More Mardahl!

Lovely Helle herself, wearing a stack of her incredible foam stuffed bangles.  Nicollette and I were dying over her plastic beret, but she didn't remember where it came from!

Here are some more photos I took during the Helle Mardahl opening last night at LaViola Bank. I unfortunately didn't get many pictures of the afterparty at Broadway East, or our DJs, Andrew Andrew wearing their Henrik Vibskov suits, but trust me, they looked amazing.  Thank you to everyone who stopped by, and Lauri and Shaun at Broadway East for making everything run so smoothly.  The best part of doing event like one is getting to work with your old friends, while making new ones.  Helle and Jesper (who styled all of the costumes) were so inspiring, and I really hope to see them out more often!

The Ego Queen Statue

The Elephant, an incredible installation that Helle set up at the back of the gallery.

During the opening, a musician performed on the drums in the backyard of the gallery.

The Helle Mardahl wedding cake, a dizzying spiral of black and white

Guests examining the complexities of The Maid.

The LaViola Bank interns, clad in head-to-toe Henrik Vibskov!  Our DJs, Andrew Andrew, wore the same white suits to the afterparty.

Standing in front of The Elephant installation

This "chicken feet" necklace that Jesper made never made it into any of the costumes, but was too good not to photograph!

Houman provided the all-black contrast to our all-white outfits!  Also, check out all of his incredible rings.

-Tiffany

Behind The Scenes DIY: Helle's Hand Painted Dress

Wearing our Helle Mardahl hand painted dresses and stuffed bracelets at the opening last night.

Before Helle Mardahl's gallery opening last night, we were all slightly in a panic, because the amazing Henrik Vibskov suits that Helle had originally ordered for us to wear were way too large. While we were quite disappointed that we didn't get to wear of the amazing Vibskov pieces that the rest of the staff were dressed in, we ended up getting something much better---Helle took the time to design matching outfits for each of us.

The process is actually really simple, and would make for a great DIY. She simply used black permanent marker to draw a picture based on one of her paintings on top of a store bought American Apparel dress, while we were wearing them. It's such a simple, easy to execute idea, I'm sure we will be drawing on many garments in the next few months! In addition, Helle and her stylist, Jesper, made us bracelets from the stuffed soft scraps that Helle uses to make many of her sculptures. While we got to keep the dresses, we unfortunately had to give back the bracelets for Helle to reuse, but trust us, it's such a good idea that Jesper suggested we do it ourselves, and we will probably try!

Frankly, this is probably one of the most treasured items in my wardrobe now, and I'm torn between wearing it out a million times, or hanging it on my wall and never touching it again for fear of ruining it.  I love Helle's work, and hopefully I can actually save up enough money to buy a real piece!  Anyway, I will be posting more pictures from the actual event later this afternoon, but here's how our outfits came together.

Helle based the design on the front of the dress on her painting, The Turbaned Bitch.

Helle drawing on my dress while looking at her painting.

Helle's assistant Isabel drew Christina's dress, also following Helle's painting.

Nicollette putting on makeup backstage.

Christina's dress and stuffed bracelet.

-Tiffany

Twittah

Swine-flu is datchu? No, just an absurd mobile phone pic of us at work, drummeling jewelry. Don't worry, we won't be Twittering about our mundane day-to-day activities, which mostly looks something like this. I'm wearing a Chanel two-piece playsuit and Chanel sunglasses as googles, Christina is wearing an old shirt.

Ok, so I still don't really "get" Twitter. Honestly, I'm not that interested in knowing what cereal you're eating for breakfast, and frankly, I get quite annoyed by the faux-yawning updates from jet-setting friends complaining about the airport food in Rome. The only point of following someone on Twitter that I can grasp is if you're actually stalking them in real time, and must be informed of their whereabouts 24/7. The only person I can think of using this for is my own husband, but I know where he is most of the time, and have no need to read more about it. Thus, when Nicollette started our Six Six Sick Twitter account last month, I was more confused than amused. Believe it or not, everything in my internet world must have some kind of semi-practical purpose to be worth my time, since it already is way too much of a time trap. Anyway, we've decided that while we won't be boring you with tweets about how drunk/hungover we are, we will be tweeting about our various projects and parties. We don't have a formal mailing list or schedule, so if you want to find out what party we're doing each night, or what DIY project we're in the process of working on, our Twitter will let you know. You can follow us here.

