small talk // a gallery girl's love for jeff koons

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* my gallery galpal ellen is jeff koons' biggest fan // here's why as well as her favorite pieces from the artist's recent retrospective at the whtiney *

jeff koons // split-rocker (orange/red) * photo from the whitney museum of american art *

jeff koons // split-rocker (orange/red) * photo from the whitney museum of american art *

cultureisland: you're a big fan of jeff koons. can you share with us why?

ellen: like so many others, i could not help but wonder "who is the man behind this huge puppy made out of flowers?"  before there was split-rocker, there was puppy, and, no pun intended, it planted my curiosity for and love of jeff koons. recently, i was at the new school and had the privilege of hearing koons speak. i've always loved his originality, obsession with execution, at time youthful subjects, and use of flowers, both inflatable and living, and was impressed to hear the stories behind the works. not only do his sales, auction records, retrospective at the whitney, internationally located floral sculptures and impressive list of collectors amaze, but he is showing the viewer ideas in unexpected ways. no one pushes the envelope more than he does and for that, i applaud him. 

cultureisland: what are your favorite koons artworks?

ellen: in 2001 jeff koons collaborated with espresso company illy to design a limited edition set of six cups with saucers. a decade later, i saw them displayed in a family friend's home and thought "i have to have these!"  fast forward to 2014, i received them for my birthday (a lucky find!), and was excited to see the artworks that inspired them at his recent retrospective at the whitney. i find koons' work reminiscent of my childhood, youth, and even drawings i once made. in this way, his easy fun series resonates with me. the flattened stainless steal "mirror" animals are both masterfully executed and yet perfectly simple shapes... all too many of which flooded our instagrams with shameless selfies captured in their reflective surfaces. i didn't miss the whitney's last night of the exhibit on sunday, october 19th when the museum stayed open for 36 straight hours.

jeff koons // tulips // 1995-98 * photo from the whitney museum of american art *

jeff koons // tulips // 1995-98 * photo from the whitney museum of american art *

jeff koons // kangaroo (red) // 1999 * photo from the whitney museum of american art *

jeff koons // kangaroo (red) // 1999 * photo from the whitney museum of american art *

jeff koons // inflatable flowers // 1979 * photo from the whitney museum of american art *

jeff koons // inflatable flowers // 1979 * photo from the whitney museum of american art *

// more about jeff koons >> here

runway // james long menswear spring summer 2015

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james long // menswear // ss 15

james long // menswear // ss 15

inspired by sportswear + youth culture, james long designed striped and color blocked athleisure + denim for his spring/summer 2015 menswear collection. the very cool getup has a definite street/punk vibe. and with primary colored patchwork, each piece looks like a work of contemporary art. as james long put it: "for me, it's more than just sportswear, it's fashion. it's what i wear."

* images via vogue uk // check out james long's website here *

james long // ss 15 menswear

james long // ss 15 menswear

james long // ss 15 menswear

james long // ss 15 menswear

james long // ss 15 menswear

james long // ss 15 menswear

james long // ss 15 menswear

james long // ss 15 menswear

james long // ss 15 menswear

james long // ss 15 menswear

james long // ss 15 menswear

james long // ss 15 menswear

james long // ss 15 menswear

james long // ss 15 menswear

small talk // jonah leslie // shop owner of ibiki montreal

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ibiki // montreal

ibiki // montreal

* on a recent trip to montreal, i discovered a neat avant-garde concept shop called ibiki *

owned by artistic director jonah leslie, ibiki is located on boulevard saint-laurent in the heart of montreal and features internationally designed, hand-curated apparel, accessories, books and magazines //

about jonah leslie: while jonah has lived in montreal his entire life, he's been traveling globally since a young age. the son of two contemporary dancers, he often went on tour with his dad to the united states and europe. after college he dabbled in dj'ing and promoting/hosting parties. he saved up some money and took trips to brasil and asia. in asia, he visited bangkok, tokyo and hong kong. there, he found the market culture very inspiring and collected cool product he bought on the streets and through out his travels. he sold his collected treasures out of a friend's shop in montreal and in 2006, jonah opened his own store, old gold boutique. old gold was a space where imagination and creativity ruled supreme. to trigger people's curiosity, the shop was devoid of any outside signage and the window displays showed elaborate, wacky surrealist art created by jonah himself. they were totally unrelated to the product in the shop. many objects in the store weren't actually for sale and the merch was constantly re-arranged in whimsical ways. the store had an online presence and served as a place for creativity, showing videos, dj mixes and photoshoots by jonah and his friends. old gold was part counter-culture retail and part art project. when his lease was up, he found a larger space which is now the home of present day ibiki...

