ONE TO WATCH: PIONAL

AT THE BEGINNING OF LAST YEAR, A YOUNG SPANISH PRODUCER CAUGHT OUR ATTENTION HERE AT AGENT2. AFTER HEARING A DEEPLY HYPNOTIC TRACK CALLED ‘IN ANOTHER ROOM’, RELEASED ON BARCELONA-BASED HIVERN DISCS, WE INSTANTLY WANTED TO HEAR MORE. SO, WE DID AND WE WERE HOOKED. A YOUNG MAN BY THE NAME MIGUEL BARROS AKA PIONAL SOON BECAME ONE OF OUR FAVOURITE EMERGING ARTISTS.

We scraped around and managed to find a few of his old tracks online, but over the past 12 months new releases and remixes have been springing up left, right and centre. One track that stood out in particular was the epic ‘We have Been Waiting For You’, which cropped up in clubs and DJ mixes the world over.

Pional has worked closely with the likes of Jon Talabot and Gavin Russom and it looks like the world is starting to pay attention to his unique sound. And so they should. His latest release comes courtesy of German label ‘Permanent Vacation’ where he joined forces with Hunee, Slow Hands, Session Victim and several other great artists to produce the critically acclaimed ‘If This Is House I Want My Money Back 2’ compilation. It is virtually impossible to pigeonhole Pional’s style, so we won’t do him an injustice by trying.

We caught up with the man himself to find out more.

You have several releases under your belt now. How did you get started with producing your own tracks?

It all started two years ago when I met the people from Hivern Discs. Actually, I’ve been making music for 10 years now, but I never took it that seriously. It wasn’t professional, just a hobby.

Looking through your back catalogue, it’s extremely difficult to put a genre to the sound. How would you describe your music and where does it all come from?

I tend to like making clear sounds. I often make the music that influences me and the music that I listen to, but at the same time I like the fact that my music sounds different to everything else. I don’t usually think about the clubs when I make my music. I think that the perfect mixture is a blend between home and dance floor.

I could describe my music as ‘slow-house’? ‘Electronic/alternative/pop-house’? (Laughs)

I have many influences; I have no prejudices about it. Right now you can catch me listening to Katy B’s new album and yesterday I was listening to St. Vincent. So, my influences could be kind of…freaky?

Do you give any time to DJing or do you spend all of your time in the studio?

My first ever live show last month in Copehagen, so I guess you could say that I spend most of my time in the studio! I’m not a DJ. Most days, when I get home I’ll normally spend around six hours making music.

You mentioned the live show. How did it work and did it go down well with the crowd?

Yes, I had a great time. There were no problems and I was very comfortable technically with the equipment that I took. I had great feedback from people; they really liked it (or so I think).

Do you look to anyone for inspiration for your live show? Who do you enjoy to watch perform live?

No, I don’t look to anyone for inspiration when it comes to my live act. Honestly, the acts that I generally see just have a laptop, a midi controller and nothing else. I would prefer to see interesting shows.

Right now, I don’t know who I’d like to see. I guess, like many others, I’d like to see a James Holden live act.

Yourself and Jon Talabot seem to be flying the flag for Spanish electronic music at the moment. Why do you think your music is so well received abroad?

Yeah, it’s cool! I guess it is well received thanks to the internet and word of mouth. Hivern has managed to achieve something that very few Spanish labels have in the past; people are talking about them, and that’s very cool.

‘We Have Been Waiting For You’ took everyone by surprise and got a lot of people talking about Pional. What’s the story behind that track? 

Well, I made that track four months before I sent it to the Hivern boys. The track originally had a very poppy drum kit and it didn’t have a 4/4 bass, clips or anything like that. It was basically a pop tune that lasted 3 minutes. The lyrics are taken from the TV show ‘Lost’. In fact, the title is the last sentence spoken by John Locke.

Have you got any new releases in the pipeline? An album perhaps?

I just finished several remixes, so right now I want to focus on preparing new material. For 2012 I plan to work on the album; I’m looking forward to it!

We’re guessing that your diary is will be filling up pretty quickly as the word begins to spread about your music. Have you got any more shows planned?

(Laughs) The truth is, that I have several interesting shows coming up around Europe (TBA).

Will you be making an appearance in the UK?

Not that I know of, but hopefully soon.

And finally…If you could banish one song to hell for all eternity, what would it be?

Black Eyed Peas – The Time (Dirty Bit)

Interview Dan Howell

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOMORROW YOU WILL LOVE A DIFFERENT STAR

THE PAINTINGS AND SCULPTURE OF KONRAD WYREBEK CONTRAST HYPER-REAL COLOUR WITH TWISTING DARK-DEPTHS. FROM CELEBRITIES AND THEIR MODEL BOYFRIENDS TO A PENTAGRAM BASED SHRINE TO BEYONCE, THIS APPEARS TO BE ART ABOUT IDENTITY IN AN IMAGE BASED CULTURE – UNTIL YOU’RE PULLED BENEATH THAT ALLURING SURFACE. 

