Director de algunos de los videoclips más vistos de las dos últimas décadas para grupos como Sonic Youth, The Breeders, R.E.M., Daft Punk, The Chemical Brothers, Björk o los Beastie Boys; productor y director ejecutivo de la serie Jackass y de su versión cinematográfica; director de películas como Being John Malkovich o la estrenada hace poco Where the wild things are; candidato al Oscar en dos ocasiones; actor y ex de Sofia Coppola. Spike Jonze necesita poca presentación.

El director norteamericano tiene un nuevo mérito que apuntarse en el currículum, su último corto, I’m here, que tiene en vilo a medio planeta. Oficialmente sólo ha sido presentado en el Festival de Sundance y en la sección Generation del Festival Internacional de cine de Berlín, con una gran acogida. Y ahora le ha tocado el privilegio a Madrid y no en cualquier cine, sino los antiguos Cines Luna. Abandonada hasta hace poco, esta sala ha revivido de la mano de un grupo de jóvenes emprendedores de la capital, que dan una nueva oportunidad a las viejas salas en ocasiones especiales y no se sabe por cuánto tiempo más.

Así que en un viernes pasado por agua acudimos a los citados cines para ver nacer la última criatura de Spike Jonze. ¿Qué harías por el amor de tu vida? ¿Qué darías por esa persona? Como buena peli de amor, I’m here intenta responder a estas preguntas. Dos espíritus solitarios que se conocen y se enamoran. Un relato absolutamente común si no fuera porque nuestros jóvenes protagonistas son dos robots. Puro "costumbrismo mágico" marca de la casa. Spike Jonze se ha especializado en presentar historias del día a día con elementos irreales. Todo bajo una naturalidad que da como resultado un universo único. Una estética que ha dado mucha personalidad a toda la obra del director. Y I’m here es un claro ejemplo de esto. A lo largo de una media hora, el espectador asiste a uno de los ritos sagrados del ser humano, el enamoramiento, con banda sonora de Sam Spiegel como telón de fondo. Un joven con cabeza de computadora, con una vida monótona y aburrida en Los Ángeles conoce un día a una mujer con aspecto de crash test dummie que le cambiará la vida. Treinta minutos de ternura cibernética que mantuvieron a toda la sala al borde de la lagrimita. Menos mal que a la salida, esperaban unos riquísimos cócteles de Absolut para remontar lo que quedaba de finde.

The color black takes on many personalities.  It conjures up images of aging, mourning and gloom.  Black is a void, yet it offers a sort of malleability for those who wish to explore and deconstruct its properties.  On this premise, BLAAK was founded.  Design duo Sachiko Okada and Aaron Sharif founded BLAAK in 1998 before graduating from Central St. Martin’s in London.  Their desire to contemplate color, to sift through the many emotions associated with the color black, acted as a jumping-off point for the two designers to develop their own style.  BLAAK’s aesthetic has evolved dramatically from its predominantly black, first collection.  The result is a dynamic study in draping, silhouette, pattern, and palette.

Hot pink, unstructured blazers, gauze tanks, studded work coats, and hand-polished copper neckpieces are all relevant here.  Our socio-cultural and economic climate has clearly changed from what it was ten years ago.  Safety prevails over risk-taking.  At least that’s what we thought the rule of thumb would be for a while.  But when garments are made with such precise fabrication, the work put into them reveals itself.  The use of such difficult materials as linen and gauze requires painstaking attention to detail, and may be the reason why such fragile pieces have been stealing the spotlight.  Consumers have always been looking for ways to express their unique style. Constant re-invention and innovation is the key to making this style a reality.

                        Fall/Winter 2008

The last few collections have seen a very focused movement toward construction and technique. It is no surprise that this juxtaposition results in such delicacy, given Okada’s time spent studying draping in Tokyo with Ms. Renko Kondo (who worked at Maison Balenciaga in the 60’s until the house closed in 1968).  The harmony of feminine and masculine elements, of rough edges and soft tailoring, is rooted in the designers’ need for a constant duality.  Rather than pitting these opposite forces against each other, Okada and Sharif have found a way to integrate them seamlessly.

                         Spring/Summer 2009

                        Fall/Winter 2009

The term “Urban Tribalism” was used to describe the aesthetic for BLAAK’s Spring/Summer 2010 collection.  Hand-crocheted jumpers, hypnotic silk-screened tops, leather sandals with silver-plated shells and copper neckpieces all had a sort of spiritual and trance-like quality to them.  A striking color palette complemented the sacred, ceremonial accessories, fit for any ritual offering.  Bone white, blood red, and deep black –important colors in any familial cult– brought out our deepest inner savage.

                         Spring/Summer 2010

What made you decide to work together?
Aaron: It was a natural step from spending a lot of time together.  I was a big fan of Sachiko’s work
Sachiko: Fate and destiny.  Universally, we compliment each other very well.

