Rambling Rambler

Raised in the desert of French creativity

The future of this generation: Sophie Toporkoff

1. Maison Martin Margiela/Men's presentation '09 S/S

2. "Cut The Shit", ink. 60x80cm

3. "Oh my God, They Killed Kenny", Ink. 60x80cm

4. "Be 4 Real", ink. 60x80cm

A makeup revolution by “Kaori. K” airbrush makeup

When we think of women wearing female makeup, we imagine them taking out numerous makeup tools from their makeup bag and using all sorts of tools to make themselves more beautiful. However, Kaori K's approach is vastly different from ordinary makeup. Instead of using ordinary makeup tools, she uses an airbrush, originally a tool for painting, and sprays it onto people to express new expressions and worldviews. Her delicate and meticulous finish is creating new possibilities in the world of makeup. It not only makes people more beautiful in a natural way, but also creates something that no one could have imagined.

They are also proposing new and innovative makeup looks.

Having studied watercolor painting at the National Academy of Fine Arts in New York and mastered airbrush makeup techniques under Feride Uslu, she began working as an artist for Uslu Airlines. In 2004, she started collaborating with her husband, photographer Rikki Kasso, on art projects and events. In 2007, she became independent and established "Uslu Airbrush Cosmetic Brand Uslu Airlines Japan." Prior to that, she had worked for magazines such as 'i-D', 'The Face', 'VOCE', and 'Sweet', as well as creating advertisements for Calvin Klein and Isetan, and for Gucci and Bernard Willhelm.

"At 30, she expanded her range of activities to include fashion shows and doing makeup for artists such as Kahimi Karie and MISIA."

For her, makeup is "the body of the brain" and "fun." While makeup is often associated with women, for her, it applies to both men and women, and it brings out new aspects of oneself that one might not have noticed. Bird feather patterns painted on the face, light and shadow, vivid tattoos... These things, which at first glance seem provocative and challenging, instantly thrill people's senses and captivate them endlessly.

A mix of nostalgia and the near future

"MIKIO SAKABE"'s creations

A new creator has emerged in Tokyo from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp. MIKIO SAKABE is one of the brands currently making Tokyo more interesting. The clothes MIKIO SAKABE creates are more than just clothes. Most people think of clothes as something to wear. However, MIKIO SAKABE's graduation collection shatters that convention. Not only are they enjoyable to wear, but even just looking at them captivates people and sparks all sorts of imagination. Even a single print makes you wonder what's depicted, making you think you don't even need to wear it. MIKIO SAKABE presents surprising clothing every season. It has a somewhat futuristic feel, yet also a retro atmosphere. In the 2009 S/S collection, the silhouettes and coordination of the clothes evoke a sense of nostalgia, but the use of nylon synthetic fibers and shimmering cellophane that reflects light on tweed creates a unique and unfamiliar feel.

It's like looking at a kind of object. A creation that overturns the role and common sense of clothing.

The materials, including the weaving technique, are cutting-edge Japanese products.

For some reason, on MIKIO SAKABE's clothes, the contrasting atmospheres of nostalgia and the near future overlap and are accepted naturally. However, this does not mean that there is absolutely no sense of incongruity. It is precisely this sense of incongruity that surprises people, stimulates their imagination, and attracts them—this is the intersection of SAKABE. It feels as if the past and the future intersect at the MIKIO point, and he is translating a new sensation that has never existed before into the tool of clothing and delivering it to people all over the world. Recently, a unique Tokyo-style mix has been emerging in the Tokyo fashion scene that has never been seen before.

The deepening of the collage magic: Tetsuya Nagato

1. "My perfect enemy" An analog collage work that meticulously and dynamically reconstructs vintage interior design catalogs and other printed materials collected by relatives.

2. "REDLOVE" Collage works created by the artist himself, and the state of the production process.

Photographs taken using a macro lens.

3. At the digital collage exhibition "flat session" held at SUPER DELUXE, They invited musicians as guests and also held a live collage performance.

