Jack White's resemblance to Edward Scissorhands is quite cutting.

Jack White, literally stands in the shadows, channeling Barnabas Collins in Dark Shadows.

White's got crazy eyes like Ed Wood.

Don't trust a man in a Marc Jacobs Fall 2012 hat to cut your hair. He's a total Sweeny Todd.

Through the looking glass, everything appears backwards. White becomes the Mad Hatter.

All Johnny Depp uncanniness aside, the conversation between Jack White, legendary astronaut Buzz Aldrin, and Interview contributing music editor Dimitri Ehrlich shows that White is still soaring in the realm of music, not acting. He talks about songwriting, love, growing up in Detroit and walking on the moon. See more (Depp-like) photos, a short film, and read the

Which samples have you been sampling perhaps a bit too much before the show?

Darlene: I love the short mini skirt, and the turtleneck sweatshirt. I love the knitted sweatshirt with the two-toned pants and the varsity jacket.

Lizzy: She’s taking all my looks right now.

D: And I know a lot of people were kind of quirky about it, but the moto jacket.

L: In plastic!

D: You can be stylish in the rain.

Which look changed the most since the initial sketch.

D: This time we kind of knew what we wanted. It was more of getting that statement piece and saying I’m going left while you’re going right. It was all about vibrant colors. It’s wintertime, it’s dark. I wanted to bring confidence to me.

What was the difference between designing for yourself versus your target market?

L: I wouldn’t say it was easy because Darlene and I have different styles, but it was more fun. We looked at everything like, I want that, and that, and that.

D: Actually I’m buying [the floor length varsity jacket]. That’s my number one must have.

L: Stealing it, more likely.

What was that feeling like when you first had the thought, “I’m not going to be afraid of color this fall,” as you said in the pre-show video. 

L: We’ve been saying that for seasons! From the beginning we’ve wanted to just go out with color, but we were like, ohh would people like that? But this season it was, why wouldn’t people like that? If people like what you do and enjoy your work season by season, they’re going to learn to just to ride with this new season.

It was a bold move. Those green and yellow wools, ooh! They’re so rich! 

D: That was the wacky tacky outfit!

You’re sisters, so I’m sure you have a lifetime of practice, but how do you compromise design decisions?

L: It’s a natural thing. We shared a room forever! When you’ve been able to live with someone for so long, and be forced to go everywhere with them and hang out with them, that relationship is inevitable.

D: We’re business partners. And if we ever decided we want to go our separate ways, our Dad would look at us like we were crazy. I would get the phone call first because I’m the oldest.

L: We still get yelled at by our parents.

When did you get to sleep last night?

L: We didn’t!

D: I did, I went to sleep at like 10 o’clock.

L: You can’t when you’re wiggling around thinking, OHH this has to be sewn by the morning. 

D: What’s frustrating is when you’re trying to sleep and you’re dreaming about the clothes.

L: I had a piece of fabric thrown at me in my sleep! Just flying off the shelves, hitting me. That’s called anxiety.

D: Fashion nightmare.

Enjoy the technicolor fashion dream of William Okpo:

3 things that describe your style: 

Michael Jackson, Paris Circa 1986, Ralph Lifshitz (Ralph Lauren)

What is Bow Ties & Good Times all about?: 

It’s basically a journal of things that my friends and I love.  I don’t like to use the term “blog”; it’s less about reading and more about sharing important information in a short period of time. It’s to the point, interesting. My goal is for people to get something out of it. Not trying to be pretentious, it’s a journal of things that my friends and I want to share with the world, but we don’t want the readers to change who they are. We just want to share information quickly, so that’s why I chose Tumblr.

 Playlist of 5 fave songs this week and why you picked them: 

1. Slight Work - By Wale and Big Sean because it’s a great production by Diplo.

2. You’re in my System by The System because it’s an 80′s record and the cords are amazing.

3. I’m in Love by Evelyn “Champagne” King because she was born in the Bronx and it was produced by Kashif

4.  Moves like Jagger by Maroon 5 because I saw the video and he’s really dancing like Jagger, plus the melody is really great.

5. 2 Guys in Venice - Cookies because it samples I Found Loving by the Fatback Band.

 What’s your most treasured fashion item?: 

Right now it’s my Phillip Lim motorcycle leather jacket.

 Who are your style idols?:

Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Taz Arnold, Steve McQueen and Rick James.

 

I got the Versace for H&M leather jacket.

Last actual fashion last item you bought?: 

Surface To Air fedora

How did you and the POUND team get into accessories?

There are four of us who make up the POUND team: my mom (Linda), my sister (Mia), our closest friend (Amber) and myself. We all have a love for fashion, accessories and anything that speaks to our personal sense of style we can turn into a statement. My mom has collected beads, gems, stones and basically anything that sparkles for more than thirty years, compiling a huge array of amazing objects with which we work. She has also been making jewelry since the rest of the POUND team was very young. We finally decided to interweave our talents and aesthetics into a unified theme to present to the world, and out popped POUND.

Have you always wanted to create jewelry?

Mia, Amber and I have not always wanted to create jewelry, but my mom always has. The rest of us have been creative in various ways, and one day we were all literally like “hey, let’s start a jewelry business.” And we did. We have never been happier.

What is it like working with your family?

Working with family has its moments for sure, however, most of those moments are good ones!  All of us recognize who has the strength in each arena, and none of this would be possible without the other three members. And in general, there are a ton of laughs and an overall really, really good time.

What was your journey on Project Accessory like? How did it feel to make it all the way to the end?

Like everyone from the show has said, it was a total roller coaster. One second I was super happy with my design, then I would look around the room and feel intimidated and second guess myself. As far as highs and lows of the coaster ride, the first day I swore I was going home, so you can imagine how great making it to the final two felt!

Have you always wanted to create jewelry?

I was always a creative person, always inventing something to make. I played around with some jewelry, which when I see it now I can’t help but laugh, but hey, you have to start somewhere. But it wasn’t until I took a metal-smithing class in college I decided this was what I wanted to do.