Though much of your work has a surface edge of celebrity or fashion, it is cut with challenging currents that make it hard to pin down.  Would you say there’s any dominant theme at play?

Above all I’m interested in idealised worlds. Many of my works – including the new circular paintings – feature hyper-bright colours that to me represent dreams, targets and ambitions. I think that often these aims are impossible ideals of perfection, so it’s important to me that the zones are faded into each other; elusive. Our ambitions are the same: what we aim for can quickly become somewhere else.

There are shadows in the glamour in though – through use of monochrome and twisted or deformed paint-strokes and also some threateningly ambiguous situations.

In a lot of my work  - such as the Paintings ‘Young Slaves’ and the sculpture ‘Three Graces’ – I’m exploring the possibility that the ideals we’re aiming for can enslave us. Our culture places high value on celebrity, fashion, youth and beauty. Super-perfect images and messages – celebrating and advertising these targets – are all around us. I think our attempts to attain at least some of that ‘perfection’, whether through shopping, sex or body transformation or whatever, can trap us in. We can end up in prisons of work, debt and limited ways of thinking.

What’s your process – from inspiration to finished piece?

Well, I work across different practices  - painting, sculpture and digital so it varies a lot. But often I use the unreal images of fashion editorial and advertising as a starting point. I search through magazines, papers and online sources like blogs and websites with fashion and lifestyle shoots. Sometimes I get them off Facebook too.

I’m seeking out images that, to me, say something about the times and our culture – that have a potential to open a dialogue and question the nature and value of the world we exist in. As much as I can see a dark-side to the kind of craving and ambition these kind of fashion and celebrity images can provoke I‘m also, like most of us, attracted to them.  So in a way, with paintings such as the diptych ‘We are Slaves to the World that Doesn’t Exist’ and ‘Ideal Five Rings Target Circle’ I’m trying to make sense of my interest in them and also investigating the ambiguous meanings in the images. So with ‘Ideal Five Rings Target Circle’ I’m trying to capture the uncertain quality; whether that boy’s S+M mask accessory is trapping him in a magazine page – or someone else’s borrowed idea of a sex prison.

The painting ‘Beyonce Is New Black Madonna’ is the centrepiece of a pentagram installation, that has echoes of Russian constructivism as well as creating an shrine-like impact. Is there a darker meaning to the pentagram?

In European culture and Christian-based society, I read the pentagram as a symbol of anti-religion. But it can also be also read as a new religion – the birth of new beliefs through the negation of an old one. So with that work I built up almost an altar-like installation with an oil painting of celebrity in an iconic pose. She’s a goddess for many.

She’s an icon.  The title says the rest.

   

See Konrad Wyrebek’s work in a show curated by Michael Petry at:

Clifford Chance Collection, 10 Upper Bank Street, Canary Wharf, London E14 5JJ.
Tel: 020 7006 1000. Opens to public 17 June-31 July 2011.

 

FRANÇOISE NIELLY

FRENCH ARTIST FRANCOISE NIELLY IS NO STRANGER TO GRAND SCALE.  HER MASSIVE, VIBRANT, ILLUMINATING PORTRAITS ARE BLINDINGLY BEAUTIFUL TO LOOK AT.  AS A PAINTER MYSELF I WATCHED IN AWE AT THE VIDEO POSTED TO HER OWN SITE AS SHE CREATED ONE OF HER MAGNIFICENT PIECES.  WIELDING HER PAINTING KNIFE WITH SUCH A STRONG AND COMMANDING CONFIDENCE SHE WAVED HER COMPOSITION TO LIFE AS A MAESTRO DOES HIS ORCHESTRA.

With this image fresh in my mind, I managed to grab a few minutes with Françoise to discuss what influences impacted on the work we see her creating today and what we can expect from her in the future.

You are originally from Marseilles in the south of France. How much has this city influenced the very pure colour palette you use in your work?

I got into the habit of saying that the Mediterranean sea and its powerful contrasts has had a tremendous influence on my work; but to be honest, I think that even if I had lived in the north of Alaska, colours would have found me eventually.

You used to be a photographer as well as an illustrator in the world of advertising. At what moment did you throw the towel in and decide to abandon your profession to become a painter?

It was a mutual abandonment, it’s the way life works, like love stories…

How many elements from your previous jobs have you kept to utilise in your work as a studio artist?

I kept everything. All elements add up and contribute to my artistic approach and my personal evolution.

You have lived in many different European and North American cities such as Vancouver and New York before settling down in Paris. New York has a reputation for being exciting but demanding as opposed to Vancouver, which is famous for being picturesque and laidback.

Have you modelled your current life to certain characteristics of your former life in New York or Vancouver?

My childhood on the South Coast was followed by 10 years in the French countryside before settling in Paris 20 years ago. And of course, there were my experiences abroad. It’s difficult to say how they influenced me. My work is filled with mixed crossings and meetings. I keep great memories of Vancouver; it’s in my eyes, the most beautiful city that I have seen. New York is as pretty and more fascinating than in the movies. I adore the Americans. France is also pretty but temperamental.

