Hello again

Left this alone for months and now I'm shocked stiff upon seeing Blogspot's new CMS layout. It took a couple of clicks to finally land on the post page, but apparently I could have saved myself some minutes by noticing the glowing orange pencil icon on the main page. The old geezer syndrome applies to all ages when it comes to progress in technology. Sigh.

New place (but still in Brooklyn), some steady jobs here and there, still checking out shows, and always picking up the gigs to keep me busy.

You can find me here:

And here:

And still working on shoots:

Premiere issue of Nero Homme, cover photo/editorial styled by Gemma Slack. Assistant styling by yours truly.

Or lining up for free Plan B in a Vice article.

Or taking shameless selfies at the Top of the Standard.

Very soon, R.

Burst and Bloom.

Photographed by Conor Lamb. Styling, Rika Nurrahmah. Production Manager, Jen Kessler. Model, Iris Colburn for RED Modeling Agency.


Necklace, Joomi Lim. Shirt, Helmut Lang. Shoes, Gio Diev. Shirt worn as skirt, American Apparel. Lip stain, Estee Lauder.


See more of this shoot here.

Knife to floor

Nara boots. Try and mess with the knife heels.

Check them out:

Gio Diev // Giodiev.com

The [MAGA]Zine Pile: Raf in 'Fantastic Man' #14

I took me two months to finally buy this issue, but really it should have taken me half a second. Every time I walk home from the Bedford L, I pass by a particular bodega that sells every fashion magazine imaginable: from some obscure, expensive, small-scale European publication to Men's Health (there's some fashion and style in there, right?) next to a stack of Doritos and Head and Shoulders. Yet behold, within a plastic display of "featured" magazines outside of the store, the Fantastic Man issue with Raf Simons as its cover man. The former goth Catholic schoolboy who I may love a little TOO much sitting on his Pierre Jeanneret chair, gave my eyes that glare seldom seen except for the portrait used in Cathy Horyn's NYT story and literally four other photos. When asked about his refusal to be photographed, Raf told Horyn that he just finds portraits to be "embarrassing" (aww), so I knew something special was waiting for me in this issue.

I was tickled by the peculiarity and playfulness of his spread in the autumn/winter 2011 issue. Raf willingly models a mixture of archived pieces from his early, more destructive youth influenced collections and his own designs under the Jil Sander house. He's sprawled sideways along his stairs and reverse planks before an art piece by U.S. artist Mike Kelley. In the accompanied profile, Gert Jonkers highlights that Raf apologized for putting The XX's debut album on constant repeat for the two hours in his home and that the avid art collector and personal buyer was once rejected by the artist himself for a painting because he didn't schedule an appointment ahead of time. Juicy in everything you want to know from Raf's brilliant noggin, the profile is a pleasant read and subtly hints at Raf's future after Jil Sander. This issue is a must-have if you're a Raf-head like me.

Visionaire 61

Maggie and I finally made the easy, two-subway-stops trip to the gallery on Mercer to see the magazine that broke a Guinness world record in the flesh. For years the super team behind Visionaire - Stephen Gan, Cecilia Dean, and James Kaliardos - had always wanted to make the largest magazine ever, inflating the excitement behind seeing beautiful photography and artwork beyond what the eyes (and hands) could originally handle. Thanks to the sponsorship and conceptual push of African Global founder Nizan Guanaes, the team assembled the contributed artworks and miraculously scurried over to a billboard printer in Wisconsin to create a very impractical, but very beautiful magazine.



standing next to the 'standard size'

It takes two to tango, but it also takes two to flip through this massive issue. We didn't want to be liable of damaging the $1,500,79 x 57.8 inches super-mag, so we went over to the "standard size" and took turns daintily flipping through the works of Ryan McGinley, Bruce Weber, Karl Lagerfeld, and Marina Abramovic, to name a few.

The two versions of the magazine are available for the public to peruse until the end of January. Gallery hours are 11-7 p.m. I highly recommend that you do not go alone. Also check out Visionaire's website for an absolutely adorable promo vid featuring three models purchasing the issue at a newsstand and taking it out for a "relaxing" park read.

