THE SPRING ISSUE
Afghanistan is her name
After the Soviet invasion, just days before Ariana Delawari’s birth, her father’s entire family fled Afghanistan. Many of them found refuge at the Delawari home in Los Angeles, where baby Ariana was welcomed by a huge extended family. Her name, Ariana, is the ancient name for Afghanistan. “I think those early years really shaped me,” […]
The Wanted
Natstya wears Fur Ohne Titel Shirt Topshop Hat Gigi Burris Emil wears Hat & jacket Michael Kors Hat Michael Kors Jacket Isabel Marant Shorts Blumarine Boots Topshop Unique Bandana American Eagle Outfitters Emil wears Hat Michael Kors Shirt Proenza Schouler Tank Uniqlo Jeans Aprill77 Bandana American Eagle Outfitters Boots Frye Stylist’s Archive Belt Natstya wears […]
Re-Make/Re-Model
Dress Yohji Yamamoto Belt used as headpiece Lara Bohinc Bracelet on belt Medecine Douce Dress Bowie Shirt Burberry Belt used as headpiece Lara Bohinc Sweater Alexander Wang Shirt Palmer//Harding Pants Alexander Wang Belt Yohji Yamamoto Necktie used as scarf Miu Miu Shoes Christian Louboutin Vintage comb from propagandahair Green dress A.F. Vandevorst Purple dress Issey […]
I-Pose
I-Pose is the latest addition to SOMA’s ongoing tradition of introducing unique, cutting-edge features to our magazine. This section portrays the winners of our online competition, where SOMA readers posed as their favorite icons. In this issue, we featured young creative minds from Tokyo and asked them to explain the reasoning behind their choices. Text […]
John Lydon (Johnny Rotten)
When the Sex Pistols splintered in an explosion of backbiting, recrimination and lawsuits, it seemed unlikely that John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) would ever be able to top the band’s musical and social impact. He confounded expectations by starting Public Image Ltd, in hindsight, PiL can be seen as the first post-rock band, the progenitor […]
Street Pulse: Milan
1. What’s your connection to the music industry? 2. What was the first concert you attended and where? 3. What is your favorite venue in Milan to play or see a show? 4. What album are you currently obsessed with? 5. What musician’s style do you envy the most? Photography by Lara Ferri Simone 1. […]
Mimi Iwasaki
As Mimi Iwasaki’s instructor, Michael Carbaugh, suggested to her during her junior year at the Academy of Art University, “inspirations are strongest when they are personally related to you.” It’s a good thing Iwasaki comes from a line of artistically inclined people. Her father, a talented illustrator, chose to focus on music, while her grandfather […]
Rumi Iwasaki
Rumi Iwasaki only just graduated from San Francisco’s Academy of Art University and showed her very first runway collection at The Cannery this past May, but her unique take on menswear speaks of an aesthetic that is finely honed and developed beyond her years. Iwasaki, who counts disparate talents Hedi Slimane, Ellen von Unwerth, and […]
Paper Product
In the heart of SoHo’s cobblestone streets, among the designer shopping destinations and luxury condos, the latest and greatest retail attraction is a building made of paper. To differentiate the new Camper House of Shoes, Shigeru Ban Architects and longtime collaborator Dean Maltz Architects opted for understated simplicity. Shigeru Ban’s first retail project in the […]
Gio Diev
High Concept Shoes for High Fashion Feet The genre of sculptural shoes is, by definition, an attempt to elevate the design identity of an otherwise basic accessory. The approach undertaken by Gio Metodiev is to offer boldly visual statements. His Gio Diev collection is shaped by personal passions, merging craftsmanship with architectural and artistic inspirations. […]
Tee LLC
Rising above the surplus of twee screen printed tees offered at your local indie boutique, are three companies using high-grade fabrics and apparel design techniques, along with fresh aesthetic sensibilities, to create T-shirts that transcend the mundane. Golden Goods USA reconceptualizes the standard conference/corporate giveaway tee—the boxy, made-in-china polo or crew sporting a requisite left-chest […]
Sonos Studio
Nestled between Hollywood and downtown LA, the La Brea Design District has an oddly under the radar reputation for designer shopping, cafés, food trucks and vintage. The neighborhood’s newest attraction, Sonos Studio, is a 4,000 square-foot showroom and multi-functional art space with a particular focus on the audio arts. A producer of wireless audio systems, Sonos […]
Saira Hunjan
Tattooist Saira Hunjan is well known among celebrity circles as “the girl with the golden needle,” and her work is permanently displayed on people like Kate Moss, Sam Taylor-Wood and Jude Law. Having lived in London all her life and graduated from Camberwell, she’s been tattooing for just over 10 years. Her technique is unique […]
Swedish Euphoria
Loreen is navigating through rush hour traffic in Stockholm. The phone picks up the noise of honking horns, squealing breaks and revving engines. Every so often, she leans out the window and delivers a few choice words to a passing driver in rapid Swedish. Then she laughs, “Doing an interview while driving is maybe not […]
Anaïs Mitchell
Folk songstress Anaïs Mitchell weaves emotional stories throughout her albums, tales that convey the singer’s dark romanticism, despite the breathless innocence of her voice. The disparity between her vocals and her lyrics endows Mitchell’s compositions with a profound resonance. Mitchell’s latest album, her fifth to date, focuses on the complexities confronting America, and those at […]