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cultureisland: tell us more about ibiki. what is the concept?

jonah leslie: ibiki is basically a modern day imports shop with a focus on apparel, accessories, publications and apothecary. the flavour gravitates towards scandinavian and north asian design. reasons being the climate of those areas are similar to ours and therefore the products apply in a practical sense to the lifestyle of montrealers. and also i like the pared down design sensibility which both these regions share.

ibiki3

cultureisland: what kind of products and brands do you feature in the store?

jonah leslie: some brands include our legacy, won hundred, hope, filippa k, cheap monday, saturdays, minimarket, ymc, porter, sisii japan, black crane, new balance and more. another important feature of the shop is the inauguration of a small homewares section with companies such as: maison martin margiela objects, areaware, l'atelier d'exercise, seletti, and normann copenhagen, as well as both a book and magazine section. the publications consist of art and design subjects which correspond to the aesthetics and philosophies of the shop: architecture, photography, painting, fine arts, industrial design, graphic design, dance and many other subcategories by publishers like moma, lars muller, and schrimer/mosel to name a few. magazines include: apartamento, acne paper, alpine review, bad day, Bauhaus, elephant, pin-up, encens, domus, tunica, day job, Saturdays, monoculture, printed pages and many more.

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cultureisland: what does ibiki stand for?

jonah leslie: it is a name which transcends language, and deliberately has no inceptive meaning, no psychological association, leaving room for the brand's visual image, recognizable graphic to be the main connection to the word. an entity that speaks of perpetual creativity and of the overall philosophy of the creative rule, which has always been the underlying drive for this business.

ibiki

cultureisland: where do you find inspiration?

jonah leslie: in fine arts, astronomy, nature, people, architecture, dance.

ibiki5

cultureisland: where are your favorite places to see art in montreal?

jonah leslie: the mac, dhc, gallery antoine ertaskiran amongst other places.

ibiki6

cultureisland: what kind of music are you listening to right now?

jonah leslie: loving this mix by din daa daa on redlight radio lately.

* check out ibiki's website here + be sure to visit next time you're in montreal // 4357 boulevard saint-laurent, montreal, qc, canada *

editorials // raf simons x sterling ruby fall winter 2014

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raf simons x ruby sterling editorial // shot by julia noni // styled by tobias frericks // gq germany fall 2014

raf simons x ruby sterling editorial // shot by julia noni // styled by tobias frericks // gq germany fall 2014

raf simons collaborated with contemporary artist sterling ruby on his fall winter 2014 menswear collection and it's quite cool // according to ssense: "it was inspired by their shared teenage obsessions and passion for counterculture. ruby's visual signatures of bleach splatter's, text art and collaged textiles complement simons' precisely rendered utilitarian staples: parkas, bomber jackets, grunge knits and essential sneakers."

fashion by raf simons // shop it now @ ssense // see more of sterling ruby's work here

raf simons x ruby sterling editorial // shot by ben toms // styled by robbie spencer // dazed & confused magazine spring/summer 2014 issue

raf simons x ruby sterling editorial // shot by ben toms // styled by robbie spencer // dazed & confused magazine spring/summer 2014 issue

raf simons x ruby sterling editorial // shot by julia noni // styled by tobias frericks // gq germany fall 2014

raf simons x ruby sterling editorial // shot by julia noni // styled by tobias frericks // gq germany fall 2014

raf simons x ruby sterling editorial // shot by ben toms // styled by robbie spencer // dazed & confused magazine spring/summer 2014 issue

raf simons x ruby sterling editorial // shot by ben toms // styled by robbie spencer // dazed & confused magazine spring/summer 2014 issue

raf simons x ruby sterling editorial // shot by julia noni // styled by tobias frericks // gq germany fall 2014

raf simons x ruby sterling editorial // shot by julia noni // styled by tobias frericks // gq germany fall 2014

raf simons x ruby sterling editorial // shot by ben toms // styled by robbie spencer // dazed & confused magazine spring/summer 2014 issue

raf simons x ruby sterling editorial // shot by ben toms // styled by robbie spencer // dazed & confused magazine spring/summer 2014 issue

raf simons x ruby sterling editorial // shot by julia noni // styled by tobias frericks // gq germany fall 2014

raf simons x ruby sterling editorial // shot by julia noni // styled by tobias frericks // gq germany fall 2014

raf simons x ruby sterling editorial // shot by ben toms // styled by robbie spencer // dazed & confused magazine spring/summer 2014 issue

raf simons x ruby sterling editorial // shot by ben toms // styled by robbie spencer // dazed & confused magazine spring/summer 2014 issue

raf simons x ruby sterling editorial // shot by julia noni // styled by tobias frericks // gq germany fall 2014

raf simons x ruby sterling editorial // shot by julia noni // styled by tobias frericks // gq germany fall 2014

raf simons x ruby sterling editorial // shot by ben toms // styled by robbie spencer // dazed & confused magazine spring/summer 2014 issue

raf simons x ruby sterling editorial // shot by ben toms // styled by robbie spencer // dazed & confused magazine spring/summer 2014 issue