-Tiffany

Gucci Flora

I cant stop watching the new add campaign for Gucci's new scent Flora. It is amazing and I love their use of the Donna Summers song "I Feel Love". When I first saw the video, I was laughing at all of the comments about how creepy the video was, but it seriously pales in comparison to Chris Cunningham's other videos. If ask me, the video wasn't creepy enough! I am a big fan of Chris Cunningham so, here are some of my video favs.







-Christina

Scissor Sisters: DIY Alexander Wang Slash Dress!

Nicollette wearing the slash dress to our party at Webster Hall.  Photo by Joshua Bartky.

Are you sick of slashes already?  I know the slashed pant has been DIY'd to death, but the slash dress has yet to have its spot in the limelight.  Christina made these amazing Alexander Wang inspired slash dresses a month ago for herself and Nicollette while I was out of town, and was sweet enough to make me one to match last week. While she made the black dress, as well as the nude dress worn underneath, it's very easy to replicate the technique on any store bought jersey dress, for those of you who don't know how to sew! Here's how Christina made the dress.

The original inspiration piece, this slashed dress from the Alexander Wang Fall 09 show.  Christina made it literally about 2 weeks after it hit the runway!  Photo from Style.com

1. Measure a 1-inch area at the center of the dress, and using tailor's chalk, draw a line running down each side of the 1-inch area. Measure 1/2" away from the edge of both the left and the right side of the dress, and draw a line running down the sides.

2. Using fabric sheers, cut slashes between the two parallel white lines. Christina spaced her slashes about 3/4" apart.

I hope that all of you who have complained about not being able to follow our DIY's in the past (I know my Rodarte Knitting isn't exactly a beginner DIY) will give this one a try, and share the results with us!!!

Wearing my slash dress to Six Six Sick last Tuesday!  I love wearing it over the nude, but I can't wait to try layering it over different colored dresses too!

-Tiffany

Armor Tights

In the last few chilly days of the season I pulled out these DIY knit tights that my friend Mandy made me for my Bday. They remind me of medieval armor.

She cut a pair of knit tights in half at the knee and added buttons and button holes on opposite sides. I am particularly fond of the covered buttons that she chose, but the possibilities are endless.

On my way to Tribeca Grand in a Barneys NY "dress" Stella McCartney belt, DIY tights and YSL shoes.

-C

Heartbroken

I was more than a little heartbroken when I found out that Jill Bradshaw has decided to close her boutique, I Heart. A downtown favorite for years, she's always stocked some of my favorite lines, such as Sonia Rykiel, Surface to Air, Karen Walker, United Bamboo, not to mention Fiftytwo Showroom's resident golden girls, Sunday's Best. As this economic climate worsens, it is becoming increasingly difficult for independent designers and boutiques to stay in business, and it feels more important than ever to support them. I hate to sound weepy and sentimental, but with the loss of I Heart, in addition to last winter's closing of Dernier Cri, we're not simply loosing places to shop, we're losing venues for new voices, and a proponents of young designers. Having represented my own collection, as well as several other jewelry lines, designers depend on boutiques like these to give them a chance, and promote them and introduce them to the right audience as they make a name for themselves. I mean, not everybody can get their line into Barney's on the first try, right? Anyway, they're having a major sale until they close their doors at the end of May, starting at 30% off all Spring merchandise, with discounts increasing as the month goes by. Make sure to stop by the store if you're in New York, or check out what they have on their blog, since they'll ship worldwide!

Sunday's Best friendship bracelets, perfect for you and your best friend.

Sunday's Best giant knot bracelet.

Nomia dress

Samantha Pleet Kaleidoscope romper

-Tiffany

Melodies and Desires

Lykke Li's video for Breaking It Up is a must watch before going out.

