THE SPRING ISSUE
Posts Tagged ‘Dec 2009 – Jan 2010’
Erin Fetherston
It’s no secret that San Francisco has been a hotbed for today’s rising young design stars. For those still in the dark, its recent “graduates” have been Alexander Wang, Derek Lam and Peter Som. For Bay Area native Erin Fetherston, dreams of becoming a fashion designer were always in her cards.
Charlotte Gainsbourg
A Portrait of an Ethereal Icon Dress, Rodarte. Charlotte Gainsbourg answers her phone with a breathy and distant hello, as if she were in the middle of packing for a flight or stepping out of the shower. The actress and musician has been running a very brief public relations circuit from Los Angeles to New […]
The Green Sensibility of Ross Mirkarimi
American politics with artistic merit What kind of person fights to get plastic bags banned from grocery stores? Having visited the Fresh Kills landfill in New York a few years ago, I was struck by the image of plastic bags swirling everywhere—like a million scenes of American Beauty projected onto a mass of human waste […]
An Equal Opportunity Provocateur
Playwright and director Young Jean Lee Perhaps one measure of art lies in its ability to speak truth to the human condition. For the 35-year-old New York-based playwright, Young Jean Lee is not necessarily holding a mirror up to our darker nature as she’s shattering it over our heads. Lee has been a fixture of […]
A Twin Thing
Mim and Liv Nervo, The new face of POP Music Behind every great song is a great writer. Behind every great girlie pop hit of the last 12 months there are two: Miriam (Mim) and Olivia (Liv) Nervo. Born and raised in the leafy suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, the 27-year-old twins left home at just […]
Finding Fantasy
In the Loop With Owen Pallett I’m crowded with half a dozen people in the control room of Different Fur Studios in San Francisco’s Mission District. We’re looking through two panes of glass at Toronto-based musician and composer Owen Pallett, better known as Final Fantasy. It’s like looking through the glass of an oven door. […]
London: Dec/Jan 2010
The word “holiday” might take on a new meaning when one crosses 5500 miles over the Atlantic, but that didn’t stop SOMA from chatting with some impossibly charming personalities on the streets of London. Cheers and Happy 2010! 1. Who do you want under the mistletoe this year? 2. What is the coolest present you […]
Paranoid Android
Sweater, Limi Feu. Bra, Fredrick’s of Hollywood. Skirt (worn as head piece), Alexander Wang. Gloves, Y-3 Yohji Yamamoto. Leather pants, Preen. Boot’s vintage combat. Blazer, Kris Van Assche. Leggings, Jillian Lewis. Boots vintage combat. Dress, Alexander Wang. Long sleeve top, Zara. Gloves, Tsumori Chisato. Boots vintage combat. Cape, Ralph Lauren. Bottoms, Omo Norma Kamali. Blazer, […]
Jean-Marc Houmard
In the cutthroat urban jungle where hotspots have a 16 percent chance of survival after a year, Indochine achieved the impossible and just celebrated their 25th anniversary with a lavish ’20s Shanghai themed bash in the sultry space. Joining the ranks of other New York City legends such as Studio 54, Indochine remains a downtown […]
Jackie Patterson
Heaven’s Dog, San Francisco Born in Bethesda Naval Hospital and raised in Hawaii, Jackie Patterson’s journey to San Francisco has been an unconventional one to say the least. Ditto her journey to becoming a bartender, a job which Patterson has only been in since early 2008. But what a mark she’s made on the San […]
Café Gitane
Nestled in the last, unobstructed corner of Manhattan’s West Village, the new Café Gitane at the Jane Hotel offers rare sanctuary and new-fashioned hospitality. The design and atmosphere are an elegant study of a minimalist decadence—gold flecks edge the couches and washed wood paneling surrounds a tiny service kitchen window at the end of a […]
Distillers Teach Old Vodka New Tricks
Polar Bear Cosmo 2 oz. Absolut Apeach Vodka 0.5 oz. Soho Lychee Liqueur 1 oz. cranberry juice 0.5 oz. simple syrup fresh lemon squeeze Garnish: edible flower Combine all ingredients in a shaker and shake over ice. Serve in a cocktail glass and garnish with edible flower. For years, vodka has been demonized for its […]
Swedish Spirits
The Impressive Rise of Swedish Vodka brands in a cluttered market Vodka: The massively popular spirit was born in the Russian hinterlands, consumed by natives for centuries and almost never exported; a stiff concoction meant to harden the soul and warm the extremities in lands not known for copious leisure activity options. How is it […]
Group Bombino
The Poetics of the Sahara There is a war going on in the desert and the primary weapon in the conflict is music. It is a war of land mines, night skies and the Rolling Stones. On the front lines there are many voices, though none so riveting as Omar “Bombino” Mochtar, and his band […]
Breaking Out is Hard to Do
San Francisco’s next wave of music There is a riot happening in San Francisco. Arms flail, bodies thrash about, and feet are airborne. You can’t tell if one emotion has taken them over or if a collection of feelings washed over the mob like waves swelling up and crashing atop a spring break party boat. […]
Githead
A 30 year collision of sound Colin Newman’s been in the music business a long time, so I was relieved that he’s a pleasant guy with a lot to say and zero to prove. “I’ve been doing interviews for 30 years, so I just talk. Stop me if you have any questions.” He’s best known […]
The Its Class of 2010
Trieste is a small town nested on an eponymous gulf in northeastern Italy. Of Austro-Hungarian splendor, it is today a quiet, cultural pole of students and senior citizens. But once a year, the fashion pack descends on the quiet town in search of new talent. They are here for ITS, a competition that has single-handedly […]
Erro: Downtown Inspiration
The world has always looked to downtown New York for a sense of street style. The problem is, downtown chic has mostly relocated away from Manhattan, making “downtown” more of a vibe than a geography. That hasn’t stopped an occasional rocker infused collection from slipping through the prevailing, commercial filters. In the best sense of […]
Christian McKay
An unapologetic performance from an Inspired Newcomer Christian McKay is a natural born storyteller. The little-known English actor has had his fair share of intriguing anecdotes off stage, including walking door to door to posh London hotels as a classically trained pianist, selling office furniture to corporations, and working as a golf tourism marketing salesman. […]
Childhood Memories À Porter
Butterflies on flimsy dresses, natural objects turned into geometric patterns, a fantasy world on a shirt: this feast for the eyes is Leitmotiv, a small Italian brand which is quickly turning heads with its colorful, exquisitely tailored apparel. The two-year-old label was created by Juan Caro, a Colombian-born visual artist, and Fabio Sasso, an Italian […]
Triptych
Left: Body, Acne. Bolero, Lars Wallin. Ring, Vintage. Right: Feather headpiece, Lars Wallin. Bra, Rita Saardi. Left: Fur jacket, Armani. Earring, Uno de 50. Knickers, Wolford. Right: Fur coat, Hugo Boss. Left: Dress, Black Noir. Jewelry, Cornelia. Right: Dress, Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair. Earring, Viveka Bergström. Left: Gloves, Imoni. Jewelry, Cornelia and Werkstat-Muenchen. Suit, Sonia Rykiel. Belt, Acne. Hat, […]