Tetsuya Nagato, who rose to prominence with his ultra-precise digital collage works, now showcases his talents not only in music-related design but also as an art director. At the "Tetsuya Nagato Tokyo Tour 2008," held simultaneously at three locations in Tokyo, he attracted attention with an unprecedented presentation in which he showcased his three main pillars of expression—collage, photography, and digital collage—at each exhibition venue.

"My main motivation was to fully explore all forms of expression—collage, digital collage, photography, and live collage (*1)—and to understand the precision and relationships between each. I was convinced that gaining that understanding would generate new perspectives and create an even more refined and cyclical system."

Nagato has always explored new frontiers by pushing the possibilities of certain expressive techniques to their limits. This latest attempt, which brings his diverse repertoire of techniques to the forefront, reveals that his origins lie in collage.

This work reminds us of the importance of expression. As symbolized by his analog collage works, which are cut-ups of printed materials such as illustrations owned by relatives, collecting information and memories residing in familiar objects in an attempt to approach something unknown is a major motivation supporting his creative activities.

"I think that everything humans create, including culture and even myself, is made up of collages."

That's why the idea of using old things to create works that have never been seen before resonates with me the most."

Nagato continues to radically deepen his firm philosophy of expression. Where will he go next? 26

Makes you think about the meaning of fashion

Dutch female photographer "Roma Pa"

1. Photos from "FRONTROW"

2. Photos from "BACKROW"

3. Photos from "Snow Scapes"

4. Artist Portrait

Books and other media always seem to present a biased view of the creative scene, especially when it comes to works that fall between fashion and art. Despite the fact that the work of Dutch photographer Roma Pa has been largely unknown in Japan, she has left behind several important works on the theme of fashion. The kitschy aspects of fashion have been discussed as gossip, but until now, no one had thought to present them to the world as works of art. Rather, "fashion" has been all about simply capturing events that unfold on the runway strictly as "fashion." At least, until Roma Pa broke that mold. Gert Jonkers, fashion editor of the Dutch newspaper "De Volkskrant" and one of the founders of "BUTT magazine," said in "Dutch": "What Roma Pa did in her work was,

"It's the same thing photographer Jeff Burton did." Jeff Burton is a Californian artist who, while taking photographs on the theme of pornography, continues to "deconstruct" and reconstruct it, and attempts to present it from a different perspective. Roma Pa's photographs certainly depict models walking the runway, but there is something different. There is no ordinary "fashion" there, but rather a series called "FRONTROW" in which critics and buyers gathered around the runway are photographed through the models, and a series called "BACKROW" in which the figures of the models are faintly visible through the gaps in the blurred crowd, photographed from the back row of the crowd watching the show. Here, we see Jeff Burton's signature step back perspective. A certain Japanese media outlet covered her "BACKROW" series only once, but they failed to grasp the message Roma Pa intended to convey and introduced it as just another example of a Bali Collection shoot.

Ironically, that was picked up by the Japanese media.

This was the only instance of her work being featured, and it proved to be the most effective way to raise questions about the fashion media.

French super rookie directors duo “Jonas & François”

Flairs "Better Than Prince" dir: Jonas & François

portrait

In 2007, the music video "D.A.N.C.E" by Musistis caused a sensation. Many were shocked by the freshness of the fusion of moving T-shirt designs and live-action footage. The directors of this work were the French directors duo Jonas & François. Surprisingly, they were only 24 years old and students at the time of production. This work led to them being selected to direct Kanye West's music video "The Good Life." They quickly became darlings of the era, and the video featuring Puffy in a Sony Walkman commercial is still fresh in our memories. Their rise to fame continued with Madonna's "4 Minutes" and the Nike commercial "THE WINDRUNNER," and they quickly burst onto the major stage.

Their work possesses a captivating charm, permeated with experimental video and music. For example, the pop expression of "D.A.N.C.E" is rooted in the video work "The State of Things" by Peter Fischli & David Weiss. The collaborating art director, So Me, is the manager of Daft Punk and works for Pedro Winter's music label "ED BANGER."

They met seven years ago at the art school "Beaux Arts in Poitiers," and they always collaborate on everything from composition and scriptwriting to production. In fact, there are many creative units that met during their student days and continue to work together afterward. It makes you realize once again that school is not just a place to learn, but also a place where you can have valuable encounters in life.

