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May 16, 2013

Deerhunter x Proenza Schouler: Monomania

Band Members Become the Unlikely Faces of the Ever-Current New York Womenswear Line

Indie rocker androgyny finds a kindred spirit in women's ready-to-wear courtesy of Proenza Schouler in this series of photographs featuring Deerhunter, accompanied by an eponymous track taken from the recently released album Monomania. The unlikely collaboration was born from mutual admiration between Bradford Cox, the provocative lead singer of the psychedelic noise-rock band, and the New York fashion label’s Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez. “Bradford had all these themes and ideas he was playing with during the recording of the album. He was obsessed with primitive and African art, fur and animal prints,” explains photographer Robert Semmer, who is working with the Atlanta-born band on a bigger visual project, including a film and music video around the release of this latest album. “Bradford and the drummer Moses were already huge fans of Proenza Schouler and when they saw the Autumn/Winter 2013 show they freaked out because it was exactly the same vibe that they were obsessing over.” NOWNESS caught up with the designers to discover more about this brand new alliance.

What makes Deerhunter the perfect Proenza muse?
Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez: Bradford is fiercely driven to explore his craft and is possessed by it, something we find incredibly intoxicating and inspiring. It makes us want to push harder, to think bigger.

Were you surprised to hear that the band are big fans of Proenza Schouler A/W13?
JM and LH: It was definitely unexpected and funny since it’s a women’s fashion brand.

How did your collaboration come about?
JM and LH: We went to a performance they gave at MoMA PS1 in Queens a few weeks before our fall runway show. Afterwards we went backstage to meet Bradford; he mentioned that he and the band were fans of Proenza Schouler and that it might be interesting to work on something together. We invited them to the show in February and the next day they called us up and asked us to dress them for their album cover shoot.

Is it important to connect with interesting bands?
JM and LH: We’ve been listening to both Deerhunter and Atlas Sound [Cox’s solo project] on repeat. Music is really important to us—it formulates ideas when we’re drawing and working in the studio. We’re constantly looking for new music online and going off on tangents searching for things.

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Spotlight

Adrien Sauvage: Dress Easy

The Dapper Polymath Shares His Lifestyle Philosophy in a Sharp New Short

British made-to-measure maverick Adrien Sauvage enlists Submarine star Craig Roberts as his disciple in a self-directed new film explaining the deceptively simple philosophy of “DE”, or “Dress Easy.” Following stints as an English international basketball player and a roving personal stylist, the 29-year-old established his A. Sauvage label and opened a boutique on London’s Maddox Street earlier this year. Now dressing the likes of Noomi Rapace, Richie Culver and NBA star Luol Deng, Sauvage crafts outfits combining subtle innovations like beltless trousers with vibrant Akan patterns reflecting his Ghanaian heritage. “Craig and I were on a shoot together earlier this year,” says Sauvage of casting the 21-year-old Welshman in the role of “The Student.” “I was digging his awkward and unpredictable silence. He had the sensitivity of DE and reminded me of a young Dustin Hoffman.” The ethos of DE involves simplifying styling decisions to free up time to concentrate on more important matters. The Disciple of DE follows on from Sauvage’s previous film, The Art of DE, which introduced the idea and screened at Sundance. Here, the designer reveals how that art can be applied to any given task.

Ordering a drink at a busy bar
The DE man has time on his side and a queue does not phase him. The DE man stands out from the crowd so never has to wait long.

Erecting an umbrella
The DE man unclasps the umbrella, smoothly holds it at arms length and pushes the release button, simultaneously gliding it aloft. The DE man never has a push-up umbrella.

Making a cup of tea
The DE man waits patiently for the kettle to boil. Two sugars––never a third, no matter how sweet his tooth may be.

Cutting a length of kente cloth
The DE man surveys the cloth, plotting in his mind his direction. The DE man cuts in the most direct and efficient path so no cloth is wasted.

Defusing an argument
The DE man would never be in an argument. Each sentence is thought out, and opinions are expressed in a clear concise manner. No one disagrees with the DE man.

Scoring a three-pointer
With his back turned to the hoop, the DE man knows where the hoop sits. With a swift pivot and an easy follow-through the points are scored.

Completing a crossword
The DE man will study the crossword until he knows the answers to all the questions. Only then will he fill in the crossword. The DE man will not sit and dither.

Writing a letter
The DE Man writes in short and precise sentences, knowing exactly what is to be said and how. The DE man does not write about nonsensical subjects.

Rowing a boat
The DE man rows a boat with the effortlessness and ease afforded to him by his clothing. The DE man is comfortable in every situation.

Visit our Facebook page to see Sauvage’s behind-the-scenes shots from the set here, and revisit his "surrealism" Q&A here.

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Spotlight

Apotheosis: Ralph Pucci

The Revolutionary Mannequin Designer On Fashion’s Unsung Models

In his spacious West 18th Street loft-cum-factory, visionary mannequin creator Ralph Pucci muses on perfection and body image in filmmakers Nick Sweeney and Aaron Peasley’s new short. Over the past three decades since taking over his parent’s mannequin company, Pucci has elevated the figures from shop window clotheshorses into works of art through groundbreaking collaborations with the likes of illustrator Ruben Toledo, artists Kenny Scharf and Stephen Sprouse, and supermodels such as 60s icon Veruschka. “When I started making them in 1976, mannequins were very modest and predictable,” says Pucci. “I set out to introduce fun and fantasy.” Breaking the rigid conventions of the day, Pucci introduced action poses like diving or head-stands, ushered in a new streamlined aesthetic while working with French designer Andrée Putman, and presaged America’s 80s fitness obsession by introducing chiseled athletic figures inspired by Bruce Weber’s body-conscious photography. More recent collaborations have seen supermodel Christy Turlington recreated in elegant yoga poses, and Pucci invent the industry’s first high-end plus-size mannequin. However, Pucci admits his vision of beauty is not an attainable one. According to him, today’s “perfect” female mannequin is around six feet tall, a size two and has measurements of 32–22–32. “Like all art forms, mannequins reflect the times we live in,” says Pucci. "If you keep your eyes and ears open, that's how you'll know what's next.”

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