objects&pleasure&

Aime Leon Dore teases the newest instalment in their collaboration with New Balance, a 990 silhouette coined with the slogan ‘Life in the Balance’. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The shoes take a more lowkey approach as compared to the neon pinks on the prior 997, instead adapting muted greys and ocean blues with white detailing on the tongue and sole. Note what looks to be suede on the toe box, and pastel yellow laces. Potentially expect apparel from the collaboration, following along the same colourful preppy lines as the prior capsule.

You probably best know the vehicle from 2013’s #WolfofWallStreet. Jordan Belfort played by Leonardo DiCaprio, high out of his mind on Qualudes, crawls into the car’s butterfly doors after kicking open the small switch underneath the handle to warn Jonah Hill’s character of a wiretap. Done in one take, the actor pulled out his back in the process. The car was the perfect choice for the scene, from the sheer ridiculous impracticality of the driving experience to the flamboyant styling. Completely trashed by the 2 mile journey, Scorcese went the whole way and destroyed a real 25th Anniversary Edition car (although in real life Belfort smashed a convertible Mercedes). First introduced in 1970 as a competitor to the Ferrari Daytona, the car was named after a staff member at Lamborghini who only spoke Piedmontese - he would often exclaim #countach, expressing a sense of amazement. And that it did, as the car was sold and continually added to over three decades, and lived on bedroom walls posters across the world. Even if DiCaprio’s character had been sober, he might’ve not been able to stick the reverse. With a minuscule rear window, its almost impossible to see behind - Lamborghini even developed an internal system of parking, in which the driver opens the door, leans all the way out, and watches the car behind. It was potentially the result of a peculiar design decision to have flat glass, rare even for the time, an angular aesthetic reflected in the interior. You might have trouble seeing out the front during rain too, as a windshield wiper stopped in the middle of the drivers seat. Two butterfly doors open with a metal switch underneath, which also contained the lock cylinder. Just like the rear window, the side windows were tiny, and only one of them could open a half of the way. One of the most striking features of the car were the wheels - the widest on any production car at the time. If it wasn’t already screaming 80s drug dealer, #Lamborghini decided to forgo a mounted sun visor mirror in favour of a removable one with a handle, just in case the driver ever needed a flat surface.

Having been the first Soviet nation to gain independence from the USSR in 1990, Lithuania represented themselves as a sovereign state for the first time in 64 years at the 1992 Barcelona #Olympics. However, in addition to the battle for medals, there was another competition brewing between two prominent Japanese designers. #HanaeMori was enlisted to design Japan’s ceremonial kits, the elegant businesslike suits inspired by Japan’s Hinomaru represented the country’s devotion to tradition, consistency and advancement. #IsseyMiyake however, was contacted spontaneously by Dr. Edward Domanskis - a California plastic surgeon turned Lithuania team physician in a bid to be their teams designer. Miyake said that he wouldn’t be expecting an invite from his home nation due to the conservatism of their sports establishment but his progressive, neo-futurism aesthetic resonated with newly-liberated Lithuania. “They put their collars a little differently from what I thought, but they're not models, they're human beings. They're enjoying themselves so much" The collection consisted of a split-hood pleated jacket, t-shirt, sneakers, metallic bottoms and matching cap illustrating an assertiveness on the global stage. He initially didn’t like the idea of incorporating a flag into his designs due to a distrust in nationalism but saw Lithuania as an exception. Constructed using lightweight polyester provided by Toray Industries, the garments were cut using a new hot metal method reflecting his approach of utilising innovative textile-engineering. Having experimented with pleats since 1988, this was the first time Miyake put this aesthetic to the public before releasing his Pleats Please line in 1993. Dubbed ‘The Other Dream Team’ for their imminent threat to the legendary ’92 Team USA. The small Baltic state didn’t get gold but restored their dignity when defeating their former overseers, Russia in the battle for bronze. Sympathising with their struggle, talent and significance in competing, The Grateful Dead band sent the team signature tie-dyed t-shirts in their nation's colours - worn during the medal ceremony.