What are your inspirations for your upcoming collection?

I’m really bringing it home this year. I’m always looking out to find inspiration, but my Miami girl roots are really coming through for this next line. I’m really feeling the beach but the earthy side of it. Industrial diamonds pulling the color from our sands, Apatite for our unmistakable ocean – I love it. I’m really excited for this line. It’s my favorite to date!

Like this shot from the September Interview styled by Karl Templar, Heather Huey hats get selected on a constant by top stylists for all the best mags. Her ever reinvention of the body's silhouette leads each hat to hold the head differently. She does radical cage crinoline as well.

Philomena Kwok, the millinery wonder from Syndey, is famous for manipulations of woven silk and straw. At once certain pieces set the wearer in ancient Roman helmetry and far future foreign lands. Her bow fascinators stay on with elastic that disappears into the hair, or as I like to call it, magic.

Right now, we can't talk about fascinators without mentioning Philip Treacy. As McQueen's go-to milliner, he brought about the fascinating trend that has been especially captivating since the Royal wedding.

Netted wild on a beaded pillbox, this had speaks to the whimsical nature of Arturo Rios. He trained with Italian milliner Karen Indreland, and his technique is par excellence.

Oh, the looks you will receive with an upside down hat on your head. Stephen Jones's cheeky play on the norm has an air of Margiela, and a flair for the fabulously funny.

Shilpa Chavan is kicking up the millinery chops of her hometown of Mumbai. Having shown in London Fashion Week, and in this pictured showcase curated by Stephen Jones, she is taking her mystical shapes off the ground. Her brand and nickname littleshilpa is the vehicle for rich thematic collections based in military and cultural vibrancy. She also does not discriminate between men and women wearing her elaborate headpieces.

Moises is particularly enthusiastic about the environmental aspect of Moises Oscar. “My site will shed light on NPOs, nature and conservation, and eco-fashion,” he told Interview.

Now, it is as yet undetermined whether Oscar de la Renta will find a space for his own wares on moisesoscar.com, but seeing as he’s in the name, it somehow seems unavoidable. And we wouldn’t be sad – the father-son thing is kind of adorable.

Check out the glamorous final product of her editorial shoot below:

“The bombshell mantra is about feeling confident and boosting your self esteem.  This year, Victoria’s Secret made a suit that adds two cup sizes, giving you instant sexiness. The suit makes you look gorgeous and feel sexy on the beach– its is instant confidence!  Being a bombshell is about being yourself and embracing your looks and what makes you feel sexy.  When you are yourself, you are a total bombshell.”

Adriana Lima’s Bombshell Favorites…

Bronzer: VS Beach Sexy Sun Dust Bronze Shimmer Brush

Beverage: coffee!  With milk and 2 Splendas

Dessert:  Difficult questions, I love all desserts!

Nail color: midnight black

Makeup: smoky eye or red lip

Music: anything Brazilian

Designer: Dolce and Gabbana

NYC Eatery: Betrossian (?) Cafe

Complexion: drink lots of coconut water

Bombshell look: Embrace yourself, love who you are

Winter to Summer: I work out outside and sweat more in summer, it helps detoxify and clear skin

Favorite Workout routine: jump rope

Around NYC workout: Aerospace is the place!

Favorite products for staying young: smile!

attends Victoria's Secret Supermodels Bombshell Summer Tour on May 19, 2011 in New York City.

attends Victoria's Secret Supermodels Bombshell Summer Tour on May 19, 2011 in New York City.

attends Victoria's Secret Supermodels Bombshell Summer Tour on May 19, 2011 in New York City.

Here are some tip directly from the Gossip Girl herself:

Match vintage pieces with designer items. Flea markets in the summer are the best for finding bargain vintage items.  Try pairing a vintage belt with a designer handbag.

Go sleeveless with confidence with Dove go sleeveless Deodorant. Whether it is a halter, tank or strapless top or dress, Dove go sleeveless Deodorant gives me the confidence to wear what I want.

Spice up a pair of harem pants with heels. I love styles that are both comfortable and fashionable and harem pants are just that.  They are also versatile—throw on a pair of heels to dress it up the comfy pants for an evening out.

Take a maxi to the max! Longer hemlines are in this season and investing in a maxi skirt is well worth it—you can wear it during the day with a tank top or at night with a sheer, flowy blouse.

Don’t be afraid to mix patterns or colors. If you’re anything like me, you own a few striped shirts.  This spring is about color so spice up the classic top with bright-colored pumps or a floral skirt.  Check out the striped shirt I designed myself at dovegosleveless.com and create your own for a chance to win a shopping spree with me in NYC!

In case you didn’t know Jessica has recently  partnered with Dove go sleeveless Deodorant to launch an online Fashion Challenge (dovegosleeveless.com) where women can create custom sleeveless tops for a chance to win a $5,000 shopping spree with her in NYC.

by: Kirsten Lea at Benjamin Kanarek Blog

Steve & Alex Olson © D.R.

Whenever I take up a new sport or activity, I like to immerse myself in the culture of the people and their lifestyle. Skateboarding has an incredibly different sub-culture to anything I have encountered before, in fact it seemed as though my life was turned upside when I began meeting and interacting with other skaters. I went from deciding what I would order from the Donna Karen AW Collection to deciding which Roxy tees would be most maneuverable in. One aspect of the culture that I could relate to was the strong connection that many skaters have with graphics, art and photography. My teacher, Steve Olson has produced several art exhibitions, with many more in the pipeline, and it is clear that Olson is happiest when he can collaborate with his son.

Alex Olson, who is currently one of the leading professional skateboarders, also has a talent for art and photography. I was led to his website www.olsonstuff.com and was impressed by his work. He posts daily on www.olsonstuff.tumblr.com which has garnered quite the devoted following. After spending a week or two looking through the photographs he chooses, as well as the questions he is asked and the answers he offers, I was intrigued to find out what motivated and inspired this young man, who, from an outside perspective at least, appears to have the world at his feet. Alex kindly agreed to be interviewed.

