Great photographs inevitably involve an element of serendipity; of talent and hard work combining with aesthetic luck to create moments of magic. “I pray for what might be referred to as the angel of chance,” Sally Mann wrote of her creative process. For her latest series, Touching, photographer Lina Scheynius handed the reins over to that angel of chance, making fate a determining element of her method. “I honestly look at thesehellip;
1. No One Can Resist the Allure of Zoë Kravitz proved a prophetic headline for the most read story on AnOther this year – certainly no one couldn’t resist finding out more about her. For the cover story of the Autumn/Winter 2021 issue, Lynette Nylander joined the cool kids’ cool kid in Brooklyn to talk Catwoman, her feature directorial debut, and recording a solo album about love and loss.hellip;
Computer scientists and archeologists are working together to solve this ancient puzzle.
When we sit down to solve a jigsaw puzzle, there’s always one thing we take for granted: the picture on the box. Without that point of reference, we’d be pulling our hair out, trying and failing to rebuild a jumbled pile of miscellaneous pieces.
Veuve Clicquot and iconic Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama have joined forces to celebrate the house’s vintage La Grande Dame 2012. As part of the collaboration, the 92-year-old artist has designed a limited-edition bottle and case that serve as a vibrant tribute to La Grande Dame of Champagne — Madame Clicquot.
Known for her larger-than-life works of art and her extensive use of polka dots, Kusama is largely noted as one of the most influential living artists in the world. In recent years, the self-described “obsessional artist” has captivated audiences globally with her insanely popular and unapologetically photogenic “Infinity Room” installations (such as the Infinity Mirrored Room installation at the Art Gallery of Ontario in 2019), which have become among the most publicized pieces in the contemporary art world.
Of course, Kusama’s art, and her life, are much more interesting than her Instagram-friendly reputation. By her own account, she started painting as a child as she began experiencing hallucinations that she says often involved fields of dots. Those child-like hallucinations would become an integral part of her career.
Kusama had very little formal training, studying art only briefly in the late ’40s at the Kyōto City Specialist School of Arts in Japan. Conflicts with her family, and her desire to become a working artist, pushed her to move to New York City in 1957. In 1968, as the Vietnam War grabbed the world’s attention, she sent President Richard Nixon a letter in the spirit of peace and free love. “Our earth is like one little polka dot, among millions of other celestial bodies; one orb full of hatred and strife amid the peaceful, silent spheres. Let’s you and I change all that and make this world a new Garden of Eden,” she wrote.
Since the 1970s, Kusama has continued to spread messages of peace and love through her art, primarily in sculpture and installation, but she has also been active in painting, performance, film, fashion, poetry, fiction and more. However, it’s her installations in various museums around the world that have turned her into a fashionable global phenomenon. Today she is the Instagram queen of the art world – reportedly the most frequently tagged living artist on the platform.
With her collaboration with Veuve Clicquot, the luxury French champagne house founded in 1772, Kusama was determined to send a much-needed message of joy to the whole world after nearly 20 months of living an often-isolated life. In fact, Kusama’s uniquely designed bottles and gift boxes for Veuve Clicquot were specifically created with bright colors to help convey a cheerful message of hope and optimism.
Like much of Kusama’s work, the ornate details that adorn the case and vintage-inspired bottles are symbolic: the opulent flower symbolizes vital energy, love, and celebration of life, while Kusama’s signature polka dots are reworked appropriately, akin to champagne bubbles.
The name of the bottle, La Grande Dame (The Great Lady), is a nod to the brand’s Madame Clicquot Ponsardin, who became known as the Grande Dame of Champagne in the early 1800s. Clicquot took the reins of her husband’s business when she became a widow at age 27, blazing a trail as a female entrepreneur at a time when this was simply unheard of.
The collaboration between the two trailblazing icons will also see the release of a floral sculpture dubbed My Heart That Blooms in the Darkness of Night. This opulent creation wraps around La Grande Dame 2012 Magnum and is an extravagant tribute to nature, which was cherished as much by Madame Clicquot as it is by Kusama. Crafted through more than 250 hours of work, it is available only in 100 numbered pieces.
Veuve Clicquot’s La Grande Dame 2012 collaboration with Yayoi Kusama will be available soon at select wine stores across the US and Canada. For more information, visit veuveclicquot.com.
The Weeknd is celebrating the ten-year anniversary of Echoes of Silence — the singer’s third mixtape, released in his fledging days of fame — with the help of Hajime Sorayama.
A decade later, the mixtape’s eponymous title track finally has a music video, directed by Sorayama. Harkening to the artist’s “Sexy Robot” series, the visual stars a mechanized version of The Weeknd, done up in chrome and brass.
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Naturally, his robot-ified persona wastes no time in pining over a curvaceous android, whom it seems he can’t get through to.