⁣In order - Basquiat, Keith Haring and Juan Dubose, Sylvester Stallone, Mick Jagger, Bianca Jagger, Muhammad Ali, John Lennon, Liza Minnelli, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and a self-portrait.⁣ ⁣ A Telegraph article once stated that “Everyone one who was anyone posed for a Warhol snapshot”. And to an incredible extent, that’s true - notable exclusions range from Paloma Picasso to Arnold Schwarzenegger. He would once state that “My idea of a good picture is one of a famous person doing something unfamous”.⁣ ⁣ "Mr Land invented this great camera called a Polaroid. And it just takes the face of the person. There is something about the camera that makes the person look just right. They usually come out great. I take at least 200 pictures and then I choose. Sometimes I take half a picture and a lip from another picture. Sometimes it's hard, sometimes it's easy."⁣ ⁣ Large format Polaroids would often serve as the basis for paintings, such as the basquiat polaroid shown which was converted into a silkscreen print and painted over.⁣ ⁣ The portraits are considered iconic, partly in predating the modern overbearing obsession with celebrity in photography - particularly the insight into the ‘private’ lives of the biggest celebrities in raw photographs.

Wife and Husband duo, Ray and Charles Eames dismissed architectural boundaries, carrying the torch for mid-century modernist ideas. Much of which were born at the #EamesHouse, the home and studio of the artists. Characterised by its shoebox shape and glass exterior, the home sits quietly in a meadow in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood of LA.⁣ ⁣ The couple designed the home in 1945 in response to a growing issue: the housing crisis, which impacted millions of returning soldiers who wanted to start a family. Arts & Architecture magazine publisher John Entenza tasked the artists to innovate a modern home that honed in on good design, all while being inexpensive — aligning harmoniously with #CharlesEames own mantra: “We don’t do ‘art’ – we solve problems.”⁣ ⁣ The first iteration of the house was an elevated steel and metal box, made from “off the shelf” materials. However, the prefabricated steel was at shortage due to the war and only arrived in 1948.⁣ ⁣ During the waiting period, Charles Eames and Ray basked in the serenity of the meadow, realising that the architecture they build should harmonise gracefully with the surrounding nature. Subsequently, they scrapped their first iteration and settled on the Eames House we know today, which tactically didn’t harm the trees and “maximized volume from minimal materials.”⁣ ⁣ By reconfiguring the house on ground level, “the new design integrated the House into the landscape, rather than imposing the House on it.” The facade is distinguished for its Mondrian-like pattern and glass panels, which help blur the line between private and public space.⁣ ⁣ Ray’s idiosyncratic details like shells and hanging pictures from the ceiling filled the interior with charm, going against the modernist movement of the time which prescribed “barren spaces, devoid of human use.” In fact, #RayEames and her thousands of books, prisms, and iconic #EamesChairis an elegant love letter to clutter.⁣ ⁣ The home is now a historic museum whose patrons, like #IceCube, visit to witness the design style of the couple, which embraced practicality and “represented an attempt to state an idea rather than a fixed architectural pattern."

Founded in Germany 1921 by Max Braun as a manufacturer of spare radio parts, it was the first combined radio and record unit in 1938 that set the stage for innovation. Factory reconstruction began immediately after WWII, tapping into the homeware and lifestyle market, unveiling a kitchen blender and the S50 shaver.⁣ ⁣ Braun’s sons took over the company after his death in 1951. Inspired by the progressiveness of Charles Eames they aimed to lead the brand in a new trajectory, distancing themselves from the Art Deco aesthetic synonymous with pre-war years. Founder of the newly established Ulm Design School, Otl Aicher and professor Hans Gugelot became key figures in this transformative vision. #Braunshowcased their concepts at a radio exhibition in 1955 which garnered acclaim, but it was the recruitment of #DieterRams the same year which prompted the formation of a designated in-house design team.⁣ ⁣ “I didn’t intend these 10 points to be set in stone forever. They were actually meant to mutate with time. But apparently things have not changed greatly in the past 50 years”⁣ ⁣ Initially hired as an architect, Rams settled in the role of lead designer describing his approach as “Less, but better.” Merging functionality with technology items were crafted in a universal language allowing users to understand its purpose at first glance. One of his earliest creations was a 1956 Phonosuper SK4 record player dubbed ‘Snow Whites Coffin’ leaving its control dials open and adding a plexiglass lid inspired future hi-fi designs. This initiated an iconic run, following up with portable audio systems, the LE1 speaker, ET22 calculator, alarm clock and the TG1000 tape recorder. Stemming from Jony Ive’s early fascination with a Rams-designed Braun juicer, these contributed to the design language of Apple decades later.⁣ ⁣ Rams’ 10 principles of good design have withstood the test of time, his industrial minimalism is etched into the modernist movement earning him and Braun several accolades. With his timeless products still referenced, one has to look at Rams’ prior work to predict the future of design.⁣