Kirsten Lea: Why did you start a tumblr page?

Alex Olson: I just liked it and wanted to do it.

K: Would you like it to lead to anything?

A: I mean if it got me somewhere that would be amazing and it would be hours well spent looking for images while I’m bored. I was never trying to shoot for something bigger I just like doing it and seeing other people’s stuff.

K: I notice a lot of skateboarders get involved in the art world. Why do you think that is?

A: It’s another job, like skating, where you’re your own boss.

K: Do you think it’s because pro skate boarders design their own boards and get used to drawing graphics?

A: I would never tell anybody that “I’m an artist” because it’s such an easy thing to say nowadays.

Alex designed the board, pictured here, to look like the YSL logo but incorporated his own initials.

K: Why did you choose YSL?

A: I always liked that logo and thought it looked good and so I wanted to make it with my name.

Steve Olson: Do you think we could get a cease and desist for that? Whatever. It’s cool.

K: Alex, I’d like to give you a gift. What would rock your world?

A: I’m lost on this one.

Steve Olson: I don’t think he likes the term “rock your world”. Rephrase it.

K: I’d like to buy you a present. Money is no object for me and I love buying people gifts. You may not be materialistic, but what could I buy you that would make you really happy and reflect well upon me?

A: Well, I’d say something that we talked about in the past.  You would have to listen to know what I was into.

K: Okay, I’ll decide at the end of the interview….

K: You have good style in your skateboarding, but understandably, a career in skateboarding doesn’t seem to fulfill you. What are your ambitions?

A: I don’t know. I’d like to make a career out of something else. Not just one thing. I don’t feel safe with only one career option and nothing to fall back on.

K: Steve mentioned that you might be working with photographer Mario Sorrenti. What would you like to achieve from that collaboration?

A: Well you make it sound as if we’re going to be working on some project together. I was just trying to assist him but he was never in town so I never got to.

K: Do you take photographs to please yourself or for other people?

A: I do it for myself, mostly, but if I do it for others, I just want them to laugh. I don’t know. I don’t try to get too deep with the art thing. Those people bug the shit out of me. If you like it you like it, if you don’t you move on to something else.

K: The responses on your blog are very blunt and direct, particularly if you don’t like the question. Have you ever wanted to cultivate an image or on-line persona and if so, is that part of it?

A: No, that’s just me being myself

K: Do you ever consider how you come across?

A: Yes, I’m sure I come off as a dick but I’m just being truthful to what I think the Q & A is.

K: On your tumblr it says, “ask me anything”. So what do you like being asked about most?

A: I don’t ever think about this type of stuff. I don’t know. Sorry.

K: Well, what do you most enjoy thinking about or talking about?

A: Here we go again… I really don’t know. I don’t look for conversations. If they happen and they’re good, it’s amazing but I’m not a big talker.

K: What kind of person would you like to be?

A: A good person.

K: What style of comedy appeals to you most?

A: Dry comedy.

K: Who is your favorite film director?

A: I don’t have any.

K: We’re on a private jet for five hours. What movies do you want to watch?

A: I’m not the biggest movie guy. Something I haven’t seen?

K: Okay, you’re not into movies. Do you like documentaries?

A: Yes.

K: Do you prefer to edit footage yourself or have someone edit for you?

A: Depends on what I’m making.

K: I like your photography. My favorite is doubles! What is your favorite?

A: Lil Monster.

K: What compliments do you receive on a regular basis and which mean the most to you?

A: When someone really likes a skateboard trick I did or when someone likes my photos. Those don’t happen on a regular basis.

K: Are you being sarcastic?

A: No, it doesn’t happen everyday.

K: What creative outlets have you found to be the most expressive and fulfilling for you?

A: Photography and music. But I don’t feel that I’m expressing anything by it.

K: Do you think that you might be autistic?

A: I might be. I don’t know. I don’t think I am but I’m not sure. I could be.

K: Do you find it easy to remember phone numbers?

A: You’re just saying that because of my dad.

K: Yes, you totally called me out on that….

A: …. Not anymore. I used to remember the pattern of phone numbers but not the numbers themselves.

K: Do you find it difficult to care about other people?

A: It depends.

K: What would someone have to do for you to care about his or her wellbeing?

A: I’ve never thought about it. If I like the person a lot then I’d care about them.

K: Have you ever fallen in love to the point where you put their happiness before you own?

A: At one point in my life, maybe. That type of love is when you have kids.

K: What is the best date you’ve ever been on?

A: I hate dates. Maybe I should start to like them…

K: Yes, they can turn into some of the most special moments of your life…

A: … I’m not really a talker and that can be hard for the other person on the date.

K: That’s very thoughtful of you. The best date, for someone who doesn’t like talking, is going to movies, but you don’t like films. How ironic is that?

K: What is the best date you can imagine?

A: One that doesn’t feel like date.

K: Do you like to dance?

A: Yes. Mostly drunk.

K: What do you like to drink?

A: Beer or Vodka.

K: What is the best thing an ex-lover has ever done for you?

A: Cook for me.

K: What did she cook for you?

A: She would cook breakfast. Eggs on toast with tomato.

K: What is the most precious thing you have lost?

A: Friends.

K: What or whom do you value most in your life?

A: Friends, family and food.

K: You have two days alone with your lover. How would you like to spend them and where?

A: I don’t know. Where are we spending this so called “alone time”?

K: You get to choose where to spend the time and how.

A: Well, I’d go to New York because if something happened between us, I wouldn’t be stuck in a place I don’t know.

K: How do you settle differences in your relationships?

A: Talk or write.

K: What is your longest grudge?

A: I’ve never ever though about this.

K: Maybe you don’t have any?

A: I don’t have any.

K: What terms of endearment do you use?

A: I couldn’t tell you.

K: Because you don’t use any or because you don’t know me?

A: How about I just don’t know. I try to be nice.

K: What hurts your feelings?

A: HA! I don’t know. It would just have to happen.