It's not a secret that I'm a huge fan of Swedish singer Lykke Li, so when I saw these scans from Swedish Elle on The Fashion Squad, I knew I had to share them.  Not only does she have an incredible sense of style, but she has the talent and on stage personality to match it.  While so-called it-girls throw faux rockstar poses, Lykke is the real thing.  I've been obsessed with Lykke's incredibly catchy songs since last year's release of her first album, Youth Novels, which was produced by Peter Yttling of Peter Bjorn and John.   What I find incredibly ironic is that before Youth Novels, Lykke spent a year in New York playing as a singer songwriter, hoping to get a record deal here.  Somehow it never happened, but luckily, when she got back to Stockholm, she teamed up with Peter, and now has become somewhat of a sensation in Sweden.  I always love those stories about people who initially encounter rejection, only to triumph in the end---I bet all those people who saw her and didn't sign her in New York are regretting it now.  Anyway, check out these pictures of her, and also make sure to watch some of the videos---you can bet that I will be playing her tonight at MAIN MAN (we're DJing again this week)!!!

My latest favorite song of Lykke's, her cover of The Kings of Leon song, Knocked Up.

-Tiffany

Helle Mardahl Gallery Opening and Afterparty, Wednesday, April 29th

After working with LaViola Bank Gallery on the afterparty for artist Eske Kath, I was so excited when Allegra suggested that we do it again, this time to celebrate the opening of Helle Mardahl's solo show, The Largest Possible Audience.  It's always fun to work with Allegra (we've been friends since we were five), and when I saw Helle's work I was immediately floored.  Personally, what I find so compelling is Helle's background as a fashion designer.  Helle originally studied at Central Saint Martins, helped Henrik Vibskov launch his clothing line, and even had an incredible collection of her own, which she showed for several seasons.  As I've stated before, I'm usually dubious of the connection between fashion at art, as I feel that it often lends art its trendiness, and its inherently fast-moving nature, that seems to detract from the possibility of making work that is meaningful and timeless.  However, this isn't always the case, and in Helle's work, fashion is focused on for it's incredibly immediate mode of self-expression.  On her website, her biography states "She is inspired by her background in fashion and sees fashion as a lifestyle and a reflection on society’s need. She is also highly fascinated by the human individual, our staging of the self and our superficial culture."

This is a subject that I too have always been fascinated by, and I love the way that Helle explores the topic in her work.  Not to mention the fact that her background in fashion illustration and tailoring lends itself to some incredibly executed drawings and stuffed-fabric sculptures.  Anyhow, you'll just have to see it yourself, so please come and join us for the opening, which will be from 6-9 at LaViola Bank, and the Afterparty at Broadway East.  There will be a string quartet, our friends Andrew Andrew will DJ, and we will even have outfits specially designed by Helle!  In the meantime, here are some of my favorite pieces of Helle's.

The Bouquet, 2008

The Shield, 2008

Helle with her installation of Clowns by Helle Mardahl at IDEAL in Berlin.

An outfit Helle designed for the UNIK exhibition in 2004.

Another piece from the UNIK show.

-Tiffany

An Interview With Photographer Fumi Nagasaka

A shot of Cole Mohr that Fumi did for Dazed Japan.

Fumi Nagaska leads an enviable life. Working as a freelance photographer for magazines like Dazed and Confused, she gets to travel the world to shoot fashion editorials, in addition to working on personal projects about subjects that she loves and cares about---mainly her friends, and people who captivate her. I first met Fumi Nagasaka last year, through mutual friends. She had shot my dear friend Jonas for Dazed Japan, and it seemed like all of her best friends were male models. Even though Fumi subject matter usually revolves around fashion, her shots are more compelling than traditional fashion photography because they all are very personal and intimate, rather than looking like a staged shoot. Her subjects may be pretty, but rather than showing the most glamourous side of them, she focuses on their humanity. Fumi, who is based in Williamsburg, but currently at work for the next few months in Tokyo, was kind enough to answer some of my questions on her work via email.

I always thought that I had a really amazing job, but then I met you and realized that you had an even better one. You get paid to travel the world and take pictures of beautiful men and amazing bands. I would love to switch with you for a day! How did you end up doing what you're doing?
It just happened by accident. I'd never expected my job will be like this at all. But I don't always get paid for travelling, I think only 3~4 times so far. I spend money from my pocket for travelling and taking pictures. I am not rich and don't get any parental support of course, so it is very hard to continue travelling to be honest, but I have to travel to get inspirations for my photography. I don't really go out and eat out and shop in New York, because I know if I save money I will be able to travel again.

A documentary shot from Fumi's series Children of Smaland, all shot in Smaland, Sweden. I love this picture because it features a boy wearing a jersey belonging to my husband's favorite football team, Djurgarden.