⁣Released in 1993 as part Reebok’s outdoor range, the name comes from the “beatnik generation” a literary movement born out of San Francisco that was started by a group of authors whose work explored and influenced American culture and politics in a post-war era throughout the 1950’s and 60s. The movement explored books, stories and poems rejecting standard narrative values instead delved into a “spiritual quest” and brought along religious ideas from Buddhism in particular.⁣ ⁣ Warren “Batso” Harding was a fellow member of the Beatniks and moved out to Yosemite to start what we today know as rock climbing. Spiritual quests undertaken by individuals like Harding who sought out a new sort of frontier made it clear to see why the beatnik was the focus in the release of the “outdoor” range for Reebok.⁣ ⁣ Over recent years, we have seen a revamp of collaborations that has put the Beatnik on the radar of streetwear which in the past belonged exclusively to Japan, and now stretched overseas. Powerhouses like the BEAMS x NEEDLES which featured a luxe black suede base decorated by the iconic butterfly embroidery in purple. And the PLEASURES collab in which LA based label Alex James applied a contrasting stitched white spider web to the upper with Old English branding upon the Velcro strap.⁣ ⁣ The #Beatnik’s original intentional design was as a hiking sandal which featured a chunky sole unit and clog-like suede upper and adjustable nylon strap with each of the three colourways. The Beatnik grew a cult-like following and became extremely popular in Japan during the 90s, to the point that there were elements of a resale market. with exclusive re-releases and remains an iconic silhouette in Japanese street culture.

⁣When Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight founded Blue Ribbon Sports, they primarily distributed Onitsuka Tiger shoes. Knight still worked on the side at Portland State University - ironically, he taught accounting while having huge struggles between banks and his company. It was there that he would meet a graphic design student by the name of Carolyn Davidson. Overhearing a conversation about Davidson’s issues with paying for a course on oil painting, Knight offered her a position creating charts and graphs for the Japanese executives he bartered with over shipments.⁣ ⁣ "I kind of wondered who he was and how he knew that, but then he introduced himself and said he was Phil Knight, and he was teaching accounting."⁣ ⁣ As BRS grew, Bowerman and Knight would set out to create their own line of running shoes spurred forward by the former’s creation of textured rubber soles in a waffle iron. By the early 1970s, Davidson was creating posters and brochures for the brand.⁣ ⁣ From the very beginning, Knight wanted to rival Adidas. When he asked Davidson to mock up some logos, he wanted a ‘stripe’ that conveyed motion akin to the three stripes. She mocked up a series of designs. And none impressed Knight, Bob Woodell, or Jeff Johnson. Circling back, the tick caught his eye.⁣ ⁣ Knight - “I don’t love it. But I think it will grow on me.”⁣ ⁣ The logo conveyed the motion that Knight sought, mirroring both the curve of a track and the runners leg in a sprint. She created it using tissue paper, laying them over a shoe sketch. Although it is often cited it took 17.5 hours as was displayed on her bill, she’s later admitted it likely took her far longer. With factories waiting to print, her original sketch couldn’t be refined and was taken straight into production.⁣ ⁣ Headlines often tout that Nike got the logo for $35 - however, on a rate of $2 per hour, Davidson was being payed above the $1.20 minimum wage in Oregon. Nike would later gift her sizeable shares after she left the company, as well as a golden swoosh ring with a small diamond.