Inspiration comes from dreams we have while sleeping.

Artist unit “Nam”

Nam is an artist unit formed in May 2006 by graphic designer Takayuki Nakazawa and photographer Yu Manaka. It has now grown into an artist group of over 10 members. Their creative activities explore the possibilities of visual expression, focusing on the themes of "everyday life" and "fantasy." In a previous interview, designer Nakazawa stated that "Nam's source of inspiration is the dreams we have while sleeping." That's quite something.

It's a very convincing story; in dreams, phenomena truly transcend logic, skipping over "circumstances" and "constraints," creating breathtakingly beautiful scenes where the chaos dragged down from reality intersects, or you might find yourself standing alone in a vast space at the bottom of a dark cave, or you might feel the sweat of another person against your skin. Yet, that's only a small part of it, and with each blink, each time we fall asleep, we produce a vast number of images again. They never seem to land anywhere.

Images that no one will ever see. The free and breathtaking landscapes seen in Nam's work surely reflect a glimpse of boundless imagination, showing us a fleeting moment in the act of image production that continues as long as the heart beats.

When asked what is important to Nam's creations, he replied, "We place great importance on 'small flashes of inspiration.' I think of visual production at Nam as being all about 'small flashes of inspiration.' By 'small,' I don't mean in terms of size or anything like that. If you listen to something a child says, 'I just asked this,' with an adult's expectations in mind, it becomes very boring and quickly gets crushed. I believe that being able to directly materialize that without anything in between is also an important form of creativity. We feel something in the most ordinary everyday things."

Clothing that "tells a story," as proposed by "FUGAHUM"

1. FUGAHUM 2008SS Collection "Soft protector"

2. FUGAHUM 2008-2009AW Collection "Spiral distortion"

3. FUGAHUM 2009SS Collection "Gradated Kingdom"

The theme of the latest collection, the Spring/Summer 2009 season, is "Gradated Kingdom." Based on the theme of the ominous power lurking within intelligent beauty, the collection expresses the ever-changing attire of a kingdom

Art/graphics in fashion are an indispensable element, and at times they have been a driving force that greatly influences the scene. However, even now, as if still clinging to the Ura-Harajuku boom that flourished in the 90s, there are still many products that rely on the same old method of using graphics as patterns on clothing,

or that merely quote art as a "gimmick," and cases in which the two are fused in an essential sense are extremely rare. In this stagnant situation, "FUGAHUM," introduced here, is attracting attention for its activities that try to reconstruct the relationship between the two. "Not simply as something pictorial like a print,

"We want to express the overall philosophy and approach of the project from the perspective of fine art," says Akimasa Mishima of the art collective Enlightenment. In 2006, he launched the brand with Asuka Yamamoto, who has experience as a patternmaker at Yohji Yamamoto. The project, which will continue for 10 chapters, aims to establish "FUGAHUM," a fictional country with a history of invading natives and changing their thoughts and culture, through various forms of expression that go beyond fashion

We continue to create without compromise, not for the sake of money.

The dedication of "LE GUN" magazine

Images from "Le Gun"

The LE GUN website features this concept statement: "Welcome to a planet created by tireless fantasistas with ink-stained hands and vast imaginations. This is a world where past, present, and future all exist. So get ready for your journey and escape reality." The editorial team of the illustration magazine "LE GUN" exudes a powerful worldview through meticulously calculated design work, while adhering to a monochrome retro aesthetic. Entering their spacious, warehouse-like studio, one room on the right is filled with metal typefaces used in old phototypesetting. "We're particular about every single letter. These materials are important as motifs, but in reality, we create them using standard DTP," says Neil Fox, the de facto leader. According to him, LE GUN is "a media where narrative illustrations and absurd words are fired like a machine gun, a mix of new talent from around the world and conservative retro art." Indeed, the design has a feel reminiscent of something you might see in a used bookstore.