Aside from the video, Sorayama and The Weeknd have also debuted a collection of merch celebrating the Grammy-winner’s milestone.
A vinyl of Echoes of Silence comes packaged with special cover art from Sorayama, also featured on apparel including bomber jackets, hoodies, and T-shirts, all available for a limited time on The Weeknd’s web store.
The duo even teamed up on a special [email protected] figurine of The Weeknd, available in 1000, 400, and 100 percent sizing (measuring at 27, 11, and two inches tall, respectively).
The music video and merch collection come as The Weeknd gets in on the NFT craze with a series of “Blinding Lights”-inspired digital collectibles.
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Strangely enough, he decided to create the NFTs with Autograph, a platform created by none other than controversial Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady. It does check out, though, because The Weeknd currently sits on Autograph’s Board of Directors.
Currently up for auction on Opensea, the NFTs include a series of trading cards, as well as digital version of The Weeknd’s recent Billboard magazine cover. Prices seem to be hovering at around 1 Ethereum, approximately $4,000.
Also in non-musical pursuits, The Weeknd is working on producing, co-writing, and starring in an HBO series by Euphoria creator Sam Levinson.
Editor’s Notes: Richardson is ending the year strong with its collaborative Converse Jack Purcell, part of the Japanese footwear company’s Holiday 2021 collection. It’s about as high-end as Converse get, though you’ll have to travel abroad to get hands-on with it.
Converse Addict, if you aren’t familiar, is the premium sub-label of Converse Japan. Note that Converse Japan isn’t owned by Nike; in a series of licensing legalities, it became Japan-only in the ’80s or so and is still distinct from the operation overseen by The Swoosh.
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Of all the Japanese Converse product, Addict is the most premium offering. Made in small batches and rarely sold online, Addict collections include a Chuck Taylor or two, maybe a Jack Purcell and, occasionally, a one-off silhouette inspired by Converse heritage, like the One Star Loafer.
Having already issued some nifty collabs with Nonnative x Wacko Maria and L.L. Bean, this Richardson partnership is a strong end to Converse Japan’s commanding 2021.
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Fitted with a branded suede upper, Richardson’s special Jack Purcell also boasts GORE-TEX lining, a removable insole, a reinforced rubber midsole, metal aglets, and the signature Addict Vibram sole.
It’s modeled by multi-disciplinary artist Paul McCarthy in a shoot helmed by photographer Glen Luchford, affecting a suitably louche attitude.
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Not only is this one of Richardson’s few sneaker collaborations — it created a pair of Vans several years back but they were canceled — but this is one of the year’s finest Converse, if not one of the best Converse ever (with a price tag to match).
I mean, does it get better than suede, GORE-TEX, and Vibram, with all the fixin’s? Too bad they won’t drop anywhere outside of Japan.
To stay updated on everything happening in the sneaker world, check out the best sneakers to add to your rotation this week, follow @highsnobietysneakers on Instagram, and sign up to our newsletter for early access to the best drops sent straight to your inbox.
Sean John paved the way for the contemporary celebrity-owned clothing line and, finally, it’s back in Diddy’s hands. The mogul is paying $7.5m in cash (cash!) to again own the beleaguered clothing line, which was in bankruptcy for years.
Launched back in 1998 by Diddy — born Sean John Combs — Sean John wasn’t the first celebrity-fronted clothing company but it was perhaps the coolest, blazing trails in the merging of streetwear with so-called “high fashion.”
Within its first decade of doing business, Sean John was raking in hosting New York Fashion Week runways and casting Diddy’s pals — including Mariah Carey, Naomi Campbell, Pharrell, Nas, and Dwayne Wade — to appear in campaigns.
By the 2010s, though, Sean John’s star had fallen. Usurped by cooler streetwear brands, it was relegated to being sold in Macy’s and its D2C website.
In 2016, management company GBG USA Inc. purchased a majority stake in Sean John for an unknown amount. Diddy maintained a small share, reportedly only 10%.
When Sean John’s bankruptcy auction was announced earlier this year, Diddy expressed interest in reacquiring the company and eventually beat out four bidders to purchase Sean John for $7.5 million in cash.
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“Seeing how streetwear has evolved to rewrite the rules of fashion and impact culture across categories, I’m ready to reclaim ownership of the brand, build a team of visionary designers and global partners to write the next chapter of Sean John’s legacy,” Diddy said in a statement reported by TMZ, which broke the sale’s news.
Diddy’s a savvy guy. He’s been in and out of the music biz for decades, focusing on a myriad of investments instead of tunes. Fair play to him: Diddy’s net worth was estimated at $740 million back in 2019.
Considering the statement he offered after the Sean John sale, it seems like Diddy is angling to reintroduce Sean John as a legit streetwear force.
Sounds like a tall order, considering Sean John’s reputation at the moment, but remember where Stüssy was a decade ago.