A brainchild of legendary car designers Marcello Gandini and Nuccio Bertone, the #LanciaStratosHFZero concept was unveiled at the 1970 Turin Auto Show. Gandini intended “To create an object that may attract the attention of visitors and especially of people working in the field.” Between the 1968 Alpha Romeo Carabo, Stratos and 1971 Lamborghini Countach, it exhibited Bertone’s progressive aesthetic, a testament to the boundary-pushing design amidst their rivalry with design house Pininfarina. Initially, Bertone intended to name it ‘Stratolimite’ (limit in the stratosphere) referencing its high-tech construction. The epitome of 70s wedge design, its chiselled fashioning is evocative, inducing speed alike the early 20th century art movement Futurism. The Zero was assembled by sourcing from existing #Lancia parts mainly from Fulvia HF and its composition contained a plethora of details: the flip-up windscreen serving as a door, the ultrathin headlights look like a 60s UFO and two exhausts sit on wide tires beneath a mesh grill to the rear. Not to mention its 33 inches height: a champion of extreme dynamism. Overall, the cost of building the concept was reportedly 40M Lire equating to approx £300k in 2020. Not only did the HF Zero transgress typical design as a statement piece, it was also a functioning automotive. At a low height, its seats are virtually horizontal with nothing but road lying in wake of the driver. Bertone supposedly drove the Zero to a meeting with Lancia superiors to pitch the vehicle, driving under the security gates to the wonder of onlookers. The car ultimately became the prototype for the Lancia Stratos HF, the first mass-produced car tailored to rally racing. As an awe-striking concept it was destined for cultural prominence. #MichaelJackson famously morphed into the Zero in an iconic getaway scene in Moonwalker, forever marrying the automotive to the King of Pop. Whilst Moonwalker may be its most high-profile appearance, the Zero continues to make waves across mediums, in video games like Gran Turismo and amongst socialites like #KimKardashian’s Skims collection photoshoot.

Performing under Zev Love X with the collective KMD their 1991 debut ‘Mr. Hood’ included conscience lyrics focused on pan-Africanism and the black experience in America. Before the release of their sophomore album, ‘Black Bastards’ they were dropped from their label deemed too controversial and unmarketable. DOOM’s younger brother and KMD member DJ Subroc passed away shortly after causing him to detach from the scene completely, unbeknownst to him ‘Black Bastards’ would be leaked and amass a cult following within the underground Hip-Hop circuit. "There's a little twist of Dr. Doom in there, even a little Destro from GI Joe. It's an icon of American culture. I made it a mish-mash of all the villains together and my last name is Dumile, so everyone used to call me Doom anyway. It's a parody of all the villains" Resurfacing in 1997 through open mic nights under the pseudonym #MFDOOM (Metal Face for his stage name and Metal Fingers for production) channelling his early interest in comic books. The creation of a super-villain character signified disdain for the industry whilst the mask embodied it, covering his identity brought focus back to the music rather than industry-glamorised materialism. Initially sporting a woman’s stocking, he revised the mask before upgrading to the now-iconic chrome prop from the Gladiator movie. “It don’t matter what the artist looks like it matters what the artist sounds like. The mask represents to rebel against trying to sell the product as a human being.” DOOM would go on to create several alias’ some include King Geedorah - a 3-headed space monster inspired by Japanese Godzilla introduced via the Monsta Island Czar collective and Viktor Vaughn - a play on Dr. Doom’s real name, but he would be most noted for his 2004 album with #Madlib under the moniker Madvillain. From his striking appearance and dark satirical bars to his acclaimed multifaceted collaborative projects, DOOM has gained an undeniable cult following. Despite this, his attempts to distance himself from the limelight have resulted in him being outed for use of on-stage doubles causing fury amongst fans.