When asked which country it belongs to, he can't give a clear answer. "It's a coined word combining the English words 'GUN' and 'LE,' which mean gun, and a French article. As you can see from the title, which is both French and British, it's not a magazine that symbolizes a specific country." The magazine, which is published once a year, has just released its fourth issue. There are hardly any advertisements, and the advertisements that are included are originals that fit well with the style of the magazine.

Their dedication is evident in the fact that the magazine is made entirely of original illustrations. "We're using drawings, not photographs. It's not that I dislike trendy things, but I'm not interested in trends. I continue making magazines not for the money, but because I can create them without compromise." Their planet will undoubtedly continue to revolve without rest.

"Nieves"

The "present" as captured by Swiss little presses

1. Nieves publications, photo from Nieves

2. Peaceable Kingdom, Front Cover, Chris Johanson and Jo Jackson, 2008

3. A Of Us Together Broken Heart, Front Cover, Geoff McFetridge 2008

Unconventional contemporary artists, unbound by tradition or the constraints of the art world. It's impossible not to be drawn to their groundbreaking talent. And as you delve deeper into their world, you'll encounter an independent publisher. Nieves, based in Zurich, northern Switzerland, energetically produces and distributes archives that are, as is true in the present day, extremely important for the history of creativity to come. They are scattered all over the world and can never be contained within a single mold, yet they skillfully keep pace with these artists who possess "a connection that defies logic."

The organizer is Benjamin Soma

In 1999, Art & Culture

Self-published "MAGAZINE". In 2001, Nieves

Since launching the magazine, they have changed the title each time, and have published issues featuring Aaron Rose and Hiroko Hayashi as guest editors-in-chief. This personal and uncompromising magazine offers a glimpse into the current state of Nieves. It still has a core group of fans. However, when they were stuck because magazine production was taking too much time and money, they fatefully turned their attention to "zines." They printed them on a copier and...

A simple format, just held together with screws.

That's it. The speed and low cost of production allowed Benjamin's explosive energy to explode. He noticed the agility of the approach: a fixed small format, the freedom of the artists in terms of content, and the small print run of around 100 copies each. This "agility" applies to the participating artists as well as the publisher. Within the constraints of ordinary paper and primitive black-and-white printing, the works dance stress-free and privately. Zines like works of art are born one after another at an astonishing speed. Anyone who has visited the archives on the Nieves website will have experienced the thrill of seeing a vast number of free expressions. There, you will find more than 100 zines by globally renowned artists such as Larry Clark, Chris Johansson, Ari Marcopoulos, Stefan Marks, Nicola Pecoraro, Taro Hirano, and Yoshimi, as well as emerging artists. Zines are not a format created by Nieves, but they are gaining momentum to define the form of modern zines.

Titled "Book Series," it also features a completely different, full-color, high-quality design compared to "Nieves."

High-quality printed books are also being produced simultaneously. It seems they are changing the medium to suit the work. This editorial approach may well shake up the publishing industry, which seems to have lost its way and is spending money without considering its future. It's not simply a matter of making a good book. In our information society, which has benefited from advancements in technology and transportation, we who live in the visual world are truly diverse. Instead of crude editing that forces us into categories, they write as they are within a suitable format. And now, through the web, which can be created as easily as making a zine with a copier, they have made these works accessible from all over the world. Now, this new style of system will further spread the creations that Nieves is pushing forward.

Newcomer "Keiichiro Oshima"

The dark fantasy world that he weaves

1. Light Inside The Mushrooms

In "Neon Addict: The Fluorescent Book," a project in which eight creators each used 16 pages to express the theme of fluorescence through graphics, they provided works with a strong narrative, using mushrooms and girls as motifs.

2. magnoliaphilia

3. OSHIMA inc.

The artwork and typography, with their frequent use of decorative and organic motifs, might initially give the impression of being the work of a woman. However, the person creating this delicate world is Keiichiro Oshima, who, after working at Sun-Ad and Uchuu Country, now works as a freelance art director/graphic designer.

His style, which combines a fantastical worldview with a certain "unease" brought about by its excess, is reminiscent of the sensibilities of his former boss at Space Country, Nagi Noda, who recently passed away prematurely. He cites Kaoru Kasai and Noriyuki Tanaka as designers who have influenced him. Although their styles are vastly different, both possess a unique individuality and a free stance in two-dimensional art.