K: In skateboarding you have to get used to getting hurt. Do you find that prepares you for dealing with emotional pain?

A: Yes, that’s how people learn. They try a different way.

K: How much responsibility do you take for your own problems?

A: All.

K: What can you guarantee about yourself?

A: I can guarantee that I’m not going to guarantee.

K: What do you like best about yourself: your talent or appearance?

A: Skip this question

K: I’ll rephrase it. What would you most like to be complimented on: your talent or your appearance?

A: I hate compliments. I don’t take them well and I think that people throw them around too much and don’t really mean them. They’re not meaningful.

K: What qualities have you found in women that you like or respect that you have not found in men?

A: Taking care of people.

K: Do you like girls to take care of you and nurture you or do you prefer to take charge?

A: I like being cared for and I also like it if they can take charge.

K: What makes you feel safe and cared for?

A: Knowing everything is okay, right there and then.

K: Do you find it easy to admit when you’re wrong?

A: Sometimes.

K: What is your favorite vacation resort in the world?

A: New York City.

K: What is your ideal living environment?

A: A city with a beach. I don’t think I’ve ever thought about that in my life.

K: Do you use nature as a source of inspiration?

A: No.

K: Do you enjoy being surrounded by nature?

A: Yes, I really like it. I just don’t do it that much.

K: Do you like a peaceful or hectic life?

A: A mix of both?

K: Do you have any interest in interior design?

A: Yes

K: Describe your decorating style

A: Midcentury

K: What books are you reading at the moment?

A: I’m not reading anything at the moment.

K: Have you read any books that you really like or that have inspired you?

A: No.

K: Do you remember your dreams? Do you have any recurring dreams?

A: Yes, but I don’t remember any recurring dreams.

K: Tell me about a dream you do remember.

A: I don’t remember the last one. But I have been able to control them in the past.

K: Are you someone who, if you put your mind to it, can achieve anything?

A: No. I can get a lot of things started but I can’t finish them. It’s my biggest downfall.

K: Your Grandfather was a fighter pilot. Would you join the air force to fight for your country?

A: Yes. 100%.

K: What are some of the phone calls that have changed your life?

A: Friends passing away.

K: What worries you the most?

A: My family’s health.

K: What have you not had enough of in your life?

A: Structure.

K: What subject matters vex you?

A: That I was un-schooled.

K: Do you enjoy learning new things?

A: Yes, all the time.

K: What is your greatest talent?

A: Well, it would be to skate.

K: Are you jealous of other people’s success.

A: Maybe.

K: What would you like to achieve in the next five years?

A: To get to a place where I can change again in the following five years

K: What legacy would you like to leave?

A: ‘Change’ in some way, shape or form.

K: If you could make a change in the world, however small, what would that be?

A: Make schools better. That’s the one thing we should do if we want to make the World better.

K: Name three things you’re optimistic about?

Alex doesn’t answer

K: Name one thing, then.

A: What I’m doing after skating.

K: Do you feel you have enough control in your life?

A: Yes.

K: In your relationships with men, do you make most of the decisions?

A: Sometimes, not always.

K: Are you good at managing your own finances?

A: I try to be, but it gets crazy at times.

K: Do you know your own net worth or at least how to work it out?

A: I don’t really know. I probably should know.

K: When do you feel impatient?

A: Being put ‘on hold’ on the phone.

K: Are you quick or slow to reply?

A: Depends. Quick for this one.

K: What makes you blush?

A: I couldn’t tell you?

Steve: He’s flirting with you.

K: I don’t think so

Steve: No, he’s flirting with you.

K: Are you flirting with me?

A: What? That wouldn’t work. I don’t know but it’s happened.

K: How do you like to relax?

A: Just by resting.

K: Have you ever tried yoga or meditation?

A: I’ve been going to yoga this month but I need to go more.

K: I love Yoga. Do you go to a class?

A: I go when my friends will go with me.

K: How about a Spa? You’re coming to Europe for a skating tour and I invite you to stay at my spa for the weekend. You can have treatments and we can have supper (the food is amazing). And if you get bored or you don’t like it, I’ll send you home on the jet… Yes or No?

A: Yes

K: Wonderful. Now let’s talk about Fashion. At what age did you start dressing yourself?

A: 13 or 14.

K: Who are your style icons?

A: Paul Newman.

K: Whose wardrobe would you most like to raid?

A: I’ve never thought about it. Prince.

K: Name a female whose fashion sense you appreciate.

A: Chloë Sevigny.

K: Perfect answer. I agree. She is off the charts in terms of style.

K: Do you prefer vintage clothing?

A: Ha! No I don’t really care or shop for vintage clothing.

K: Name your favorite luxury goods brand.

A: BMW.

K: Would you like to design your own fashion line (non skate-related)?

A: Yes, given the chance. Yes.

K: Do you like Victoria Beckham?

A: Yes. Spice Girls.

K: What are your favorite fabrics and textures?

A: Cotton.

K: What clothes turn you on?

A: It doesn’t matter what clothes she’s wearing. If she looks good, then it’s working.

K: Let’s end on a good note.

I decide to leave the present on this occasion. Full of contradictions, I’m unsure what exactly inspires Alexander, or even if he knows. However, he inspired me to create my own tumblr page www.leaprive.tumblr.com.

Post written by Kirsten Lea

What’s your favorite thing to do in your free time?

I love gardening. I have a beautiful backyard in Chelsea which is such a luxury in NYC, and I take full advantage of it planting a great garden every spring. It’s so gratifying to watch the flowers grow, and I really enjoy getting my hands in the dirt. The best perk of having such wonderful outdoor space is getting to entertain often, especially in the summer. It’s a great way to stay connected and treat friends to being outside in nature.

What do you do to find calm during crazy-filled fashion days?

I go to a class called Intensati at Equinox.  It’s super high energy, but I feel great when I leave.  The woman who started the class is Patricia Moreno and she’s a real inspiration.  I also go to the spa.  I love getting a massage and go once a week.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

I love sweets: cupcakes, chocolate and ice cream.  I can never have too much chocolate.