Although his Instagram account has now been cleared, fans will remember the days when #FrankOcean shared rare moments of his personal life, such as the interior of his NYC apartment. The iconic image of a brightly illuminated room with a sizable pyramid-esque teal sofa and Frank Ocean lounging on top, created a mysterious fascination. This was partly due to fans getting an insider glimpse into the artist’s residence, but mainly due to the ornamental and captivating couch. Originally created by French furniture designer #PierrePaulin in the 70s, Paulin’s surrealist aesthetic and progressive designs have long been admired for having revolutionised everyday seating.   Born in France to a family of artists, Paulin explored his creative spirit from a young age. His uncle had invented the folding mechanism for hardtop convertible cars, and his great uncle was a sculptor. Heavily influenced by these creative role models, he first sought a career as a ceramist, but after injuring his arm he instead enrolled at the Paris interior design school. Under the mentorship of Marcel Gascoin, Paulin found inspiration in Scandinavian aesthetics, Japanese works, and the modernist American designs of Charles and Ray Eames. By the 60s, Paulin collaborated with furniture company Artifort, bringing with him his fondness for abstract forms. Artifort was where Paulin’s work evolved and where his signature designs including the Mushroom, Ribbon, and Tongue chairs were created. “A chair should be more than simply functional. I considered the manufacture of chairs to be rather primitive and I was trying to think up new processes”. A decade later, the ‘Dune’ – the striking geometric piece owned by Frank Ocean – was conceptualised. The ‘Dune’ collection features four modules, designed to be moved and interchanged allowing for a personalised look. Using foam and rubber from Italy and elasticated swimwear fabric to create his hedonistic sculptural designs, Paulin’s work reflected the mood of the 60s and his distinctive work earned him commissions for the Louvre and Élysée Palace.

Hailing from Pittsburg, for the past 4 decades George Lange has been responsible for shooting the biggest icons on behalf of the likes of Rolling Stone, Time and Vogue plus many more. His playful use of props and colour gives rise to a number of unexpected twists, subverting expectations which make up his distinctive style - “I do like playing with the scale and size of my set, especially when photographing basketball players or other tall subjects.” Lange began taking photographs at 7 before going on to study at Rhode Island School of Design. Here, he was introduced to renowned photographer, the late-Francesca Woodman, known for utilising his signature relaxed and vibrant aesthetic to showcase another side to her famed dark, often-haunting persona. He launched his professional career in the 70s amongst live music performance before expanding to studio portraits; capturing some of the most celebrated pop stars, TV personalities, sports and business people. Considering himself to be a storyteller, Lange’s ethos is for every photo to convey a truth about its subject. For him, photography is not about getting the perfect picture, rather about embracing imperfection and capturing a real, intimate moment - “Life is imperfect. If our photographs – which have become the personal records of our daily life – are to be any kind of accurate record of the lives we are living, our pictures better not be perfect.” Remembering his time shooting the only known posed photo of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates together, he recounts - “They were whispering the most competitive craziness to each other while smiling at me. ‘You will never beat me at anything’ Gates said under his breath to Jobs. Then he adjusted it a bit, ‘You may tie me, but you will never beat me.’ High tech gangsters.” Whilst Lange’s immense catalogue is home to countless incredible photos, his portraits of #JimCarrey, #DennisRodman and #KarlLagerfeld, to name but a few, perfectly typify the stylistic elements for which he is known, celebrating the charisma and style of these individuals through a unique and interesting snapshot.

When ASICS announced they would be collaborating with nascent designer #KikoKostadinov, it marked a pivotal moment for the Japanese athletics brand. Originally Onitsuka, ASICS was established in 1945 and they had yet to work with a runway designer prior to Kiko. Now 3 years into their partnership, there’s no better match for sneaker innovation. Designed through a utilitarian lens; Kiko creates clothes inspired by modern workwear and uniform, with ASICS based around performance - both driven by the need to serve a purpose. In addition, his eccentric campaigns have attracted the likes of Juergen Teller and Fumiko Imano. For their first release, GEL Burz-1, Kiko pulled from the #ASICS archive, fusing components of their most compelling silhouettes to create a new offering: “A silent combination of the best performance shoe ingredients. With ASICS' history and dedication to constant improvement and contribution to sport performance, it's really easy to become inspired and push something new. I came from a different angle and looked at their best products. I was pleasantly surprised to see the performance team is so fearless, even requesting from me to push my ideas further." Though the shoes were created with ASICS DNA, they were made to be congruent with Kiko’s runway collections. As a result, the colour palettes of each release correspond directly with thematic elements of his shows - like the GEL-Kiril sneaker from the Kentucky derby inspired SS20 reminiscent of the vibrant attire of jockeys. Laura and Deanna Fanning, the twin sisters who head Kiko’s womenswear have also created a series of striking ASICS products for the women’s collection. Contrasting technical materials with unconventional shapes, their designs have caught the attention of and intended to be built for all sexes. In November it was announced that the partnership which was supposed to end in the fall, would be renewed under a new multiyear deal. Unlike the previous venture, Kiko will move in house to create products specifically for ASICS, hoping to further elucidate the false dichotomy of fashionability vs utility.