Sample Sales: Joomi Lim, Y-3, Fred Perry

JOOMI LIM_

Once in a blue moon, the New York-based and breakout company Joomi Lim throws a private sample sale for the friends and family of the jewelry house. In honor of the upcoming holidays and the air of gift hunt frustration that seems to permeate these streets, the husband and wife duo behind this line marked EVERYTHING (including current collection) down to 70% off retail price. On top of that, they made sure the shopping experience among their friends and family was as personal and personable as possible.

Maggie and I arrived at the undisclosed Chelsea location perhaps a little too early, but Xavier (the husband half of the duo) filled our waiting void by serving us complimentary white wine. (Hell. Yes.) We perused through the signature spikes, boxed and queen bee chains from the house's current collection. The rings from this collection were priced between $30-$40; the spike bracelets and necklaces up to $90. (Somehow remembered that because that was one of the items Maggie bought.) Items from the spring collection, including the heavily publicized fringe necklaces, were sold to customers at wholesale price.

The items I ended up walking away with came from the bargain of the bargain bins: archived pieces which consisted of some of the very last items of each collection spanning back to the first. This bunch had $10 bangle sets, $20 crystal rings, $40 spiked square bangles, and perhaps none priced higher. I found it endearing that both Joomi and Xavier took the initiative to encourage everyone to try on the jewelry, provided background on the pieces and price checks, and direct us to where the deals really are. Loosely quoted from Joomi, "You guys, Bergdorf's still selling this at a much higher cost."

Unlike many personal sales I've attended, what separated this from the rest was the complimentary wining and dining. Sushi and wine filled the bellies of those who forgot to eat dinner and/or didn't mind getting a little buzzed thrown in with a shopper's high. Gestures like this boast high acclaim in my book.








Below, my new favorite bracelet - which I mod with a bunch of hair ties lying around. Now the challenge is to try and not to stab myself with it.



(Although this sale was one-day only, they are hosting another holiday sale this Saturday, Dec. 10th, with other New York jewelry designers. At 119 W 8th Street IN BROOKLYN** from 12 p.m. - 6 p.m.)

**make sure you go into Brooklyn and not Harlem for this one!

Y-3_



I found out about this sample sale right before I went to bed last night, and after reading what would be in store for all the lucky New Yorkers, excitement kept me from falling asleep. After waking up bright and early to get to this sale right when the doors opened, I discovered that I wasn't the only one shaking and on the brink of implosion from $50 Y-3 footwear (usually between $200-500). Shoppers were congregating like cattle in tiny elevator lobby of the Adidas superstore on Houston, waiting for the security guy to escort them into the showroom. Pretty sure I got some smug looks from those standing next to me - as if I wanted the $10 swimming trunks. (You could have those, fella.) And next to me stood a lady who, with no shame, explicitly stated that she's going to flip these for profit. Quite a mix we had here.

Because I was in a hurry to get to the Fred Perry sale (and was originally supposed to meet a friend there but that fell through), I went straight for the shoes and then to the womenswear. All shoes were marked down to ridiculously low prices - notably $50 for Y-3 lo and hi-tops (originally in the $300 price range), and the highest $75 for the cut-out wedged heels. The sale also includes the recent SLVR line (genius designs and probably my favorite) and Originals, and even those were generously marked down. Prices on the overall sale range from $5 for a pair of socks to $100 on exclusive Y-3 runway exclusives. Not bad. Wish I came more prepared with a fatter wallet...

I walked away with two shirts and, more importantly, the cut-out wedges. I meant to get them in black but pulled a dumb one and just blindly took a box without checking the colorway. Turns out they didn't have any in black, except for a single shoe that was on display. I guess red will do.

(Sale resume until Thursday, Dec. 8. Located at 610 Broadway on Houston, 3rd floor.)

FRED PERRY_



I'll be honest. I was disappointed with the selection in this sale, but you can't beat the markdowns. For the Fred Perrians out there, there's still hope that the polo/cardigan/jacket of your size and style may be hiding in this ~private~ sample sale, but it involves combing through the racks. Luckily, it's one not of those sample sales where it looks like someone dropped a bomb into a clothing warehouse, as everything is hanging on racks. Many items in this sale are either discontinued or are items they have in limited quantity, but are desperately trying to get rid of. All Raf Simons (though all in size small) are $40 flat, polos are $30, outerwear is $100, and Richard Nicol and Amy Winehouse are 50% off marked price. All I got (and want for now) was the mesh Raf polo in orange/black.