Your paintings are often described as being carnal, sensual and even sexual, with biting intensity. Are you working on sketches before attacking a canvas or are you working with intuition only?

No, I work with intuition, without a net. I throw myself within the white of the canvas and it’s an intense experience, desirable and formidable. It’s a combination of conflicting and complementary internal movements; excitement, anxiety, pleasure, vertigo, attraction, doubt and acceleration. It’s always breathtaking.

Your choices of colours do not lack any brilliance and I imagine you mix your pigments yourself. Have you ever tried acrylic paint and disliked it or is there any particular reason why you work exclusively with oil paint?

Oil paint is mandatory when you use as many layers as me and when playing with transparency. For these reasons, acrylic paint doesn’t interest me. Only oil paint allows me to create what I am trying to deliver. Yes, I do my colour mixings myself and it’s a very important step in my method. You need to imagine that my palette takes the whole size of a table and I don’t mean a side table.

I have heard you are planning a new clothing collection.  Can this and more be expected in 2011?

A new collection of silk scarves is in the planning. For the clothes, there are no concrete plans yet. Ideas yes. I have many ideas but not only about a clothing collection. A journey to Australia is on the cards for 2011.

www.francoise-nielly.com

This interview was originally conducted in french.

Words Vincent Bernier

ABIGAIL AHERN

AT AGENT2, WE ARE WELL KNOWN FOR OUR INSATIABLE PASSION FOR FASHION BUT NOT AS WELL KNOWN IS OUR EQUALLY COMPULSIVE LOVE FOR INTERIORS AND GOOD DESIGN.

DESIGNER ABIGAIL AHERN IS CURRENTLY TICKING ALL OF OUR ‘GOOD TASTE’ BOXES WITH HER UNIQUE PALETTE OF MOODY GREYS AND BRIGHT FLASHES OF COLOUR COMBINED WITH AN ABILITY TO TRANSFORM DULL, EVERY DAY FINDS INTO SHOW-STOPPINGLY CHIC ITEMS THAT WOULD LIVEN UP ANY ROOM.

Her book, A Girl’s Guide to Decorating is gracing our coffee table and fills the reader with inspired ideas of how to add touches of glamour to their homes while keeping a modern yet whimsical look.

I got the chance to speak with Abigail, one of design’s edgiest gurus to talk design advice, fashion and inspiration.

What are on the top shelves of your inspiration library right now?

Oodles of books!  Arty books including Marilyn Minter, The Bauhaus & Matisse and interior tomes including The Selby, Dark Nostalgia and A Perfectly Kept House Is The Sign Of A Misspent Life. Oh and back issues, tons of them of different interior mag’s from all over the world.

Fill in the gap, “When I am in my studio I feel…”

When in my studio I feel a squishy contentment.  A bit like the feeling you get after that first sip of wine in the evening.

How do you keep yourself organised? Time management is often one of the biggest obstacles for creative minds. Do you have an agenda book and do you make to-do lists?

Rubbish at time management! I flit from one project to the next and there are often times at the end the day that I have the feeling I have dabbled in everything and accomplished nothing.  I keep to-do lists on my computer, on endless scraps of paper, which I neatly stack up on my desk but that is about as far as it goes.

What’s your favourite part of what you do?

Designing is by far my favourite thing; to design a collection that is getting snapped up all over the world is the hugest buzz and I have become addicted.  I wake up in the middle of the night with an idea. I try and run it past my husband who is none to pleased about the unearthly hour my brain seems to work but I love it.

What is the best advice you have ever received, and what is the one piece of advice you would offer to a young designer?

The best advice: follow your heart and believe in yourself. Living in America taught me to have a much more positive outlook on life and as cheesy as it sounds, a belief that I can create my own destiny and follow my dreams.

The best piece of advice for a young designer would be to travel, to absorb and be influenced and inspired by different cultures and countries.  As a designer your work, your vision continually evolves but in order for it to do so you need to travel.

Do you ever have creative blocks?  How do you combat them when you do?

I do get creative blocks but nothing that a potter around the garden or a run in the park won’t sort out. I just need to free my mind by doing something utterly different.

Your style is now very recognisable.  When working with clients do you influence them or do you bend to their will?

I am incredibly fortunate in that clients that hire me to work with them love my style so there is very little argy bargy. It is a fine line though because as a designer you need to be versatile but at the same time you need to stick to your guns.

The fundamentally important thing is to give your client what they are looking for and at times that could mean changing the current way you think but that’s what makes the job so interesting.  Having said that, if a client came to me wanting a Pawson-esque house then no way Jose!! Assess each project as it comes in and if you don’t think it’s the right one for you its way better not to start than to be popping Prozac and drinking whisky in order to get through the project! Believe me I have been there.

What are they key bits of your signature style that could translate into any home?

Colour, colour and more colour! It’s one of the most transformative things you can do to a space and I overdose on it. If you paint your walls dark and then use some high voltage contrasting ‘brights’ for accessories, flowers and so forth you will turn any room from ordinary to extraordinary and its super easy to do.