What was your last indulgence?

I just got back from Istanbul and indulged in many of the local delicacies there. I especially loved the Turkish Delight, dried fruits, nuts and kebabs. I ate whatever I felt like eating and experienced amazing local cuisine. The restaurants were fantastic. Two of my favorite discoveries were Simple Restaurant and Al Jamal. At Al Jamal we had a huge traditional feast while watching belly dancers. They even had male belly dancers! Talk about fun!

I also did a ton of shopping. The Grand Bazaar was amazing. I got all sorts of local goodies like leather floor cushions and mosaic lamps. There was a fabulous jewelry store in the Sapphire Mall where I indulged my love of big statement rings.

What are you doing this weekend?

I’ll be spending it at the gym working off all the Turkish Delight!

For more on Mia, check out our team’s full interview with her.

Bernardo Rojo & Me

McArthur Joseph: What is it about water that inspired Joseph Abboud’s Spring collection?

Bernardo Rojo: We wanted the collection and its fabrics to be fresh and fluid, like water. The garment washes, dyes, prints and even colors in the collection were all influenced by this element, which is the earth’s most influential one.

Joseph: In the collection, there are many printed details. Where did the inspiration for that come from?

Rojo: There are certain patterns that have been inherited from Joseph Abboud, namely herringbone and paisley. We selected patterns that Joseph used and then we introduced color. Paisley reminds you of a watermark, further bolstering the theme of water. You will always see this pattern in Joseph Abboud garments.

Joseph: How would you say the Spring collection looks in comparison to past Joseph Abboud collections?

Rojo: The change was in the silhouettes and the fabrics that we used. We tried to alter the tailoring from the way it was perceived in the past. I wanted to keep our current customer base and educate them in where fashion is heading. This spring we did the biggest step yet.

Joseph: Who do you think the Joseph Abboud man is?

Rojo: Every man can wear Joseph Abboud. It’s a man who is sophisticated and wants to be stylish and comfortable. He can be from anywhere, New York, London, Paris, Milan, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, or Los Angeles. I view him as an “international man.” We have older customers in their 60s who want to look current but don’t want to be too daring fashion-wise. We also have young men who are taken by surprise and say “Wow, there are so many changes to Joseph Abboud. This is not what my father would wear.” There are elements that everyone can wear. It is about how they put clothes together, not individual pieces.

Joseph: You are very stylish. Do you think your personal style has influenced the new look of Joseph Abboud?

Rojo: It is inevitable that my style influences the collections, but I try to focus on what the brand is all about. I try to bring the line up-to-date, but I have to keep the client in mind.

Joseph: What trends are you excited to see in menswear this Spring?

Rojo: It’s all about soft tailoring for Spring. Colors are also very important, but we tone them down. Colors last Spring were very bright, but now we’re seeing colors in softer shades for men.

Joseph: What would you say your favorite garments in this collection are?

Rojo: I love the pale lavender suit. We also did a Seattle jacket made from wool-nylon that is of rain-wear quality. You can wear it on those Spring days when there is light rain and not have to wear a rain coat. You can still wear it in the office. There is also the element of knitted jackets. I show them in the lookbook with swimwear. Sometimes when you’re vacationing somewhere warm, it can still get chilly at night; instead of a sweater, you can just throw on these jackets over your shirt to get a casual and fashionable look.

Seattle Jacket

Joseph: How do you see the Joseph Abboud line evolving in the future?

Rojo: Right now, the line is right where we want it to be. Though we are constantly evolving, the look for the international man is pretty much set. We are a contemporary brand that is not about fashion, but about style. The line crosses barriers. It will always be about timeless pieces that you can wear through the seasons.

You can visit Joseph Abboud on their website, Facebook page, & Twitter

Thank you to Bernardo Rojo, Joseph Abboud, & Shadow PR for making this interview possible.

What’s your favorite thing to do in your free time?

The theatre. I would go every day if I could! Sometimes I will see four shows a week if I can fit it in. A great night for me is to meet my nearest and dearest, have a great bottle of wine (or three), a terrific dinner and then hit a show. Afterwards, maybe a piano bar in the Village or a club if it’s a weekend.

But I am one of those artsy people. I love museums, cabaret and fashion. I am a wine enthusiast. I write a lot, and I am one of those people that crazy stuff always seems to be happening to. Things that people would never believe unless they were there to witness it for themselves. I try to keep track of those events. Someday, it’ll make a great book.

What do you do to find calm during crazy-filled fashion days?

I used to smoke. But those days are behind me. Ah, those good old smoke-filled days.  Hm…drink? Can I say that? A nice drink after work takes the edge off.

Actually, I find calm in having a sense of humor about it all. I work with a lot of great, talented and fun people! I rely on them to make me laugh, and I try to be there for them when they need a chuckle. Yes, there is a lot of stress – but staying positive and keeping those around you in a good mood alleviates a lot of unnecessary anxiety.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Reruns of Dawson’s Creek. I’m kidding. Guilty pleasure…one? But there are so many to choose from! Okay, my biggest guilty pleasure is television. I have always loved TV. My mother said when I was a child she had to schedule my feedings around reruns of I Love Lucy because it was the only thing that kept me quiet and calm. And nothing has changed. My guilty pleasure is to plop down on the couch and zone out to my favorite trashy mindless shows.

What was your last indulgence?

That’s a hard one because I kind of indulge myself daily. Whether it’s a great dinner with my friends, the theatre, some great wine or even watching my TV on the big screen – they are all indulgences to me. But, I would have to say my most recent big indulgence was going to Tulum with my closest friends.

We got a hut on the beach, laid out all day and read. Then at night, scrabble oceanside as the sun set. Super relaxing with great people. Tulum is an amazing place to just get away and escape the hustle-bustle. It’s just beach and jungle and very limited electricity.

What are you doing this weekend?

