece of driftwood I had picked up at the beach, and I felt I had found the perfect jewelry. I was so inspired by the different possibilities, I just kept making them.


ASDF: How is the final product of one of your pieces conceptualized?

PM: Since I had never really worked with wood tools before, I would imagine a ring and then have to figure out how to make it. In the beginning, I was carving them entirely by hand, with a mat knife. Mostly though, they all started as a simple block shape, which I thought was just sort of perfect, and then I would conceive of additions to that shape.


ASDF: Why is wood a significant material for your rings?

PM: I don’t know why exactly, but I just feel like it’s the most lovely material to wear. Why would you wear metal when you can wear wood? Having wood on your finger means you’re wearing a tree.


ASDF: Is the organic element of your pieces a result of your life as a yoga/zero balance
instructor?

PM: My rings have only as much to do with my other stuff as I have to it all.


ASDF: Where and how are your rings produced?

PM: My studio is in my apartment actually. I have a separate room set up with my tools and junk and more junk.


ASDF: Where did the name Paige Martin: code name Klumpa originate?

PM: My first boyfriend gave me Code name KLUMPA. It was sort of a nick-name. I used it as my bio while performing, for years. He is like my brother now. He and his wife are both artists and just moved to Glasgow.


ASDF: What inspires your creative process?

PM: I’m into a certain aesthetic that includes primitive elements, classical design, stuff made of bakelite, all things Moroccan, objects from the 1930’s, and big, too big to wear, jewelry.


ASDF: Could you explain yoga/zero balancing and the effect it has on you?

PM: Zero Balancing is a form of bodywork designed by Dr. Fritz Smith, a doctor of Acupuncture and Osteopathy. The technique involves gentle traction through the whole body and touch to the bones and at the joints. This creates a balanced situation throughout the skeleton, which in turn releases tension in the muscles and brings ease to the joints. The body then adjusts or re-organizes, both structurally and energetically and then the change is both precise and comprehensive. It feels really good and has a mind/body effect.


ASDF: The pictures on your website is an amusing and inventive arrangement of random objects and hands used to display your rings. Why did you choose that particular approach?

PM: My site arrangement is made according to how I display the rings. I’ve always given them a context to live in. Right now, the rings come on a ceramic finger, but each finger is customized.


ASDF: At the moment your focus is on rings. Is there any other facet of the jewelry industry you would like to tap into?

PM: I am more interested in entering into Housewares. There are plenty of designers who make fabulous jewelry. I was playing around with ceramics for a while and coming up with stuff for the house I really want to get back to.

-asdf

CodeName: KLUMPA rings are sold here:
MC&Co.
57 North 6th St.
Williamsburg, Brooklyn, 11211

Rings can also be purchased on the website:
klumpadesign.com

betterFASTERstronger

With London Fashion Week quickly approaching, the anticipation continues to build as new images of Mark Fasts' new "Faster" line surfaces. Here are a couple of images to hold you over until LFW.

*Images: google images*

Party People -- Fashion Week Edition

Chloe Sevigny



Genevieve Jones


Margherita Missoni & Lauren Santo Domingo


Charlotte Casirahi

*Source: style*

NY Fashion Week 2010 -- The Favorites

Rodarte



Marc by Marc Jacobs



Marc Jacobs


Zero + Maria Cornejo


Wayne



The Row




*Source: style*

Word On The Street -- Fashion Week Edition

*Source: stylesightings*

Party People -- Fashion Week Edition

Julia Restoin-Roitfeld


Giovanna Bataglia


Irina Lazareanu


Jen Brill & Lazaro Hernandez


Leigh Lezark


Fabiola Beracasa

*Source: iwannabearoitfeld.com / style*

Backstage & Beauty -- Fall 2010 Fashion Week

*Source: grazia*

NY Fashion Week 2010 -- The Favorites

Prabal Gurung


Acne




Cushnie et Ochs



Michael Angel



Kimberly Ovitz









Organic by John Patrick



Jen Kao


Rag & Bone


Boy by Band of Outsiders



Helmut Lang



Julian Louie


Jenni Kayne




Ohne Titel


Preen


Alexander Wang





*Source: style.com*