Your own boutique is hailed as one of the coolest interior stores around.  Where do you shop for inspiration?

I travel all the time so there are quite a few stores where I shop for inspiration: Merci in Paris, Rosanna Orlandi in Milan and ABC in New York. No matter where I am I always search out the flea markets as they are often at times are the most inspiring.

Are there any designers that you admire or look to for inspiration?

Kelly Wearstler, Jonathan Adler and Ilse Crawford as well as the Turkish designers Autoban are all a constant inspiration.

We love your faux flower collection, get very giddy about your brightly sprayed pieces of furniture and have just fallen in love with your new lighting pieces here at AGENT2. I have picked out the perfect spot for a bulldog lamp already!  I get the impression that if there is not the right accessory for Abigail Ahern that you just make one it yourself.  Can the keen design enthusiast adopt the same principals and what advice would you give them to keep things look more chic than shabby?

A lack of desirable merchandise has indeed influenced me in producing my very own range.

I spend vast amounts of time travelling and seeking out new products and when I just can’t find what I am looking for I produce it myself. Also, I am a huge fan of glamorous interiors that have a certain rock ‘n’ roll vibe.

Spray-painting anything from flea market found tables and chairs and mirrors in the glossiest of hues is a fabulous way of adding glamour.

It’s all about thinking out of the box, blending the odd unusual piece with unexpected finishes be that with colour or texture.

As you probably noticed, we love fashion here at AGENT2.  Are there any fashion designers that influence what you do?

I do love fashion although being so timed starved I have so little time these days so I stick to what I love; Missoni, Stella McCartney, Giles Deacon and vintage.   In Islington where my store is located we have a fabulous selection of vintage clothes stores.

Music plays a big part in our creative process, what would be on your ipod playlist that is inspiring you at the moment?

I am a bit of a creature of habit in the mornings. Radio 4 and NPR from the USA, in the afternoons something like Angus & Julia Stone or Stacey Kent and in the evening Jazz.

What’s next for Abigail?

Next, I am in the process of designing more products, which we are hoping to launch in New York in the summer and Paris in the autumn, as well as designing a 1950s travelling wagon for the most fabulous circus on earth.

www.atelierabigailahern.com

Interview Graham Gartside-Bernier

MIRRORS: LIVING IN ELECTRIC DREAMS

HAVING JUST BEEN PLUCKED UP BY HMV AND NME AS THE NEXT BIG THING AND DESCRIBED AS A SOMBRE DEPECHE MODE BY STEVE LAMACQ, BRIGHTON- BASED BAND MIRRORS HAVE BARELY HAD TIME TO SIT BACK AND REFLECT ON A VERY BUSY MONTH.

Having already supported OMD, Fenech- Soler Hercules and Love Affair and the ever popular White Lies, this band can almost be described as living in electric dreams.

I spoke to the Mirrors about their influences.

There is obviously an 80′s sound running throughout your music. Who are your inspirations?

We are certainly influenced by many of those bands that flourished in the wave of creativity that was ushered in after punk; bands such as Joy Division/New Order, Cabaret Voltaire, The Human League, Depeche Mode, but, like many of those 80′s acts were then, we, in turn, take a lot of influence from the electronic music made by pioneering artists from even earlier, like Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, E.M.A.K

And though we are musicians, we find inspiration in many other places. For example, we literally build our music, and so architecture is a great influence. We try, through our live visuals, our image, and indeed everything we show of ourselves, to be creative, and to be more than just a band, so artists like Gilbert and George, who live their very lives as art, are a great inspiration. I could go on and on all day!

What was it like supporting OMD in Paris and how did it come about?

OMD contacted us and said that they liked our music, and kindly asked us if we would like to support them on their tour. The opportunity to play our music in front of thousands of electronic pop music fans was very welcome.

Do you think your overall look and visuals in your performance are as important as the music?

Everything that we present is of equal importance. The visuals are there to enhance the music, and vice versa. Likewise, our neat, smart image is great because it instantly sets up an expectation in people’s brains, which we then aim to fulfil. We wish everything to be special.

What can we expect next from Mirrors?

Our album is coming out on the 24 February and we are having an album launch at The Green Door in Brighton that day. We are already working on our next album, which, though in the early stages, is set to be rather different from this one. We are really excited to be writing, but also hope to play various festivals in the summer. We are also touring with fellow Brightonians Fujiya this February. We would like very much to see you all there.

www.myspace.com/mirrorsmirrorsmirrors

Words Jennifer Butler

MICHAEL KAMPE: PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF MENSWEAR

AT THE TENDER AGE OF 24, MICHAEL KAMPE IS MAKING A SPLASH IN THE FASHION WORLD. HIS EXPLOSIONS OF LARGE PRINTS, TREATED DENIM AND 3D STRUCTURES HAVE IMPRESSED THE LIKES OF DIESEL. JENNIFER BUTLER SPOKE TO THE YOUNG GERMAN DESIGNER ABOUT MAKING AVANT-GARDE WEARABLE AND PUSHING THE BOUNDARY OF MENSWEAR.