Friday I am having dinner at Kenmare with some terrific people I used to work with at L’Oreal, followed by dancing. Sure to be a night of laughs and strolling down memory lane. Then sadly, I think the rest of the weekend I will be working on castings.

I have a campaign shooting for Redken, and Guido Palau is doing the hair! Like I said, I work with some talented people. Anyway, I still have many models to find. I honestly wish I could tell you that I will be laying poolside at The Delano or The Raleigh in Miami, drinking margaritas and reading my Kindle (like I have been known to do). But alas, looks like work. (Cue the violins, tear falls.)

For more on Jym, check out our my interview with him.

What’s your favorite thing to do in your free time?

When I had free time, I enjoyed going to the beach, the movies, traveling and working out. I have an extremely spontaneous personality, and I like to go with the flow.

What do you do to find calm during the crazy-filled fashion days?

If I have an hour to spare, working out is my outlet for relaxation and it de-stresses me.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Aside from food, splurging on an article of clothing for myself to complete my outfit, which makes me feel extraconfident.

I can always go for an extra-large pizza slathered with cheese. My other guilty pleasure is warming up homemade chocolate chip cookies and covering them in vanilla ice cream. I’m really an obese guy stuck in a skinny man’s body.

What was your last indulgence?

My last indulgence was during my recent trip to New York where I snagged a new pair of Marc Jacobs boots… and then I ate pizza.

What are you doing this weekend?

Friday, my amazing team is working out of our L.A. office and then we are covering events. Saturday is going to be my relaxation day, so I’ll spend time at the beach and pick out my L.A. Fashion Week outfits. Sunday I’m picking up three members of my New York crew, we’ll have a meeting, and then party it up in L.A. But, I can’t stay out too late since I have to wake up early to renew my passport at the Italian consulate.

For more on Rocco, visit Fashion News Live‘s Web site. Also check out our full interview with him.

Erez works with one of fashion’s most visionary and relevant agencies, Kate Ryan. His style blends striking high fashion concepts with subtle artistic undertones. One has only to catch sight of Erez’s photography to realize his deep passion for his profession.

Recently Fashion Indie was awarded the chance to ask Erez about his incredible images and views on the industry. Here’s what the multimedia artist had to say.

Who or what influenced and shaped your photography style?

I began shooting at 16. As a teen growing up in Israel, I was always interested in magazines like The Face. Nick Knight and Javier Vallhonrat were photographers I admired.

The turning-point came when I moved to Paris to shoot for magazines like l’Uomo Vogue, Detour and 20 ans (of which Emmanuelle Alt, today editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris, was fashion director).

You can still see traces of that influence in my work as a director and multi-media artist. For example I did a show at the International Fashion Festival in Japan, “Master Minds of Mode,” which was all about painting my subjects with lighting.

So many of your portrait shots not only convey a message, but have an artistic nature infused within. What’s involved in the creative process to capture your photos?

To each portrait shoot I bring 100% of my energy. I aim to capture the best of each subject, looking from the perspective of a warm heart with a cinematic sensibility. I’m only satisfied when magic happens on set, and have been fortunate to work with an amazingly talented team.

I spent almost three years shooting images for my first book “My Favorite T-Shirt,” which explores the lives of artists in New York. It was a fulfilling journey for me as an artist, very pure and honest – no digital, no retouching and no cropping. It felt like I was seeing everything for the first time.

I’m amazed with how you use location and setting to create a real depth in so many of your images. What are some secrets to making your surroundings work for you and not against you?

Some places really inspire me, such as Azerbaijan where I shot a story for Baku. You can see how we enjoyed shooting this in a behind-the-scenes video we made. I enjoy integrating subject and setting, creating a synthesis. An inspiring location helps create dynamism, movement and high energy, as well as the interaction of textures, colors and light. Trying to do justice to the setting, you have to make sure you’re not distracted from your subject.

What advice might you have for other young photographers who would like to achieve the same level you’re at?

Keep going. There are so many others in the field now, but you have to focus on ensuring that the amount of love you have for the craft shows up in the images. Trust yourself!

What’s your favorite camera to use on a fashion photography shoot?

I use Hasselblad with p+30, P45, Canon 5D Mark2 and MAMYA RZ. It all depends on the project.

See the rest of the interview + more pics on LookBooks.

“I was out of line and you are a beautiful man, and a talented man and if you get the gig…we should talk,” said Sheen in an interview.

Man, I hope Stamos befriends Sheen.

With a-hole undertones and a taste for loose women, both are very much alike. I could see the two meeting up for a night of binge drinking, followed by a game of “Toss Petroleum-Jelly-Dunked Quarters at the Stripper.” What!! Did we just become best friends!?

Link Love: PH

Tom Ford will be divulging his biggest inspirations, along with his vision for the future of his company. The fashion mastermind will be guiding listeners through key icons in fashion and in his own life, too.

Get a peek inside Tom Ford’s head. Don’t miss it!

Link Love: Luxury Daily

That jacket she was talking about? So fab.

Going chronologically here, when I arrived at the backstage area, the models were all in run-through mode so there was zero motion by the ready mirrors. This gave me a moment to check out the Anna Sui Beauty Bar - she was showing press like me her signature perfumes, her new shoe collaboration with Hush Puppies, and her collection of spectacles.

I told you I went a little nuts with the glasses, but they’re so fly I had to give you a little show of them.

That was fun, but seriously, back to the real models. Zuzanna Bijoch and Daphne Groeneveld give serious backstage face.

The über talented Pat McGrath was responsible for the cosmetic creation. The aesthetic is perfect natural skin with futuristic lashes and lids. She achieved this look with tons of mascara infused with beeswax for extra thickness and playing with liner above the crease of the lid. Just a very small amount of blush on the apple of the cheek keeps the face nude without looking dead. The light white shimmer on the eye is Snow Blossom by Covergirl.

