It pains me to say that I like fancy cupcakes and artisan bakeries. Actually, after thinking about it for a few minutes, I realize that the bakeries and their products don’t arouse my anger. It’s the lines of self-satisfied people patting themselves on the back for being so enlightened about their pastries, even though I’m […]
A Man Who Made Time Come to Life Before the Clock Stopped It’s a cliché, but Nicolas Hayek was truly a genius. Looking at Swatch, his brand of flashy, affordable statement watches, the extent to which the man was ahead of his time is mind-boggling. Everyone, from the powerhouses of mainstream fashion to the most […]
“What is an object without the intricate narrative that the human mind develops around it?” This is the question that creative problem solver and furniture designer Guido Garotti keeps in mind when approaching design. Believing in the fact that design is about making humans feel “at home on Earth,” he focuses on the issues surrounding […]
Designer Rick Lee discusses his recent collection and the future of manufacturing in China From bottom left: Wen Chaise Lounge, Storm Trash Bin, Mojave Chair Chinese manufacturers have long been held in contempt by the international design community for producing second-rate knock-offs of existing designs and selling them at a much lower cost. This perception […]
Korea seems to be a goldmine of fashion talents these days. While last month menswear brand A.Hallucination caught our eyes for their revolutionary take on the sartorial classics (see SOMA Vol. 24.5), this time we fell in love with yet another Korean designer, whose work features a similar mix of extraordinary craftsmanship and innovative cuts. […]
Prints, ruffles and dresses: when a designer manages to surprise us while sticking to these three staples, we know we have a future star in womenswear.Erdem Moralioglu created a look that is romantic without being too saccharine; strong, with bright colors and minimal silhouettes. His label, established in London in 2005, fuses the craftsmanship of […]
Among the big, famous cities of the Old World, Berlin is one of the few where the gritty meets the grand. Whether we look at the stores or the galleries, this dichotomy creates a wonderful space in which differing styles can be best explored, elaborated and combined. We asked these questions to a few of […]
Fur wrap Tokio 7 Fur wrap Underwear Agent Provocateur Socks American Apparel Fur jacket ASOS Underwear Agent Provocateur Shoes Nine West Fur wrap XXI Bra and underwear La Senza Fur wrap Tokio 7 Snakeskin leggings H&M Bra Victoria’s Secret Dress Tambukiki Fur wrap Tokio 7 Photography Justin Brimacombe Styling Alisa Gafur Makeup Tamar Ouziel Hair […]
3D Trousers Aqua Black Accessories Topshop Black Silk Swimsuit Hermès Top Yohji Yamamoto Metallic Cuff Stylex London Bodysuit Hannah Marshall Photography Sohrab Vahdat Styling Alki Venetopoulou Hair Amber-Rose Peake Makeup Rebecca Rojas Model Daniela at Union Models
top: “Chester” by Orgreen middle:”Low Rider” by Orgreen bottom: “FRANZ 24k” by MYKITA & Bernhard Willhelm If, like me, your eyes are sensitive enough that walking around midsummer without sunglasses is tantamount to headache and disorientation, then you probably know a thing or two about frames. As all we visually impaired people know, frames are […]
Thumbing through the pages of this issue, it’s clear that we’ve inadvertently chosen London as our current favorite design center. The sprawling metropolis is constantly thrumming with new artists and designers hoping to make a splash. SOMA had the chance to photograph a few of our favorite artists, putting the spotlight on them and leaving […]
Photography Krzysztof Wyzynski Clothes and Styling Konrad Parol Makeup Jakub Bogusz Model Filip J at AMQ
The green movement has picked up steam in recent years, buoyed by the tragedy of natural catastrophes like hurricanes and earthquakes—as if to say, see? our industrialized human actions are truly upsetting the balance of planet earth. Ironically, it is industry itself—in the form of consumer culture—that has helped anchor the green movement into our […]
One very rewarding aspect of being a designer is connecting with other designers and being a part of a creative community. I love starting dialogues with the peers I admire most and learning about their inspirations, processes, projects and experiences. Nolen Niu, Patrick Norguet and Marc Thorpe are three unique and talented designers who I recently had […]
In the canon of bad first dates, everyone has a few enduring classics—stories that just never get old. One of mine concerns a guy who showed up in jeans (fine), topsiders (sort-of-fine), and a t-shirt that stated, “One Tequila, Two Tequila, Three Tequila…Floor!” The shirt also pictured a woozy, passed-out cartoon parrot. Or perhaps it […]
An anonymous author once observed that “the world is divided into two kinds of people: those who have tattoos, and those who are afraid of people with tattoos.” It truly is sad when such a shallow remark manifests generations of misconstrued concepts to come, concerning a truly reputable art form, is it not? The truth […]
United Nude began with a broken heart; Rem D. Koolhaas scaled back his architectural products to create the Möbius shoe in an attempt to win back his Cinderella. Though he didn’t get the girl, he won the hearts of women around the world with his modern futuristic collection that fuses design, technology and fashion. Whether […]
Jeff Walls hints at nostalgia when he speaks of his wayward musical beginnings: driving around the woods in western Michigan high, listening to The Gories and The Olivia Tremor Control. He has spent years accruing a collection of obscure tape recorders and cheap microphones, culled from thrift stores and garage sales, yet bought his first […]
In every genre of art, the difference between the good and the great is the level of balance one can achieve. The crazy with the restrained, the industrial with the organic, the esoteric with the mainstream: true artistry comes with knowing how to walk that fine line. In his new solo album, Go, Jónsi Birgisson […]
To the Dutch, high fashion design isn’t about garments and accessories emblazoned with logos; their collections are much more intellectual and conceptual, to the point where they have almost sacrificed commercialism in their lofty pursuits. However, there have been some designers, such as Viktor & Rolf, who have been able to achieve commercial success and […]