What made you want to become a designer? In particular why did you choose menswear?

In my youth I wanted to become a cook, but since I sketched my first designs by the age of 18, I was fascinated. I then taught myself tailoring without any books or teachers and only by ‘reading’ clothes. When I felt that my 2D ideas could become alive in 3D, I knew at that moment that this was what I wanted to do.

I make most of the clothes I wear myself because the feedback you get from a person you might not even know is the best you can get. To focus then later on Menswear came very naturally.

I am designing for Women as well, but Menswear always inspires me because of its rules and clearness of construction.

Functionality, urban wear and uniforms together with a cool, masculine image of a man inspire my work. Especially in Avant-garde, you rarely encounter good menswear. The type of man I am designing for should never appear ‘goofy’ even though some of my designs are not ‘wearable’.

Who are your clothes designed for?

My philosophy is to show new directions in Urban and denim wear far from mass market production, focussed on an individual, single piece.

To achieve this, I developed a unique production technique, ranging from deconstructing classical pattern to mixing different materials, all-over digital printing and a modern art influenced patchwork construction of garments.

To offer a unique product, the pieces are completely hand-made with individual treatment. This means that my clothes are directed towards customers who are more collectors than consumers.

Do you feel living in Berlin has influenced you designing?

Berlin has always been my biggest inspiration. When I find the time I am doing trips around the city, walking from galleries to Museums and Libraries and visiting small concerts in cosy basement clubs, which are a great influence.

Why did you choose to use large bold prints and 3D?

The contrast between the movement in the prints and the clean constructed lines of the 3D elements is very interesting to me. Also, the opportunity I had was to work them in a massive way all over the body, the sleeves, back, hood, even inside the jackets. I enjoy reconstructing classic silhouettes.

Why did you choose to use denim?

It`s a fabric that gives you so much opportunities to work with. You can be rough with it like with a very heavy one for work wear or sensible with a thin one for girls.

Jeans are something many run from screaming because has become so normal, but for me, reinterpreting the normal in an avant-gardistic way is the real challenge.

Your menswear is quite fresh and edgy; do you think your youthful approach helped you get the Diesel Prize?

Yes, because my intention in creating the latest collection was much more about showing my new directions than wearable pieces, especially in menswear.

It is important for me that if you would reduce the showy elements in some pieces, for example reducing the foam in the parka, sticks around the coat; blocks off the jacket, they become interesting wearable garments. Otherwise they would be costumes and this is not what I want to create. The reference to wearable pieces has to be obvious, but not too easy to identify.

You are quite a young designer. What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Being trained in Antwerp was very intense and the International appreciation for my work is a wonderful reward.

What plans do you have for the future?

I want to keep on working in a team for a brand and gain experience for my own label there as well. Besides I will keep on working on my own label ‘MICHAEL KAMPE’.

Words Jennifer Butler

ETAT LIBRE D’ORANGE: SCENT OF DISTURBANCE

AGENT2 CHATS TO THE FOUNDER OF PROVOCATIVE PERFUME HOUSE ETAT LIBRE D’ORANGE

THESE DAYS MANY PERFUMERS ARE RELUCTANT TO BREAK AWAY FROM THE STATUS QUO, CHOOSING INSTEAD TO ‘PLAY IT SAFE’ AND WAIT FOR CASH TO COME ROLLING IN. NOT SO WITH ETAT LIBRE D’ORANGE. FORGET SOFT FLORAL BOUQUETS, ACCOMPANIED BY GLOSSY AD CAMPAIGNS AND SMILING, SPARKLING CELEBRITIES. WITH FRAGRANCES CALLED FAT ELECTRICIAN, PUTAIN DES PALACES (HOTEL SLUT) AND SÉCRÉTIONS MAGNIFIQUES THE BRAND’S SUGGESTIVENESS IS A TWO-FINGERED SALUTE TO THE OVERTLY GLAMORISED WORLD OF SCENT. WE CAUGHT UP WITH ITS FOUNDER- THE VERY CHARMING ETIENNE DE SWARDT – TO TALK ABOUT HIS DARING CONCEPT FOR THE BRAND, WORKING WITH TILDA SWINTON AND HIS UNUSUAL SCENT INSPIRATIONS.

What gave you the idea to create such a provocative perfume brand?

Somehow, perfumery has become a rigid money-driven institution, so I created Etat Libre d’Orange as an ‘independent free state’ i.e. less corrupted by the usual marketing protocols. Our perfumers are free to create as artists should be, using the best raw materials to implement our unique concepts. We explore the more risqué side of perfume, and like to think of ourselves as mavericks risking anything and reporting to no one. I love to say that Kevin Spacey’s famous words in the film Swimming with Sharks: “Kill your parents. F*ck your friends. Have a nice day.” This could be our motto. We refuse to tone down our fragrances, because we’d rather please one person rather than 99 – which is the crux of our cash flow problems but thankfully we are still here! Our inspiration is pure nonsense and neurotic despair!