The famed Garren styled the smooth mod sixties hair that carried the show. He calls the look the “Mod Bardot” with fullness at the crown and full fringe with a center part, “Kind of the way Anna [Sui] wears her hair.” To get that voluminous lift at the root, he used Furterer Volumea. Girls with shorter hair were styled in that curly Twiggy kind of way. He envisions this hairstyle on girls having fun, not taking itself too seriously. And we’ve been forewarned, Garren states more as a fact than a vague prediction, “Fringe will be for Fall.”

I serendipitously crossed paths with Anna Sui on my way to enter the front of house to watch the show (we heard the announcement, FIVE MINUTES!) and I managed to squeeze two questions in:

What are you most excited about for your show?

“I hope people like it, that’s what I’m feeling.”

From what I’ve seen backstage, I’ve noticed a mod theme. Is the whole collection going that way?

“You’ll see. There’s a transition that happens, that’s what I’m trying to express.”

Now, more images for your viewing pleasure:

Josh Linam: Mercedes Benz is such a cool company. What do you think of Mercedes-Benz as a brand?

Karolina Kurkova: Well it’s a very classic, timeless brand. It’s innovative. They always have the safest cars. It’s luxurious but subtle without being too flashy. And I think it’s wonderful that they’re creating this event and supporting all these different fashion shows around the world where people can show their work.

Yes, actually that leads into my next question – what does it mean for Mercedes-Benz to sponsor Fashion Week, which is the epicenter for all things stylish?

I think it’s a great collaboration. Mercedes-Benz is very stylish and modern; it’s innovative, and it’s luxury. And it goes very well with fashion. It’s about trends, the newest and best things. Also, Mercedes-Benz is a lifestyle brand. It’s just not about the cars – it’s what they represent. You’ll see a lot of people who are a part of fashion week, designers, models and celebrities driving the cars.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week incorporates some of the best technology around. How do you see technology changing fashion?

I’m always amazed how technology is pushing the envelope and how it’s changing so quickly. You can see everything online right away. The things that are happening simultaneously, everyone can see it. I have a fan page on Facebook. It’s amazing how quick things happen. It’s so instant!

Are there any drawbacks about technology becoming such a part of fashion?

Sometimes there’s not that mystery or surprise or privacy. Almost everything is out there. People want everything right away. Maybe it’s not the greatest for the young generation who spends so much time online. They get so much into that world, and there’s so much more to see outside the Internet.

What are your favorite fashion Web sites or blogs to check out?

Well I just got to meet this guy, Bryan Boy. He’s so crazy, but he’s very sweet, very real and so true to his roots. He’s from the Phillipines, and he still goes back there. He’s very trendy and he’s a big fashionista, but he’s not affected by it. He’s still a true, real person, and I can feel that. I think he’s fun, and I like his style.

Last question for you. What’s your favorite thing to wear on a night out?

Well, I don’t have just one look. I’m someone who dresses by mood, by the weather and by where I am, my location. It could be from jeans to boots to a t-shirt and leather jacket to a beautiful Hervé Leger or Azzadine Alaïa dress with flats or high heels. So I’m really someone who dresses by where I am. It’s got to be comfortable, look effortless and classic, and have a personality.

Karolina’s newest, sizzling spread for Mercedes-Benz:

One obvious reason Karolina Kurkova has seen such success in modeling – she is outrageously beautiful. However, some may not know the real reason people love working with Karolina. The supermodel beams with positivity, and she is perhaps even a little bit of a jokester.

So, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Karolina turned the tables on me in our interview. Right from the start she humorously tried to throw me off with a big smile on her face. (Clearly, it worked.)

Karolina Kurkova: Wow, you’re so handsome. So are you dating anybody?

Josh Linam: Well, I’m kind of new to New York City.

So you’re looking for the right people? Call me. I can help. Ohh, I can help.

Wow, thank you; that would be amazing! So I’m from Fashion Indie, and I just had some questions for you.

So wait, you’re saying you’re new to New York. Where were you before?

I was in Texas.

In Texas? You lived and blogged about fashion in Texas?

Actually I lived in Texas, but I was writing a different project. So yeah, I just moved and I’m pretty new to New York fashion.

So this is kind of your first, big fashion week?

This is the first!

So is it a little overwhelming for you?

It’s new. Everything’s new. Overwhelming a little, as far as the shows and the partying I think.

And the tent. Isn’t it beautiful how it’s done? It’s not just going from show to show. It’s almost like a creative space where people can work and talk and see shows and connect.

It seriously is amazing how they can transform it into such a functional space. I love Lincoln Center!

Don’t forget to check out Part 2 with Karolina, where Fashion Indie questions the supermodel about her new partnership with Mercedes-Benz.

The first piece that hits me is this massively belled bottom structure that appears to be double breasted all the way to the floor. A skirt?

NO. Gotcha. They’re pants! Which I could only tell when she shifted her stance. I need them immediately.

I round the corner onto the next looks, and who do I run into? Johnny Weir! Yes, the two-time-national-gold-olympian-international-figure-skating-popstar-cum-fashionality was browsing Timo in a fa-a-abulous bow tie and Timo Weiland suit.

He was totally sweating the skirt all the way across the room. I’ll go out of order here for just a moment to show you the folded layered thinner than paper skirt that Johnny calls his fave.

Going back in time, we reach the brilliantly spotted non-pictorial landscape. I got flashes of Georges Seurat, only digitized and far more abstract. I asked Timo’s design partner about it – hear his response in the interview below.

My first impression of the prints both on scarf in the foreground and on the shiny gold black jacket in the background was a metallic nineties Africa. And this shirt in front is really quite unique. It’s made from gold and ivory threads, woven into netting.

Here, take a closer look at this impossibly fine material.

Three suit-y looks I like came toward the end were glazed with granite. And check the muff – I want to put my hands all up in there.

I got to talk with Timo Weiland and his design partner Alan Eckstein as they floated around the room greeting friends and journalists alike, and basking in a job well done. They gave some fine insight into how the collection came to be, and why. (Pardon my video-phone quality. Sadly, it’s a Blackberry, not an iPhone.)

In case you couldn’t see in the vid, this is Timo’s personal favorite look to wear.