These creators pursue the possibilities of expression and are respected from all quarters, regardless of genre.

Oshima himself has maintained a free and unconventional stance, even while a member of Uchuu Country, participating in the art unit "aza" with Kiyoshi Kuroda and Toshihiro Takami. Since going independent, he has continued to hone his sensibilities, resonating with the cutting edge of culture, by actively presenting original works in various exhibitions and print media. Recently, in "Neon Addict: The Fluorescent Book" (BNN Shinsha), supervised and produced by Azir, he participated alongside unique individuals such as ADAPTER, Namaiki, Atsuki Kikuchi, and Alexander German, expressing the story of mushroom-obsessed sisters through retro-pop, shadow-puppet-like graphics and garish fluorescent colors, transporting viewers to his unique "Oshima world."

"Ahonen & Lamberg"

A female designer duo that is currently attracting attention

1. Poster design for Amnesty International, Human Rights 60 years, Finland, 2008

2. Benjamin Diamond vinyl Vinyl sleeve design, Diamondtraxxx, France, 2008

3. Benjamin Diamond album: Cruise Comrol album design Diamontraxx, France, 2008 Exclusive painting by Guy Peellaert

4. Coffee, Illustration, 2008

5. Nicoles Tarals-logo, France, 2008

6. Ute Ploier logo, Austria, 2008

7. Dossier magazine Cover, Dossier No 2, 2008

Photography by Laura Sciacovell

Spreads from Dossier No 2, 2008

Photography by Theo Wenner, Skye Parrott, Laura Sclacovelll

8. Uniqlo t-shirt, Japan, 2008

Ahonen & Lamberg, a design duo from Paris consisting of two women, Nna Ahonen and Katarina Lamberg, is characterized by a combination of delicate illustrations and powerful typography.

Influenced by the unwavering history, values, and aesthetics of Finnish design, their homeland, they draw inspiration from the small things in everyday life, as well as from cultural discord and frustrations, to create their designs.

The two were originally friends who majored in graphic design at the University of Art & Design Helsinki in Finland. Katarina was the first to move to Paris to study design, working for design companies such as Work in progress (now Petronio Associates) and the magazine "self service." A few years later, Anna came to Paris, and they happened to work together on a freelance project, which led to them starting their current partnership as "Ahonen&Lamberg" in 2006. To date, they have provided designs for collection brands such as Charles Anastase and Ute Breuer, and have worked on graphic design, illustration, and art direction for the film, music, and magazine industries.

"Our partnership is based on always working together on every project. And what we value most is that neither of us ever compromises until we are satisfied with the design," they say, describing their collaborative design relationship. Currently, they design logos for fashion brands, a boutique in Helsinki, and new perfumes, as well as working on numerous music-related projects, including album cover designs and concept visuals for the Parisian Club. The second issue of the magazine "DOSSIER," for which they serve as art director, was just released at the beginning of October.

Yuichi Higashionna

"untitled (chandelierX)" 2008

H70X100X100cm

fluorescent light, aluminium, wire

cross genres

The guerrilla activities of "Sasquatchfabrix"

1. SASQUATCHfabrix. 08-09 A/W Collection Photo: Shunya Arai(FEMME)

2. SASQUATCHfabrix. Guerrilla SHOP at THE CONTEMPORARY FIX

3. Artwork by WonderWorker GuerrillaBand

Sasquatchfabrix was founded in 2003 by Daisuke Yokoyama and Katsuki Araki, who have been friends since their student days. Last September, they opened a limited-time shop, "SASQUATCHfabrix. Guerrilla SHOP," at "THE CONTEMPORARY FIX," a select shop run by Yuichi Yoshii, formerly of LOVELESS.

This is a men's brand that has been rapidly gaining attention recently.

"I think the Japanese men's fashion scene hasn't changed much in the last 10 years or so. But I feel like everyone is getting tired of it and looking for something new. Our stance hasn't fundamentally changed, so it's finally our turn."