For example, Putain des Palaces discloses one of the 19th century taboos, starring a prostitute, who is getting ready with powder and lipstick for the night ahead. The make-up smell fills up the room until her first client arrives. Then the sophisticated smell yields to animal, leathery notes as the intercourse takes place. It’s a scandalous scent for a licentious story!

What was the idea behind the name “L’Etat Libre D’Orange?”

The name (meaning ‘Free State of Orange’) has been chosen in reference to the region of South Africa where I’m from. In 185, the Boers created an independent republic in South Africa called The Free State of Orange, after the princely family of Orange-Nassau from the Netherlands – a lineage from which the majority of Boers pioneers came from. Etat Libre d’Orange claims the same rebellious spirit – a state of mind which is at odds with convention.

Do you think there’s something lacking in the predominantly delicate, floral and feminine scents currently available?

What is generally lacking in the mainstream fragrances is a true sense of renewal.

The traditional perfume brands are afraid of innovation because it is risqué and could potentially mean a loss in sales. That is why a lot of companies are currently searching their past for un-risqué values and products.

How do you create a scent? Is there a particular process?

There is no particular process – every scent has its own genesis and history. I’m not too dogmatic in terms of how a scent is created. It begins with a story or a character I find appealing – we love random encounters with interesting, different people – and the fragrance takes shape after that.

Do you have a favourite perfume ingredient?

The rose accord twisted with Peruvian balm in our Dermophile Indien fragrance could be my ‘Madeleine de Proust.’

Sécretions Magnifiques by Antoine Lie was quite an unusual scent- what were people’s reactions when it came out?

Sécretions Magnifiques is an ‘anti-fragrance.’ Instead of conceiving a fragrance in the conventional way, opposing ‘good’ artificial smells to hide ‘bad’ personal ones, Antoine chose to highlight the latter. Consequently, Sécrétions Magnifiques does not trigger balanced reactions: either you love this fragrance or you hate it.

What made you choose Tilda Swinton as an inspiration for Like This?

Tilda Swinton is the eeriest beauty I have ever come across. She inspired me because of this seemingly immortal aura she has. Tilda also brought her own inspirations that gave birth to the fragrance’s name (which is also the title of her favourite poem.)

Do you have a favourite fragrance among the collection?

Our forthcoming fragrance Archives 69 has a unique concept behind it. It comes from a short story by Boris Vian telling the tale of an austere bachelor taking extreme pleasure with a vampire in Count Dracula’s castle – a subtle end to innocence and a schizophrenic love lost in between romanticism and eroticism.

Where do you see the future of perfume as heading?

Bankrupt! I believe that perfume’s future lies in the exploration of new olfactory territories, without boundaries – which is obviously going to be financially difficult for emerging perfumers.

What makes the creation of scent such a unique art form?

Devising a fragrance remains a very mysterious art because it combines science and aesthetics. A perfumer is perpetually exploring…

Etat Libre D’Orange Fragrances can be purchased online here.

etatlibredorange.com

Words Viola Levy

NANCY DEE: CHANGING THE FACE OF JERSEY

JERSEY HAS A REPUTATION FOR BEING JUST A COMFORTABLE FABRIC FOR DAYWEAR AND HOLIDAYS. UK DESIGNER DUO NANCY DEE IS CHANGING ALL THAT WITH HER FIGURE-HUGGING, 50S-INSPIRED PIECES.

Sister Tamsin and Seraphina launched Nancy Dee in 2008. Environment-aware and silhouette-flattering, their retro-inspire creations reinvent the easy-to-wear jersey dress. Jennifer Butler caught up with Tamsin to talk Dracula, ethical clothing and the introduction of trousers in the collection.

How did your upbringing help you develop a passion for fashion?

When we were really young, we used to make clothes for our dolls using scraps of old fabric and our Mum’s sewing machine – it was far more interesting styling our dolls than actually playing with them! We were both obsessed by Bram Stoker’s Dracula and I recreated the red dress Winona Ryder wears in the film for the dolls. Seraphina also used the film for her dissertation examining the symbolic use of costume in film.

At secondary school, I started making my own clothes because no one on the high street at that time made clothes long enough for girls over 6 foot! Seraphina, being young enough not to recognise my fashion disasters, was apparently inspired by the crazy things I used to make, and more embarrassingly, wear.

How have your travels influenced the clothes you make?

For me, it was more about using social and trade policies to improve the welfare in developing countries, building upon what I had learned from my second degree. Seeing at firsthand the extreme poverty and hand-to-mouth existence in many parts of Asia forced me to look at how our industries directly impacted upon others, and also how they can be used to lift people out of poverty, for example, as the fairtrade movement is aiming to do.

What made you decide to go into ethical fashion?