⁣ In one of the most talked about moments of 2016, Young Thug wore a billowing purple dress on the cover of his album ‘No, My Name is Jeffery’. First seeing the piece in a meeting with VFILES founder Julie Anne-Quay (playing a role in mentorship for the designer showcase), it was love at first sight.⁣ ⁣ "He saw the piece in New York, and said immediately, 'I want that for the cover.' Like, there was no thought about it. He just saw it and knew he wanted it.”⁣ ⁣ Designed by Italian designer Allesandro Trincone, it was coincidentally designed with the intent of androgyny. Despite that, the ensemble was still intricate, with the cover photographer Garfield Larmond recalling that it took #YoungThug “Hours on top of hours” to get the dress on and pin the dress to its intended look. Having been immediately shipped to Atlanta and tailored, Trincone discovered at the same time as everyone else, “around 2:30am”, and “completely shocked”.⁣ ⁣ "I couldn't sleep for the feelings that I felt—so excited, so happy and so proud of it all. I'm so happy to collaborate with Young Thug. The next day, my mobile went out because of notifications, emails, and more than 200 new followers on Instagram.”⁣ ⁣ Not his first time breaking gender boundaries, Thug had previously worn a #Gucci silk blouse for Dazed in 2015. He’s also no stranger to controversial album covers, stripping down for Barter 6. Once quoted as saying “There’s no such thing as gender”, the ensemble fitted perfectly, taking inspiration from Japanese Kimonos and Kosode trousers so wide they give the appearance of a skirt.⁣ ⁣ When asked why he wore the dress in an interview with No Jumper, he replied that “Nigga, I wore this long-ass dress because I had a motherfucking AK-47 up under it. I’m saying on my album… It’s one of the songs on my album. It just explains, like, the question of the century… It’s one bar on the song that answers the question. You’ll hear it.”⁣ ⁣ Thug on ‘Just How It Is’ - “Had to wear the dress cause I had a stick”⁣

The 1960s Italian Radical Design movement surfaced as a response to the turbulent political and social climate in Italy. Emerging designers rejected traditional aesthetics for their anti-design cultural revolution, this birthed a generation of innovators within art and architecture. Pioneers of this movement include the Turin-based collective, #GruppoStrum who are known to exhibit activism through design. The #Pratone was conjured up by designers Giorgio Cerretti, Piero Derossi and Riccardo Rosso of Gruppo Strum in 1966 and is, in itself an expression of their anti-consumerist ideology. Creating a piece of furniture, that by definition defeats its purpose for the sake of visual appeal, symbolises the culture of vanity and consumer self-indulgence. They enlisted Italian seat and furniture manufacturer, Gufram in 1971 to bring the art to life. Their unconventional, modernist take on a traditional chaise lounge disturbed the status quo of 70s interior design. Through channelling the playfulness of pop art with their cartoon-like reimagination of artificial grass, it represents bringing the outdoors inside - a vision many designers try to incorporate. It features 42 hand assembled polyurethane-foam spikes in vibrant green hues, glazed in Gufram’s patented Guflac coating - giving a leather look whilst maintaining its softness, flexibility and durability, to function as a lounge chair. An all-white iteration entitled ‘The Nordic Pratone’ was released in 2016 commemorating Gufram’s 50th anniversary and was limited to 50 pieces. Created as their first and only Scandinavian influenced product, it addressed the global domination of Scandi minimalist design. In addition to being featured in exhibitions worldwide, the chair has been included in Vitra Design Museum’s 100 Masterpieces of design history, and is on the market for upwards of £12,000. Building his art through chairs, sculptor and artist, Cary Fagan cites The Pratone as one of the most striking design pieces speaking on the Radical Movement he stated - “If you could replace Mother Nature artificially, is this what it would look like?”