"I think that's what's been happening." (Yokoyama)

While their design sense is undeniable, incorporating street trends with just the right touch of unexpectedness, another defining characteristic of the WorkerGuerrillaBand name is their diverse activities that extend beyond the realm of fashion, including artwork production by Wonder (WWGB) and collaborations with external parties. "When we were students, the culture was a mix of music, graphics, and fashion, especially in places like Ura-Harajuku. So, we vaguely thought that whatever we did would become a movement like that. Also, with the WWGB name, we can take on external work that would be difficult to do as a fashion brand, and there's also the fun of creating within the given rules," (Yokoyama).

Hisham Bharoocha is a multi-talented artist based in Brooklyn, New York.

1. 88 BOADRUM sponsored by Nike Sportswear

2. Title: Birth and Re-birth

3. Title: Fairy Drawings 1+2

4. Title: When Desire Sets In

5. Title: Look What the Cat Dragged In

Hisham Bharoocha is a Brooklyn-based multi-artist active in various genres including music, visual arts, and photography. Influenced by his mother, who practiced craft art, he naturally began drawing from a young age. After developing an interest in skateboarding and music as a teenager, he moved to New York to study art.

6. Title: The Offerin 1 + 2

His main focus is music, and he has been active in the underground music scene based in Brooklyn, where he was involved in the formation of "Lightning Bolt" and "Black Dice," and also participated as a drummer in "Black Dice." After leaving "Black Dice," he formed his solo unit "Soft Circle," where he performs all the instruments himself as a one-man band.

Since the year before last, they have been an experimental music group in Japan

He also serves as the art director for "88 BOADRUM," an event featuring 88 drummers, including Boredoms, playing on 88 drum kits. This live event held performances in LA and NY last year and garnered worldwide attention.

Beyond his musical activities, he has also contributed numerous visual works, including drawings, paintings, and photographs, to many magazines such as "V magazine," "Art Forum," "NYLON," "Nest," "FLAUNT," "i-D," "Tokion," and "DOSSIER," demonstrating the wide range of his creative endeavors.

"My work is strongly related to meditation. When you meditate, your experiences, memories, and sensations you feel in your body come to the surface. My art also contains images that visualize these. My drawings, collages, and paintings contain memories, experiences, and my perception of the world."

"I create my work based on my way of thinking, and how all of those things blend together in my brain," he says, describing his own work.

For him, creativity is "something necessary for survival," and he doesn't consider special things like painting or making music to be creativity; rather, he believes that every single job you do is a form of creativity.

The activities of "WrittenAfterwards" that question the true meaning of fashion.

writtenafterwards collection#003 "prince prince prince"

Photo: Shuichiro Miura

The latest collection expresses a surreal worldview that blends reality and artificiality, centering on somewhat off-kilter, androgynous "princes" such as a Black actor playing a Kuroko (a character in black) and a female mannequin prince on horseback.

Fashion is a term that encompasses all trends, including clothing, hairstyles, and accessories. However, generally speaking, the unspoken rule that "fashion = clothing" is the absolute condition that connects designers and consumers. But there is a fashion label that is breaking down this preconceived notion and attracting attention.

WrittenAfterwards was founded by Yoshikazu Yamagata and Kentaro Tamai, who have been friends since their time at Central Saint Martins.

"I believe it's important to think of fashion not merely as clothing, but in a broader sense, encompassing trends and styles. I think there are many more things that only fashion designers can convey." (Yamagata)

Since launching the label in 2007, in addition to presenting collections twice a year, she has continued to engage in free and unconventional activities such as installations, illustrations, and even running a fashion design class. For this season's collection, based on the keyword "prince" that is currently trending, a girl's image...

They interpreted and expressed the ideal male figure (= Prince Charming) from their own perspective. Key points in the "WrittenAfterwards" collection are the reinterpretation of the view of women and the atmosphere of the present era.

"I translate the atmosphere I feel from human communication, personal events and memories, and social conditions into form, color, material, and space. Sometimes I express these abstractly, and sometimes I take a straightforward and easy-to-understand approach." (Yamagata)