It was less of a decision to go “ethical” and more about just wanting to do it “right”. Seraphina wanted to turn her designs into a business, and I joined forces with her to launch Nancy Dee in 2008. We were adamant right from the start that if we were to bring another clothing label into this world, it had to have minimal negative impact, socially and environmentally. It does make everything that much harder and expensive, but it was a moral decision for us, we just wanted to do things properly. We’ve still got some way to go in improving our environmental footprint, but we are working on it.

What is next for the Nancy Dee line and where would you like to see it go in the future?

We are introducing separates for the first time for spring/summer 2011. We’ve had an amazing response from boutiques looking to buy our jersey trousers. We will expand our range of fabrics to include modal, linen and silk.

We’re concerned by the air miles used to transport clothes from Asia to Europe, so we are looking into moving part of our production back here to a lovely little factory in the Midlands. It will always have to be a compromise, because production is cheaper in India and allows us to sell ethical clothes at the prices we do, but we want to bring some of it back to the areas here in the UK that used to have a thriving clothing manufacture industry before it became so easy to get everything made in China.

Tell us about where your clothing comes from?

The pieces are currently manufactured in India, by a family-run factory with SA 8000:2001 certification from Social Accountability, as well as certification from Fairtrade Labelling Organisation (FLO). Although the FLO status relates only to 100% cotton products, it is a very good benchmark for us, as it is the same workers that sew our clothes as make the FLO certified pieces.

The fabric comes from India, and we use a range of sustainable jerseys, from organic cotton to modal to soya bean. The autumn/winter 2010 collection was all made from a super soft blend of bamboo, organic cotton and elastane for stretch.

Why did you decide to use Jersey?

Seraphina prefers to design in jersey. At the time we launched, no one else was specialising in jersey. It is still quite hard to find retro prints like ours on jersey fabrics. Also, jersey has a great versatility about it – people think it’s really casual, but we’re trying to prove that it can also be worn in the office, at a party or on holiday.

Who wears your clothing?

Our customer age range is really wide – some of the pieces appeal to younger women because they are short or a bit clingy, but we’ve had feedback from Equa in London that they’ve had women of 50-plus in buying our pieces!

Seraphina designs with two hats on and tries to create something for everyone. A lot of women are scared of jersey and think it’s always clingy or tight, but her designs try to introduce clever pleating here and there to flatter the figure, sleeves to hide arm-worries or clever positioning of sash bow ties to distract from tummies.

It appeals to quite a wide range of women because they are such easy styles to wear, and you can really make them your own with jewellery or accessories.

www.nancydee.co.uk

Words Jennifer Butler

WINTER WOOLIES: STEPHANIE GOYNES

INSPIRED BY SOUTH AMERICAN COLOURS, FASHION GRADUATE STEPHANIE GOYNES IS REDEFINING OUR VISION OF KNITWEAR. JENNIFER BUTLER MET WITH THE DESIGNER WITH JACQUARD ON HER MIND.

Stephanie Goynes has just finished a degree at the London School of Fashion but she has already made a statement with her eye popping knits. Her Aztec styles and rainbow colours are a far cry from grandma’s fleecy number and bring the classic cardi into the 21^st century.

A whole outfit made from knitwear is a daring statement, but the South American-inspired colours and textures help make every garment look different and fresh.

“I used Native American Basketry, with the idea of converting traditional weaving techniques into knitwear. The vibrant patterns formed in the weaving process inspired the Jacquard designs, and the surface texture of baskets themselves some of the other pieces. I wanted to transform the historical basketry of Native America into knitwear -challenging weave to combine with knit,” explained the Goynes.

So why choose to do knitwear? It is not the sexiest of materials and maybe not one that you would see filling a whole collection on the catwalk?

“I fell into knitwear finding it was a fantastic way of satisfying my mathematical and technical approach to a creative trait. I love to pick colour and texture in yarn form then develop my fabric from there. I’ve always been textile orientated and knitwear allows that to play a major role in designing.”

Her love of knitwear is more than apparent, having done work experience with knitwear specialist Sibling of London and Eley Kishimoto.

At the moment there are no plans to develop her own brand but to have a bit of time after the great wealth of knowledge she was taught at LSF.

“In the future I hope to do some freelance work or settle into a company with a creative team I feel at home with, my own stuff will be taking a back seat for now. I’ve received some really flattering feedback, been in contact with a few companies and had a couple of interviews but I’ll wait and see!” said Goynes.

Sadly her last collection was only one offs, but she has done some special commissions and at AGENT2, we are tempted to add ourselves to the list to get a cardigan for the cold winter months ahead.

Words Jennifer Butler

MERVE TUNA: A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE

WITH THE USE OF FUR STILL A CONTENTIOUS ISSUE IN FASHION, IT TAKES A BRAVE LADY TO CREATE AN ENTIRE COLLECTION FROM ANIMALS. STEP FORWARD MERVE TUNA, THE TURKISH-BORN, BOUNDARY-PUSHING DESIGNER WITH A DIFFERENCE.