I notice that you did a whole series of shots based on the movie Christiane F., one of my favorite films. I'm so impressed by the results, and the fact that you gained access to the original apartment of one of the main characters. How far will you go to get a good shot? What has been the most difficult project you've worked on thus far?
The project of Christiane F was such a great experience in my life. I am obsessed with the movie and did so much research about the real story. I read a book on the true story which the movie was based on and asked my friends who were born and grew up in Berlin to get information. People who helped my shoot were my friends and loved the movie, so it was very easy to make everyone understand what I wanted to do. Everyone watched the movie when they were in school back in the days in Berlin. When I had an exhibition of this project in Berlin, everyone knew it was about Christiane F even though we didn't really mention the movie. It was really great.

I have to say that all my projects are very different, so I don't know which one I can choose as the most difficult shoot, but I can say every project I've done was very difficult. When I shoot documentary projects, I always want to make them very special, so I spend money and time. Nobody can make real documentary images for a week.

A documentary shot from Fumi's Banhoff Zoo series, which was based on the film, Christiane F., and all shot at actual locations from the book and the film.

Most of your models seem incredibly at ease in front of your camera. Is it because many of them are your friends? What do you find is the best way to capture your subjects?
For my documentary projects, I always shoot my friends because I'm always interested in them. I think how much we trust each other is very important. I want them to relax and show me the real side of them. I don't wanna make images look like I just casted. I always need reality.

A shot from Fumi's documentary series Boys Keep Swinging, featuring Christoffer Fagerli at the 66S home away from home, Happy Ending.

I know that you're also really passionate about music, and DJ on the side. In fact, it seems like your career is at a place where art, music, film, and fashion all collide. Do you ever feel like your work as an artist is compromised by your work in fashion? A 0r do you feel like you can merge all the different mediums comfortably?
Yes. I always want to be in between music and fashion. I don't wanna be in just the fashion industry and I am not really a music person either. I don't really buy designer clothes and hate to follow trends. I don't like talking about fashion (so boring!) but at the same time I have to know what's going on in the fashion world for my work. Almost all my friends work for something in fashion as well. I always wear my favourite bands T-shirts and that's my style and I think it's more special and represent who I am.

M.I.A. in Brooklyn

Every time I talk to you, you seem to be traveling between New York, Tokyo, Berlin, London, Stockholm. What city are you finding the most inspiring right now?
Definitely London because I love British music and history, and all my best friends are in London. But I love visiting Berlin, Stockholm and Reykjavik, too. I go to Norway as well.

A shot of my good friend Jonas Sundstrom (he DJ'd my wedding) that Fumi did for Dazed Japan.

In terms of chasing you dreams, you've been very successful so far. Do you have any suggestions for other people out there who also have high aspirations, on how to reach their goals?
I think I am not successful yet. I think I am just getting closer to my goal little by little, but it's gonna be long way to reach my goal, but I still believe in myself and I don't wanna give up until I make it. Of course I am always worried and scared but I just have to wait for now.
So, if I can give some advice to other people, I have to say never give up and believe themselves.

-Tiffany

The Teal Girl

A party dress from Rebecca Turbow's Spring 09 collection, modeled on the lovely Rachel Ballinger, $300.

I will always think of Rebecca Turbow as the Teal Girl. Instantly recognizable walking down the street or in the darkened corridors of Misshapes, I first saw Rebecca in 2005, wearing her own designs, which were almost uniformly constructed in bright teal and sparkling white, and looked like something straight out of The Jetsons. Apparently Ms. Turbow wore teal and white exclusively for eight years (!!!).  She has since  moved on from her teal phase, but maintained her modish style, and her unorthodox approach to color.  For her Spring 09 collection of Safe by Rebecca Turbow, Turbow sticks to a 2-color palette of silver grey and yellow in place of the teal and white, while maintaining the same 60's spin, taking inspiration from films like Who Are You Polly Magoo? as well as the styling of Andres Courreges.  Still, as the name implies, this collection is a little "safer" than previous ones, focusing on making pieces that are wearable for everyday, all at a very reasonable young designer price, with most pieces available on her web shop.  Here are some pieces from her latest collection.

A playful pleat pocketed dress, $250.

Organic cotton side-button shorts, $60.

The designer herself, wearing one of her instantly recognizable turquoise and white jackets from her Fall 2004 collection.  I love this look!!!

-Tiffany