Baggy pants, oversized #Adidasjumpers, and huge hats; British funk band #Jamiroquai embody 90s laid-back culture. Infusing streetwear with more eclectic pieces, the band made being casual look cooler than ever. Dubbed the mad hatter, frontman Jay Kay’s affinity for statement headpieces achieved cult status with articles dedicated to his choice of headwear influencing the likes of #Pharrell - “I can’t give this away but I’m a huge fan.” Perhaps his most iconic look, the ‘Virtual Insanity’ video sees Jay Kay dancing in what could be a spaceship in a #Berghaus fleece and giant bucket hat defying physics. In a 2018 interview with Rolling Stone he revealed the whereabouts of the hat - “I gave that to a guy called Ken who worked very hard at the Japanese record company at the time, when we were just like the fucking biggest-selling non-Japanese artist in the world.” His mother made his hats in his early days, notably the one worn in ‘Emergency on Planet Earth’. Since then, the likes of Cozmo Jenks and Moritz Waldemeyer have created more experimental pieces. A leading milliner, Cozmo Jenks created the black feather headpiece for ‘Supersonic’, accompanying him on tour to ensure it stayed in place whilst performing. An ongoing issue in fashion, it’s important to note Jay Kay’s native inspired headwear proved problematic considering the sacred significance of headdresses in native cultures, and how such significance is lost through appropriation - a controversy inherited by Pharrell. Inspired by pangolin scales, designer and engineer Mortiz Waldemeyer created a 3D printed headpiece for the Automaton album. Assembled by motors and LED boards, the piece is separated into sections that individually light up, imitating a nervous system. Most recently, Eytys clearly drew on Jamiroquai for their Fall 2020 collection. Draping duster coats and leather jackets, relaxed sweaters and slouchy denim, the looks were accompanied by wool berets and fluffy bucket hats, just like ‘Virtual Insanity’. #VirgilAbloh channeled a similar aesthetic for #LouisVuitton’s pre-fall 19 lookbook also baring resemblance to the iconic video.

Since 1980, i-D has documented the most revolutionary cultural moments. Centred on originality of youth creativity, i-D has pioneered unique styles of fashion documentation through timeless photography and iconography. With an audacious wink on each issue, here are some of the most iconic covers from the last 40 years: 1996 - Bjork & Goldie The Love Life Issue consisted of 2 covers, #Bjork and DnB legend #Goldie- who were, at the time in a highly publicised relationship prior to entering the heights of their careers - becoming one of their most iconic shots 2001 - John & Tom Ford Posing with his dog (John), The Man and Beast Issue captures #TomFordyears before his eponymous label was born. Mid-yawn, a playful John embodies his owner’s effortlessly cool style 2001 - Aaliyah Having her debut feature in 1995, #Aaliyah’s portrait covered The Bedroom Issue posthumously - just a month after her untimely passing 2010 - Kanye West Making a triumphant return after taking a year of absence following the 2009 VMAs, in the midst of controversy #KanyeWest reminded readers of his unmatched opulent aesthetic for The Back to the Future Issue - covering his face with prominent gold Erickson Beamon jewelry behind the statement IMPRESS. 2013 - Kate Moss An unparalleled icon, #KateMoss has graced i-D covers since 1993. In 2013, she celebrated her 20th anniversary on the editorial in The Alphabetical Issue. Landing all 4 covers for the issue, the model was styled in #Dior, #SaintLaurent, #Prada & #Balenciaga 2015 - Supreme Featuring an image of their collab with #SlickRick from 2007, the rare cover was designed for i-D’s 35th anniversary. With a grainy visual appearance and classic #Supremebranding, they were one of 11 fashion houses invited to commemorate the milestone 2016 - Adwoa Aboah i-D honoured visionary women that shaped and carried the fashion industry. For the first time, an all-woman cast was used cover to cover. #AdwoaAboah, founder of Gurls Talk - a non-profit that promotes the mental wellbeing of young girls – the Female Gaze Issue won cover of the year at the SwipeCast Awards