THE SPRING ISSUE
Street Pulse: London
London is widely regarded as one of the world’s style capitals. Just a fortnight before another London Fashion Week begins, SOMA took to the streets of East London to find out where the style starters source their inspiration. SOMA asked 1. Where do you get your sense of style? 2. Who is your favorite designer? 3. […]
Captured In Time
Behind the scenes at YSL’s first show It’s Paris 1962, Yves Saint Laurent has just started his own business, only five years after taking the reins from Christian Dior at age 21. It’s easy to identify this as the last great period of haute couture, spurring the subsequent rise of prêt-a-porte. It’s a time idolized […]
Petra Storrs
Culptural Structures, Shapes and the Future of Fashion London-based artist and polymath Petra Storrs defies all artistic genres by assimilating set and prop design, stage costume design, illustration and myriad quirky works of the imagination. Her singular vision led to the unforgettable spectacle of singer Paloma Faith at a London show, whose umbrella-shaped mirror […]
Antonio Azzuolo
A.A. Collection finds Beauty in The Basics Antonio Azzuolo’s a.a. collection achieves something in menswear much loftier than a trend. With trousers and blazers marked with scrutiny and care over every inch, a.a. achieves an understated essence, yet retains an uncompromised maximum of potential. From his tiny, but incredibly well-organized home studio in downtown Manhattan, […]
Suited For Battle
When a man goes into battle, he dons his battle dress. Well, not exactly a dress—a suit. Such was the case when, poised to begin a book tour, I found that my collection of suits was pretty tired and not what was needed to adequately represent a book about the evolution of men’s retail. In […]
Sneaker Couture
Long before the proliferation of the Internet, limited edition sneaker collaborations were only available to the inner circles of “flight clubs”—a sort of underground secret street society. For days, these die-hard fans would line up and sleep outside of streetwear stores like Supreme in Manhattan to get their hands on these highly-coveted kicks only to […]
Alva Noto: Surgeon of Sound
Text by Alexander Provan Photography by Kenichi Hagihara Carsten Nicolai’s performance of Xerrox in the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall in May was as much surgery as music. An array of computers and mixers replaced the patient on the operating table, and rather than display the surgeon’s forays into the body, a vast screen behind Nicolai […]
Arts Corporation
Text by Hannah Eaves You know the story. If you haven’t actually lived it, you’ve seen it in the movies a million times. Two co-workers have to share desk space. First a stapler drifts over, then papers and a notepad. The familiar slow invasion of personal space. Now, imagine if you could just stick out […]
Indian Summer
Bolero with tassels by Jaeger London, Suede trousers by Preen, Heels with ankle-ties by Pringle of Scotland Dress by Peter Pilotto Felt hat by Emma Fielden, Necklace from Erickson Beamon, Pendant with beads by Delphine-Charlotte Parmentier, Jeans by James Jean Cream crinkle dress by Prada Floral chiffon and net dress by Kenzo Dress by Pringle of […]
Alexander McQueen
Avant-garde innovator and fashion icon, Alexander McQueen, continues to redefine elegance with his refined ready-to-wear Fall ’09 line. There is a grace in his designs that is simply… pitch-perfect High waisted wide leg wool trousers Alexander McQueen, Large silver tusk single earring by Shaun Leane Black high waisted wide leg wool trousers Alexander McQueen, Band top […]
Public and Private
J. Mayer H. Discusses The Relics And References That Inspire His Built Environments In its 13 years, J. Mayer H. Architects can already count among their creations a scallop-edged science museum, office buildings with arthropod windows, a house that seems bent on melting into its surroundings, heat-sensitive sheets and furniture, and even a tattoo. Jürgen Mayer […]
Sarah Morris
Structures of Control: Chasing cultural Connections with Sarah Morris minimum number (in lbs) of paper clips us manufacturers developed last year: 20 million, number of sheets of paper used while researching, editing, writing, and producing this feature: 53, number of paper clips needed to hold said pages together: 1. “I cannot live in this world without […]
Jacob Kirkegaard
Most people wouldn’t consider the “inner” sound of an iron fence musical or think to use low-amplitude frequencies to “play” the elements of a building. Nor would most people find it necessary to record the silence of an empty room, play the recording back into the room whilst recording it again, then repeat the process […]
Zaire ’74
Jeffrey Levy-Hinte’s Soul Power releases Zaire ’74 from the vault In its day, Zaire ’74 was in the same league as concerts like Woodstock, Monterrey Pop, and Altamont. Planned by renowned South African musician Hugh Masekela and producer Stewart Levine to accompany the legendary Ali-Foreman boxing match, “Rumble in the Jungle,” was a three-day concert that aimed […]
Eric Copeland
For years, Brooklyn’s Black Dice has made all kinds of racket: minimalist, beat-centric cerebral dance constructs that have led them ahead of the avant-electro rock pack, if there is such a thing. Original Dice roller Eric Copeland has been busy over the last two years, constructing, poaching and recording his seventh studio album. The latest […]
