THE SPRING ISSUE
Features
Mr. Magazine™
Her name is Magazine and she is irresistible. Her smell is like black, murky ink and her touch is as soft as gloss. Her eyes are taglines of mesmerizing prose that one man can’t deny. Her minions live in the palms of her enticing hands, where they are pulled close and nurtured at the bountiful […]
MUJI The Future is Bright
MUJI’s New York store is located in the New York Times building, which was designed by Prizker Prize-winning Italian architect Renzo Piano. The grand, modern, and open structure perfectly suits MUJI’s aesthetic and is where the company’s North America president, Hiroyoshi Azami, has agreed to meet to tell SOMA more about MUJI. Defining MUJI however, […]
Living Art
Living Art for SOMA Magazine photographed by William Lords with styling by Bryan Marryshow.
Purple Vision
Purple Vision for SOMA Magazine photographed by Mike Kobal with styling by Andrew Mukamal.
Bally’s Michael Herz & Graeme Fidler
As co-creative directors for Bally, Michael Herz and Graeme Fidler oversee the Swiss brand’s overall aesthetic. Renowned for impeccable shoes and leather goods since 1851, the company turned to Herz and Fidler to revitalize ready-to-wear and the brand’s broader lifestyle appeal. While clothing had been part of Bally’s offerings since 1976, shoes, boots and bags […]
I-Pose: Tokyo
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 feature young creative minds from Tokyo and ask them to explain the reasoning behind their choices. Text by […]
Fashion for a Cause
A new collection by Bally Switzerland is always special. The company has been crafting luxury leather goods for more than 160 years and is known the world over for its beautiful designs, distinctive style and exquisite quality. The new Lips for Life capsule collection, however, is extra special. Bally has joined forces with DKMS […]
World of Style
In the search for the freshest in ready-to-wear, fashion has gone global. New designers are sprouting up, and the style-obsessed are taking notice, looking beyond their nearest fashion capital to curate truly international wardrobes. In the full promotion of fashion without borders, SOMA presents three of the most promising international designers. Sofie D’Hoore From […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Trippple Nippples
Trippple Nippples have been rocking clubs and astonishing audiences in Tokyo with their chaotic-come-beautiful live shows since 2005 and have recently begun to turn heads overseas. Led by three female Japanese vocalists/dancers and backed by an American and two Australians on instruments, the band plays each and every gig differently. Costumes, props and routines—theirs really […]
KEATON HENSON
The evasive and enigmatic artist provides sounds and answers that force you to feel as he feels: lonely Text by Katia Ganfield Photography by Olivia Beasley Music is something to be loved, an ethereal substance of infinitesimal vibrations that evokes the pain and glory of its human producers. This is where Keaton Henson’s gentle folk […]
KOTO BOLOFO: Dream Weaver
Avoiding the label of designer, this photographer transforms photographic qualities into dimensional garments that capture more than just attention Text by Michael Cohen Photography by Koto Bolofo Photographer Koto Bolofo is prized for his ability to present honest beauty. His signature is to forsake gimmickry, respecting subjects and composition. He works in film rather than […]
POWER & ROMANCE
Disregarding the conventional elements of fashion photography, architect-turned-photographer But-Sou Lai has perfected the art of the imperfect Text by Lynn Wang Photography by But-Sou Lai Fashion photography today is obsessed with artificial perfection. Mise-en-scène and composition have become just as important as models and the clothes they wear. The majority of fashion editorials today involve a large […]
MARIOS SCHWAB
London’s adopted son reveals the depth beneath his delicate layers Text by Katia Ganfield Portraits by Henrik Knudsen & Photography by Olivia Beasley Greco-Austrian designer, Marios Schwab, is a designer of such caliber there is little need for introductions. Winning Best New Designer in 2006 and the Swiss Textile Award in 2007, he has been […]
TAKING CARE OF ACNE
SOMA talks to the Persson behind Acne Paper When he was a small boy growing up in Oslo, Norway, Thomas Persson was always drawing, constantly making things, forever creating. His love of clothing comes from his grandmother who was delighted by her grandson’s interest in fashion. “She is French and, like most French women, it […]
UNIQLO HITS NYC
Fifth Avenue is getting a fast fashion facelift. But among the throngs of retailers investing in flagship stores deep in Tiffany territory, one is standing out. Meet UNIQLO, the Japanese retail giant whose latest U.S. store resides at 53rd Street & Fifth Avenue. The three-story glass cube invites us into another world—an enormous 89,000-square-foot flagship […]
FACEBOOK’S BIG SISTER
SOMA sat down with best-selling author and CEO of Hearsay Social, Clara Shih “Every decade or decade and a half, you get these narrow windows of opportunity and there is such a disruption in the market that you actually can change the world with an idea,” says Clara Shih from the offices of Hearsay Social, just […]
MUJI: SWEEPING NYC
Meaning “no brand,” MUJI comes from the Japanese word mujirushi and their simple aesthetic mirrors their moniker. With humble beginnings, MUJI started as a small storefront in 1980 in the hip Aoyama area of Tokyo, offering only 40 products. Since the concept emerged in the Japanese metropolis 30 years ago, the company has skyrocketed into […]
WHEN YOU GOTTA GO…
Remember when people used to visit a bar or restaurant for the drinks and food? Now a whole crop of venues features design-forward lavatories that have patrons lining up for the loos Sketch London When Sketch opened in London in 2002 in an 18th-century townhouse in Mayfair, its formula of delicious food by master chef […]
FROM ART TO ANTHRO
Clothing and home retailer Anthropologie scouts artistic talent to design not only its products but also each of its surreal, dream-like locations in an effort to revamp a traditional strategy Most retailers operate with specific methods, chasing profit via products with the widest appeal. It’s a formula that ensures fun colors and funky styles are […]