BLAAK's collections are clearly far from static.  How do you keep your aesthetic dynamic?
Aaron: It’s constantly being created and allowed to evolve, and shouldn’t be held back by previous work.  BLAAK is placed in the sign of Aries, which is the beginning of the astrological chart.  So its desire is to go forward, and this is the task that we are entrusted with.
Sachiko: It’s a very personal process, and this enables it to have a soul.  The collection reflects how Aaron and I are alike as people, how we think, how we react to what is going on in the world.  If you describe our aesthetic as dynamic, for me that's a big compliment.  I admire dynamism in people, and in people’s work.  I’d say we are quite fluid, not regimental.  And I’d like our work to reflect that.

Last thursday METAL magazine hosted New York Fashion Week Closing Party at The Cabanas @ the Maritime Hotel, in collaboration with New York based fashion brand Obesity And Speed.

METAL's guest of honor was designer Jeremy Scott, whose show was held at Milk Studios the day before but did not want to miss our celebration. He arrived at the venue with his talented publicist Pablo Olea, from People’s Revolution. Jose García and Aingeru Zorita were in charge of the music and Brooklyn Brewery provided the crowd with their special beers.
Actress Nathalie Press, Geordon Nicol from the Misshapes, Josh Conner and Lyz Olko from Obesity and Speed, International stylist Masha Orlov and supermodel Alexandra Agoston were among the hundreds of fashion enthusiasts who joint our publication and toasted to the end of such an intense Fashion Week.
Guests left the Meatpacking club with their American Apparel and Obesity and Speed gift bags after a magical fun night. See you next season.

***
Photos by: Marc Regas, Zahara Gallardo, Michael Stewart & Chris Reed

This month we publish our 19 issue. Here you have the cover with Darya Kurovska. The photographer is Mari Sarai and the styling is done by Raquel García.

The shooting took place in London and Darya wears a Christopher Kane dress on the cover. Inside you will find interviews with Katie Eary, Bernhard Willhelm, High Places or Christian Schoeler among others, and a dossier about the spring-summer collections with interviews to Kuki de Salvertes from Totem and Samuel Drira from Encens. Fashion editorials by Driu & Tiago, Olivier Jacquet, Leon Mark, Billy Nava, Christophe Kutner and Daniel Sannwald.

Peruvian with oriental roots Gallermic is the creator of emblematic Japanese parties such as TFR (The Fashion Ramone) or NarziB, two regular events that took part inside an attack against mainstream culture in the Japanese scene and the globalized world. Now, he is back next to the legendary Vivienne Sato (A unique cultural concierge in Tokyo) presenting Willa. A new project full of deep reflections about life, the human being, the good and the evil, the art scene and a long etcetera, but above everything, love.

The most appealing thing about these parties is that they’re not just simple nights to show off clothes, they always have a strong cultural background as a means to create a community of friends, and this time, the principal objective is in words of the creator: “To generate love and communication through an universal symbolism that reaches everybody’s heart, Willa is a party for the good flowers”.
This project started with The Absentee Owner night and each event is going to be like an exhibition of art objects following a chosen theme, mainly photography by Gallermic next to other interesting collaborations. Willa seems to be a great project especially because the intention is to touch the visitors mind and liberate them from ordinary conventions, helping them to reach unknown sides.

So, if you go to Tokyo don’t forget to have a look at the Blog and if something is happening don’t hesitate to assist to any of this nights. Don't forget that like in TFR or NarziB, Willa also has a dress code; individualism inspired by Caravaggio’s and Wilde’s quotes about vanity, all this accompanied by a selection of music between psychedelia and provocation: “We play magic music of all time, in all tongues, from arias to chicha...”. If you want to understand this ecstasy party a bit better here you have the Willa’s Manifesto:

A Girl from the Opera “...I never met my father, but I know my mother very well, her name is Pega Sue. She told me the story of my coming since I was a little girl. My mother used to tell me: 'Oh Willa, you are my adoration, I made you with love'. Next she would start explaining how come she didn’t know who my father was: 'Before you were born, the whole world seemed a dark place to live for me, where people only took advantage of my need of love. I had a very sad childhood that made me an insecure girl with a longing for protection and ready to love everybody for no reason. Eventually I ended up horribly exploited by men, meeting many guys and making love with all of them constantly, I was crazy craving for love, and that’s how, my dear, you came into my world…but you have saved me'. I think she is very cool, she was sincere from the beginning, and opened my view to a new kind of dimension, where trying to understand everything is the basis. Well, thanks to her my curiosity is as huge as my ability to love is really exuberant, not as my mother’s, I think there must be a reason to love and every relationship is a form of exchange and has a goal anyway, right?, but I can also be a decadent actress. I would like to share this magnificent sensation of love, comprehension and opera with more people, because sometimes I get lonely and bored in the city. It’s not acceptable! So, well, I’ve decided to make a gathering with a lot of keywords, thus I can meet individuals with the same sort of moral and get hedonistic together...!”