Incorporating taxidermy into outfits is not for the faint of heart, and Tuna’s MA collection at the London College of Fashion show earlier this year certainly raised more than just a few eyebrows. Feathers, fur, beaks, paws and entire carcasses were in abundance- draped around shoulders, tied around waists and fashioned into entire items of clothing and accessories. This included the now-infamous bag crafted from the head of a boar, complete with jutting snout. The fashion industry was divided. Was this a morally dubious attempt to shock, or the future of innovative fashion?

Tuna herself seems unconcerned by the furore surrounding her use of animals. “I didn’t worry about anyone else’s opinion on the subject, I trusted mine well enough,” she says.  As well she might. Tuna has long had an interest in taxidermy and in preparation for her collection, took a short course in taxidermy to better understand the processes required to create her pieces. The result was that her collection was made almost entirely by herself.

“It covered skinning to tanning, and stuffing a mammal. I also got to learn a little about bird taxidermy. It was more about learning to be able to hack the traditional process as I needed to.  I had some spare skins from this taxidermist which also defined the main content of my designs.  Then I worked with another taxidermist to supply the animals for the rest of the collection, and also to stuff the spare boar skin I had. That was the only time I had professional help. Apart from that, I enjoyed experimenting on my own with very little mentoring.”

The collection explores the boundaries between what is human and what is animal. So where does Tuna see this boundary? “We get to think and we get to make choices differently to animals.  I think the fantasies or instincts of humans tend to be seen as animalistic. But I see these as more human.”

Another influence is David Lynch’s films, but Tuna is quick to play down their importance in her collection. “I researched and analysed his films to see how he reflects fantasies and nightmares, since my collection was about the border in between these. I made a time line of his movies which was a kind of line drawn by the doctor in ‘Back to the Future’- just more complicated- and I reflected it on the flow of my collection, like it had a plot. I was attracted to his films before but didn’t actually enjoy them very much. I don’t think they are for fun anyway, so it was more of a technical admiration.”

Tuna’s efforts have attracted considerable international attention. She exhibited at Istanbul Design Week from 2004 to 2007 and at the Copenhagen Fashion Fair. Her taxidermy designs were also selected for the Neo-Couture exhibition, and in 2009 Tuna was awarded a scholarship from English Eccentrics on the basis of her designs, which have generated intrigue and outrage in equal measure.

The burning question is, of course, why Tuna decided to use real fur in her collection. For the most part, faux fur has replaced the use of real fur on the high street. Animal rights groups such as PETA and other activist groups sought to raise awareness of the ethical issues surrounding the production of fur garments in the 90s and the stigma attached to real fur has remained, albeit to a lesser degree. Of the five ‘supers’- Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Claudia Schiffer and Elle Macpherson- who famously decreed that they would “rather go naked than wear fur”, only Turlington has remained true to her word. The vast majority of objections to real fur stem from those concerned by the often appalling conditions animals forced to endure, and the manner in which they are killed.

Tuna’s specimens were already dead, in most cases roadkill, and she supplied nearly all of the animals used in the collection herself. The rest came from the taxidermist. For Tuna, using faux fur never entered the equation. “I personally don’t like faux fur,” she admits. “Not only because of the way it feels, but also because of the necessity of imitating something. I get more excited when the textures get to speak for themselves, rather than just being faux.  However I don’t believe in the need to wear fur either, although I am thrilled by the material itself.

“I prefer people who like fur, and wear fur, knowing what it really is. They didn’t feel disturbed by my vision.  Also people who are against fur, and who wouldn’t want to wear imitations either- they also got why I did what I did. I find it unrealistic to talk about the politics of the subject beyond this, as it feels like I’m speaking for others.”

Speaking of politics, this seems an appropriate time to bring up Lady Gaga’s offal attire. What did she make of Gaga’s headline-grabbing meat dress at the VMAs? “Similar things were done before in art which excited me quite a lot. On the other hand, I never got excited about what Lady Gaga wore. Seeing her wearing a meat dress just reminded me of the fact that fashion has the power to suck in everything, including ‘anti-fashion’. It becomes just another ‘dress’  for the sake of provocation.”

Given the emphasis on construction in her designs, it perhaps comes as no surprise that Tuna is actually a graduate of Industrial Product Design. Tuna completed her degree at Istanbul Technical University before moving to London to take up her MA at London College of Fashion. “I had an interest in fashion when I was quite young.  However I wanted to learn all that I am capable of, so I studied science in high school and product design in university. These have had effects on my design approach,” she says.

“The reason why I studied product design was because I wanted to have wider knowledge about materials and production methods before focusing on fashion. It was quite technical there, in that maths was more important than drawing skills, for instance. I learned a lot about design methods and I was taught that design is about solving problems. It had a great impact on me, although now I like asking questions more.” What kind of questions? “The questions I ask are mostly self-and body-related, so I’ve ended up doing mostly fashion-related designs now.”

Product design’s loss is undoubtedly the fashion industry’s gain. Fashion needs designers who are keen to experiment, and Merve Tuna is someone who isn’t afraid to rewrite the rule book.

www.mervetuna.com

Words Kay Weston  Main image Michiel Meewis

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