Be warned that you have to get off the ACE line and walk some way towards the Hudson River to get to this sale. And make sure to sign the e-mail list so you can be personally informed on the showroom's future sales.

(547 West 27th Street, 3rd floor. Sale ends Thursday, December 8; hours are 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.)

Blurred Motion: Love Brigade SS12 Fashion Show

Love Brigade premiered stage one, a.k.a. the spring/summer 2012 collection, of its Soulmates Never Die series last Thursday during New York Fashion Week. The past two weeks was a brain blaster for the entire crew, but captured in the last photo is the sudden transition into serenity. Everything comes together once the spotlight hits.

Fashion's Night Blackout

"... that awkward moment when you're posing and the camera's taking forever to shoot." - Tyler











My Fashion's Night Out was spent exclusively in SoHo. People chased after an Escalade with their smartphones because Pauly D was in the back seat. Anna Wintour was at Rag and Bone and uptown a crowd went nuts when Nicki Minaj walked in and out of Yves Saint-Laurent. FNO was less about shopping (freaking IMPOSSIBLE to pick up what you want and take it to the counter) and more about the chance for everyday people to jump into tabloid pages like some safari hunt. Oh, and the cheapest bar crawl you'll ever get out of this city. After my third and last store stop at Marc Jacobs, my purple feet and human clutter-induced hysteria beckoned me to go back to Brooklyn to call it a night. But really, my visiting friend and I split a pitcher of sangria at a swanky Spanish speaking bar (only non-Spanish there, ayo) called Bar Celona, and then gaily walked up Bedford for some gyros and the latest issue of Thrasher.

On the top photo: told Pharrell that I thought Tokyo Rising was beautiful (ps, directed by zee lovely Thalia Mavros), and Tyler came in around the time that I got into Billionaire Boys Club. (I can't imagine the reaction from the boys line when he walked in.) I gestured that he needed to be in the photo, so he agreed. He was probably most inclined to take the photo because it was also a photo with Pharrell haha. Tyler was a great sport and very sweet. Both are very fine gentlemen.

Zephyr Two-Toned Denim Zipper Tote Bag. More details here. Will be at the Etsy store shortly. If interested, e-mail me.

Modes des hommes_ printemps 2012

ACNE
Highwaters mean that this man's down to dance, and I love that in a man.


ALEXANDER MCQUEEN
Not going to lie, the composition of patterns and textures reminds me of the outfits you can pick and choose for your Sims character. Most of the individual pieces in this collection are great, though I think only someone like Matthew hitt could flaunt a plunging neckline like fresh money.


ANNE DEMEULEMEESTER
Someone took my goth love to the countryside and he got all romantic on me.


BALENCIAGA
Balenciaga's inimitable streamlined cuts = guaranteed sartorial orgasms.


BAND OF OUTSIDERS
The blue steel on this runway was so bright that shades were obligatory.


COSTUME NATIONAL
Before the boys become men. A playful take on menswear staples showing that you can't take the punk out of the boy.


DIOR HOMME
A few words: thank God for Kris Van Assche.


JIL SANDER
Not too sure how user-friendly the body bag would be in frantic times, but from the front slicked hair to the patent leather oxfords?! Sehr wunderbar.


LANVIN


MOSCHINO
CC'ing the Trouble and Bass DJ crew.


RAG AND BONE


RAF SIMONS
You think Simons was looking at Crispin Glover's "Clowny Clown Clown" video on mute and blasted Daft Punk's "Brainwasher" while making this collection? That aside, let's direct our attention to the PRETTY FUCKING AMAZING finale.



Mind-sweeping.(GQ's Tumblr has a better video.)


YOHJI YAMAMOTO
For editorial purposes, this is a pretty cool collection. Let's just say Yamamoto did an immaculate job with casting on this one.


YVES SAINT-LAURENT

My overwhelming affinity for menswear and beautiful men has made wonder why I am not a gay man. This visual recap of what struck my fancy is weeks old, I know. Couture week has passed and now we're sitting pretty at Berlin's week of mode, so I'm going to attempt to catch up then later flair my hands in the air, grab some coffee, and take a long drag of some of that adult candy.

All runway images from GQ style.