Art direction: Dodi Espinosa
Stylist:Juanma Granero
Hair & Make up: Samanta Falcone
Model: Hannah Sioda @ Group
Special thanks: EGO GALLERY, Barcelona

Embellished neck shirt  Raf Simons Fred Perry, bule coat Raf by Raf, white trousers Dries Van Noten, leather gloves, Diesel Black Gold

Grey shiny jacket Raf  Simons, black leather dress Armand Basi One, long stockings Bless, belt Diesel Black Gold

Black dress Estrella Arch, micromesh mini-dress American apparel, bracelet stylist own

Leather sweatshirt Pelican Avenue, black shiny belt American Apparel, black trousers Armand Basi One

White dress Dries Van Noten, wool poncho Bless, fishnet stockings American Apparel, shoes Armand Basi One

Primero os mostramos los desfiles, luego subimos las fotos de la gente que pasó por 080 y ahora para acabar hablan los diseñadores. Alex Ceball seleccionó entre todos los que pasaron por esta edición aquellos cuyas colecciones nos gustaron más, y Poncho Paradela lo registró en video. Todo a ritmo de Lady Gaga.

In the last post we presented the best designers we saw during the last 080 Barcelona Fashion edition. Many people came to see the shows. Our photographer Rodrigo Manzano took some pictures to the friends, models, designers and journalists who shared three fashion days in the city.

Catalan pro-independent fashion platform ends once again, this edition with the winners multiplied by three. Karlota Laspalas and Jan Iú Més duo were selected by the international jury as the best menswear proposals, meanwhile Miriam Ponsa won the best womenswear collection award with a complete, mature and studied collection presented for the fall/winter 2010-11 season.
 The event took three days and eighteen fashion shows, but just a few are in the worth to highlight next to the remarkable visit of two important young brands, Tim Hamilton (New York) and Songzio (Seoul), both with their latest collections recently presented at the Paris fashion week some days ago.

Karlota Laspalas, Jan Iú Més and Miram Ponsa, the winners

Jan Iú Més opened with a collection in a dusty line, remarkable for the great use of prints, grey  squares, lines and textures gave strength to the wool qualities. A battered silhouette coming from the beginning of the twentieth century full of masculine garments with beautiful oversize sweaters, all in brown, closing the show. Later, Yiorgos Eleftheriades showed his Urban Hunters, “Inspired by the idea of amazonian hunters with an urban futuristic twist” with an evident evolution, the feminine well defined shapes were covered and combined with voluminous leather coats full of strategically positioned slits that transformed a sharp woman in to a nomad one with great quality raw materials as ever, and then, Montse Liarte showed her strong desire to fly inspiration, an aerodynamic well done collection between birds an aeroplanes with structured shapes on black, blue, beige and grey accompanied with nice accessories.

Jan Iú Més

Yiorgos Eleftheriades

Montse Liarte

The Copenhagen Fashion Week is expecting 50.000 visitors around all its different fairs at the forthcoming edition this February 10th to the 13th. METAL will be there.

More than 40 shows and about 3.000 brands will exhibit during these days. Gallery International Fashion Fair Copenhagen  is a perfect occasion not just to testify the current pulse of the Scandinavian design-driven brands but also it's main access gate to the Nordic market. Between such a massive offer it is important be at the right place in the right moment. Gallery already presents profiles such as Dior, Lagerfeld, Malene Birger, NOIR, Tiger of Sweden, Carin Wester, Peter Jensen, Wood Wood, Paul and Joe and Stella McCartney and manages interrelations within Danish, Swedish, Finish and Norwegian designers as a hub.

For this edition three of the most awaited shows will be hosted by Gallery; the Copenhagen based-designer Stine Goya, Stockholm-based Minimarket and the Finish designer Ivana Helsinki. METAL will be there and we promise to come back with some gems and exciting stuff from the experience. Otherwise come along! To open the appetite of all of you we were in contact with CEO and founder, Christian Gregersen.

About Gallery?
Started in my PR showroom with 10 designers where more asked to join... Now Gallery is 200 designers of the most leading in the world.

What is the prior aim?
To present and promote the leading Scandinavian designers outside the region. That is the goal.

Is Scandinavian design-driven brands at the forefront?
That Gallery presents the best Scandinavian is the goal and advantage. In the beginning I had to say no to many designers that did not fit that profile. To say NO is very important creating something strong and precise.

Which is the role for the Scandinavians at Gallery?
Gallery present 200 brands,  Copenhagen present 3000 in all. The Scandinavian are the core and what made Gallery strong in the beginning.

Shows from the Scandinavian ones at this edition?
Catwalks: IvanaHelsinki, Stine Goya, FIN, Ivan Grundahl, Karen Simonsen, TinaH, Louise Amstrup, Barbara iGongini, KEA.