Like Sean John, Stüssy was sold in “uncool” mall retailers and had little to none of its cred intact. Now, it’s one of the world’s coolest streetwear labels, supported by tastemaking partners like Dover Street Market.
Stüssy earned its legacy with underground roots, though, whereas Sean John was always a commercial endeavor.
Still, it’s not hard to imagine Sean John finding success by aligning with a contemporary Black-owned brand in the vein of Hood By Air or Pyer Moss for a collaborative project — remember that Pyer Moss redeemed FUBU only a few years ago.
NIGO‘s already got a busy 2022 ahead of him. Alongside his debut KENZO collection, ongoing Human Made projects, and various creative endeavors, the Japanese designer is returning to music with I KNOW NIGO, his first new album in nearly 20 years.
Released by Victor Victor — founder Steven Victor is a longtime NIGO devotee — I KNOW NIGO is stacked with features befitting its colloquial title.
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Unsurprisingly, Pharrell, NIGO’s BFF, is on the record, accompanied by A$AP Rocky, Kid Cudi, Tyler, the Creator, Pusha T, and the Teriyaki Boyz, the formerly defunct Japanese hip-hop collective that NIGO founded and produced in the mid-’00s.
NIGO’s music career is nearly as storied as his streetwear legacy. The 50-year-old got his start DJing alongside his mentor, Hiroshi Fujiwara, in the ’90s, introducing Japanese youth culture to Western underground music.
However, NIGO continued producing music for years to come, curating compilations and producing music for the Teriyaki Boyz and BILLIE IDLE, a punkish idol group that NIGO founded and managed until they broke up in 2019.
NIGO first teased his new record, I KNOW NIGO, in a now-deleted Instagram post from February 2021. Wearing a custom Victor Victor varsity jacket, NIGO was photographed in front of a mixing board and teased that his new album was “coming soon.”
His new record will be published by Victor Victor and Universal Music Group, which announced that it had signed NIGO around the time that he first teased the album.
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Despite the publicity and teasers, NIGO hasn’t offered a hint at what we can expect I KNOW NIGO to actually sound like. Given his past work, it’d seem likely that NIGO would again channel a trip-hoppy, classic hip-hop sound.
But that was nearly twenty years ago, remember. Plus, seeing Ed Banger and other producers in the studio with NIGO makes me think that I KNOW NIGO will sound much more contemporary.
The Highsnobiety end-of-season sale has arrived and if you are scouting for the best deals on the net we’ve got you. From the best luxury steals to the coziest sweats on sale, the Highsnobiety Sale Guide has gathered the best products available at up to 40% off on our store.
Regardless of the season, your style, your profession, or virtually anything, the chances are that you will throw on a t-shirt on a daily basis. It might be buried under a host of warmth-providing layers when you step outside during the current winter chill, but that does not take away from the importance of the t-shirt you are wearing.
Being the bedrock of most outfits, having a good t-shirt selection makes it easy to build the rest of your look for the day. And, thanks to the Highsnobiety end-of-season sale, our favorite styles are available at a discount.
Ranging from graphic A-COLD-WALL* offerings to classic logo shirts from the likes of Maison Margiela, we have selected some of the highlights from the t-shirt section of the Highsnobiety sale. Check out our full selection below and head over to the Highsnobiety store to see all the designs available.
Some things just look better after a few wears and Carhartt’s workwear-informed designs often fall into that category. This t-shirt is no exception as its light brown hue shows the perfect amount of fading around the tonal flatlock stitching.
Upside-down Margiela Paris logo embroidery on the front of this t-shirt and the label’s signature four-stitches moniker on the back are the subtle touches that elevate this simple t-shirt design.
The rays of color that adorn this black t-shirt could be lifted directly from a sci-fi movie poster. They provide a futuristic twist to an otherwise plain logo design.
Riffing off Christian Dior’s classic high fashion logo, Noon Goons mixes Parisian sensibilities with its SoCal streetwear playfulness.
Taken from our staples line, which focuses on the value of simplicity, this tailored fitting t-shirt was imagined to be an everyday essential in your wardrobe.
Join Phipps on its mission to help create a better world through environmentally responsible design with this logo t-shirt.
A sci-fi film about Earth becoming uninhabitable doesn’t exactly scream sexy, but Carne Bollente has managed to make it just that. The label’s mission to help people embrace their sexuality through its playful garments includes an ode to the 2014 film Interstellar on this t-shirt.
There are few things more wearable than a plain black t-shirt. This one comes from Aurelee’s selection of elevated basics produced in Japan.
Combining logos, the Parisian label A.P.C. meets the graphic-led creative collective Brain Dead on the front of this navy cotton t-shirt.
Want to keep browsing? Head to the Highsnobiety Shop for more products that we love.
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