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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

Exotic Skins

Photographer Arnaud Pyvka Explores the Rarefied Hides Favored by Luxury Fashion Houses

Brightly colored alligator and crocodile hides supplied by Singapore’s renowned tannery Heng Long International conceal the bare flesh of model Lidi Kochetkova in Arnaud Pyvka’s provocative shoot. A well-kept secret among chic tastemakers, the family-run Heng Long treats the production and preparation of animal skins as an artisanal craft, supplying perfectly treated hides to the likes of Hermès, Louis Vuitton and Prada. “It’s a dying skill as there are fewer and fewer artisans who are able to do it without using lacquer,” observes CT Koh, who runs the 175-strong tannery. Founded after the Second World War by CT’s grandfather—who learned the art while sailing between continents as a trader—Heng Long use a special Bombé finish on their skins, as well as transparent Analine dyes which don’t obscure the grain and natural detail. In between studies at Central Saint Martins and the London College of Fashion, CT’s youngest son Ethan recently branched out with his own bespoke accessories line Ethan K, making bags and clutches from the family’s sought-after skins. Here father and son discuss scales, conservation and the best way to make a bag last.

How do you tell a crocodile from an alligator?
Ethan Koh: Crocodiles are sourced from African countries, South East Asia, Australia and Papua New Guinea. Their scales are squarer and rounder so you can see the contrast.
CT Koh: Our alligators are American, from the Mississippi river. You can tell they have bigger scales; they’ve got a longer body than a crocodile.

Which hides would you recommend designers use?
EK: There’s a misconception that big scales or small scales are best but it’s down to what you’re producing. Rarer Australian salt-water crocodiles have smaller scales on their side so they look more aesthetically pleasing when you design a small clutch bag. Java lizards, a species farmed wild in Indonesia, have a beautiful natural dual tone, which you’ll often find used for watches.
CT K: A large good quality handbag also requires at least two to three pieces, especially when we take care to use the center cut of the skins as the center of the bag, so a good piece of hide is functional as well as beautiful.

Where does work begin on a crocodile skin?
EK: Today the process begins with conservation.
CT K: During the 1970s trade increased but crocodiles were being exploited; so scientists and animal lovers joined in a group called the Crocodile Advisory Group, a special network that shared knowledge on sustainable farming. It means many species are no longer endangered.

What’s the trick to making a bag last?
EK: Two months ago I was at the Olympia Arts & Antiques Fair and I saw a couple of beautiful jewelry boxes from Asprey made in the 1890s to 1910s. If they hadn’t been tanned well, they wouldn’t have lasted until today. Sometimes with crocodile bags, after a certain point, the skin actually looks even more beautiful. It depends how the user takes care. But the best trick? Don’t use your bag as an umbrella.

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Spotlight

Angelica Cheung: In Paris

Vogue China’s Super-Editor Invites NOWNESS into Her World

International tastemaker and Vogue China Editor-in-Chief Angelica Cheung opens up about life in fashion in this intimate short by French director Aurélie Saada. Shot during the Paris couture shows in July, Saada trailed Cheung for a day meeting with actress, model and Schiaparelli muse Farida Khelfa, attending the Chanel show, and lunching with Chinese superstar Zhou Xun. “Angelica is driven by a sort of mission for her country to make the voices of young Chinese designers heard and to help them develop,” explains Saada, who recently made the move into directing, but is perhaps best known as one half of the sensational French pop duo Brigitte. “She has set out to educate Chinese luxury consumers, teaching that big names and logos are not always the way to go; rather one should approach fashion as the expression of one's personality.” Launched in September 2005, Vogue China has quickly become one of the biggest international editions of the magazine, with the first issue’s initial run of 300,000 copies selling out almost instantly, leading to a second printing. Subsequently, while many publications have thinned in line with the economy, Vogue China has consistently increased its page count in order to keep up with demand for advertising requests. “This woman has a real deepness to her, a real generosity that made the experience incredible,” says Saada of the Beijing-based Cheung. “She opened the door to her hotel room for me in the morning, and she spoke without taboo for the whole day. She is a strong and generous woman––attentive, unpretentious, and emblematic.”

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