raf simons x ruby sterling editorial // shot by julia noni // styled by tobias frericks // gq germany fall 2014

raf simons x ruby sterling editorial // shot by julia noni // styled by tobias frericks // gq germany fall 2014

raf simons x ruby sterling editorial // shot by ben toms // styled by robbie spencer // dazed & confused magazine spring/summer 2014 issue

raf simons x ruby sterling editorial // shot by ben toms // styled by robbie spencer // dazed & confused magazine spring/summer 2014 issue

raf simons x ruby sterling editorial // shot by julia noni // styled by tobias frericks // gq germany fall 2014

raf simons x ruby sterling editorial // shot by julia noni // styled by tobias frericks // gq germany fall 2014

compare + contrast // blue + white wears

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blue + white wears // cultureisland 2014

blue + white wears // cultureisland 2014

compare + contrast: taking inspiration from ancient chinese blue + white porcelain as well as dutch delft pottery from the middle ages, valentino's fall 2013 collection (middle + bottom images) + undercover's fall 2014 collection (top left) have made what once was fragile and antiquated, modern and wearable.

* art details // portrait painting by kris knight (middle left), 2013 + fragile flow blue photograph by kim joon (upper right corner), 2010*

art exhibit // the shapes project: perfect couples by allan mccollum

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Allan McCollum // The Shapes Project: Collection of Twenty-four Perfect Couples // 2005 - 2014Acrylic with varnish on New England Rock Maple with cradled basswood panelsEach panel size: 10 x 10 inches; 25.4 x 25.4 cm

Allan McCollum // The Shapes Project: Collection of Twenty-four Perfect Couples // 2005 - 2014
Acrylic with varnish on New England Rock Maple with cradled basswood panels
Each panel size: 10 x 10 inches; 25.4 x 25.4 cm

to put it simply, allan mccollum's recent exhibit at petzel gallery in chelsea, new york was colorful + abstract. "perfect couples" featured over 30 billion unique shapes meant to represent every person in the world. while the shapes were paired together due to their similarity in form and color, the work is a beautiful representation of unique human relationships. some 280 custom colors were used, ranging from darks to brights to pastels. "perfect couples" was a compelling installation that just gave off organic energy. and as my friend rebecca stated candidly, "there's a thing behind it that causes you to think." indeed it did that.

for a saturday in september, the gallery was surprisingly empty but that made for the best viewing (and instagramming) experience. one very important person happen to make an appearance, allan mccollum himself! i thought we had asked a stranger to snap our pic in front of the art, little did we know it was the actual artist. and though the instagram turned out blurry, it was certainly a cool happening. i then (stalked) picked mccollum's brain about his work. he was approachable and honest as he explained his color usage and process. i briefly explained my own vocation and mccollum suggested i listen to terry allen's song "pink and black is coming back" from the 1950s. an appropriate recommendation, since pink is really back and black... well, it's always in. especially in new york.

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* images via petzel gallery // more about allan mccollum's work here *

color palette // red + purple hues

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red + purple hues // cultureisland 2014

red + purple hues // cultureisland 2014

loving the range of reds + purples out this fall season including rust, raspberry, eggplant and wine. they feel super saturated and rich // styling idea: monochromatic looks that mix one shade of the same color or multiple shades of the same color.

* items are shoppable now @ topshop *

campaign // carven menswear fall winter 2014

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carven1
carven3
carven2

the fall/winter 2014 carven campaign resembles the work of surrealist/dada artist, man ray. it was shot by fashion photographer viviane sassen, whose photographs are similarly surreal and ambiguous.

more about sassen from dazed digital: "for seventeen years, viviane sassen has been challenging the intersection between fashion and art. her hyper-vibrant, ambiguous photographs question what constitutes a fashion image and vice versa what constitutes one classed as artful. subjects often materialise as mysterious shapes and figures formed by the human silhouette, hybrid shadows and clothing brought to life by flurries of dislocating movement."

 

color palette // falling for neutrals

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fall neutrals // cultureisland 2014

fall neutrals // cultureisland 2014

all about the fall feelings and neutrals these days. milky whites mixed with shades of camel, light rust and blush // styling idea: head-to-toe neutrals with a mix of sheer and shiny garments paired with heavier/bulkier knits and wools.

* items are shoppable now @ topshop *

compare + contrast // digital geology

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digital geology // cultureisland 2014 // acne studios mens fall 2014 x seamless pattern design by bethan laura wood 2010

digital geology // cultureisland 2014 // acne studios mens fall 2014 x seamless pattern design by bethan laura wood 2010

while jonny johansson, creative director and co-founder of acne studios, called his fall 2014 men's concept "winter beach," designer bethan laura wood was inspired by the contrast of authentic and fake marble from venice, italy. both combine rock-inspired print, color and texture that feels hyper-real.

* acne products are shoppable now on the acne studios website // check out more of product designer bethan laura wood's work here *