And that wraps up Timo Weiland’s fantasy trip through time and space and personality. Thanks for coming with me.

Backstage after the show I got to meet Max Azria, I nearly died. I gushed to him how stunning the show was noted the square theme. I asked the only question I had time to squeeze out before he was whisked away: How does he think a woman wants to dress, the core philosophy that fuels BCBG:

“Women ultimately want to look cool. They want to look classy, and yes, chic.” – Max Azria

Simple as that. And he certainly knows how to oblige.

Runway Photos courtesy of Elle.com

Helena Christensen is quite tall, AND she wears heels. Aye. (See last photo.)

While Fashion Indie was slicing roast chicken and gorging ourselves at Time Warner Center’s A Voce restaurant, we were also eating up the following interview with Helena…

Silhouette Executive: What are your thoughts on the crystal collection?

Helena Christensen: They’re adorned by crystals in such a simple and elegant way. For me they become a very beautiful, cool and groovy accessory. It might be the only jewelry I wear. It almost looks like little crystals are floating on the side of your face.

SE: I’d say one feature we hear most about you is your eyes, they’re so beautiful. Can you share any beauty secrets about your eyes and how you care for them?

HC: I was joking outside that I take them out every night and put them in the freezer. But I don’t. No, thank you very much. I think sleep – I know it’s a very obvious and cliché answer – any beauty question I ever get asked, it really comes down to how much sleep I get. It’s not always easy to get a full night’s sleep, but for me that’s the most important thing.

SE: Any other beauty tips you can share with us?

HC: Very boringly, I moisturize a lot. So I always look shiny. But I prefer to look shiny than flaky. And also water, a lot of water. I wish I could say something that would make a huge difference, but I have to force myself to drink water because I don’t find it very exciting. It does help.

SE: When we see you in magazines and photographs you’re rarely seen wearing accessories. Can you talk about how and when you choose to wear them?

HC: Accessories for me are a very personal thing. Whatever I wear it needs to have significant personal meaning. So I might wear a ring that someone very special gave to me. Or I wear a medallion around my neck when I travel. It kind of keeps me safe mentally. I feel like if I wear my medallion everything will be fine.

SE: As some may know, you have a hobby as a photographer. What have you come to appreciate and learn being on the other side of the camera?

HC: The reason I fell into modeling was so that I could photograph. I was photographing in my late teens and I started modeling when I was 19, 20 years old. I gave it a week. I figured if it could last for a week maybe I would give it another chance, and I did last more than a week. I thought maybe I’ll get to travel and pursue my hobby.

SE: What would we learn about you if we saw the inside of your closet? What’s your style and what does your closet look like?

HC: I think on first glance you wouldn’t learn anything. I like keeping pieces from way back. I still have some of the dresses that I wore when I was 14, 15 years old. At that point I would wear long, vintage dresses. I like colorful pieces. I tend to bring home a lot of eclectic pieces from my trips. I just went to Nepal for a photo shoot, and I brought back the most beautiful fabrics. Even just wrapping it around me with a leather belt; I get very basic like that. If anyone came to Denmark in the summer time they would see the real, hippy me.

SE: What is one of your favorite beauty products or an accessory you can’t live without?

HC: I have a new favorite beauty product every morning basically. I look for a very short amount of time in the mirror in almost total darkness. I’m not really into mirrors. I love just looking natural and not having to do too much to yourself. I think a good moisturizer and maybe a little bit of blush is all I put on everyday.

SE: What is a good, average tip you can give to someone who’s about to have their picture taken?

HC: It’s not easy to have your picture taken. I don’t even find it comfortable after having had my picture taken for all these years. There is a certain moment where you can become too conscious of it and you might freeze up; it’s really a vulnerable thing to have your picture taken. I feel that when I take portraits of people. It’s when you catch them unguarded – that’s the best moments. I guess try not to think about it too much. I might try to go somewhere inside of my head or think of a movie that inspired me and channel what [the actress] might be thinking in that moment.

With steady, prominent clients in his pocket Orlando now prefers the role of a flexible freelancer. He splits time between New York City and Miami, lending his photography skills to both high fashion and more avant-garde companies.

Recently I was granted the chance to quiz Orlando about his career and views of the fashion industry. The following is how our chat went down.

Josh Linam: What’s your passion for photography? What draws you to it?

Orlando Behar: I’m motivated by fashion itself. I’m a fan of beautiful clothes, and I enjoy interpreting fashion for others in lighting and in a narrative I control. I get paid to do what I love.

JL: How did you get your start?

OB: I studied advertising in Miami at Florida International, but I realized that I didn’t like that side of the process.  I started at the bottom as a studio assistant washing windows and taking out the trash. I didn’t think I could make money as a photographer initially. But, eventually, I moved up to shooting. Now I know the freedom of a freelancer.

JL: How would you describe your photography style?

OB: Much of what I do is editorial as a narrative. It’s a love story between the models and attire from a cinematic viewpoint. It’s my duty to take a story beyond just models and pretty clothes on hangars. Simple is always best in my opinion. I always use one main light source in my shoots because that approach models real life; it models the sun.

JL: Off the top of your head, what’s your favorite shoot you’ve done in recent times?

OB: I did an editorial a couple years ago that enabled me total control; it was a shoot for Noise Magazine. Everything came together. The model was cool and very laidback. The stylist pulled together amazing clothes and stunning jewelry. She fashioned a homemade turban. It was very cool. You don’t have to have a Prada label to come up with an amazing outcome, but it doesn’t hurt.

JL: How did you develop your style? Who have you worked with previously?

OB: I started assisting for George Kamper, an ad photographer who shoots some fashion as well. He knows lighting set-ups that range from one basic light to lighting a set with 20 plus.

Elliston Lutz is another photographer I worked with that influenced my take on fashion photography.  He has a completely different style; he’s an organic shooter. He keeps it simple with natural light from one main source.

Personally, I like the look of having dark shadows, which you can always modify for an Art Director.

JL: What are some ways you think fashion photography has evolved and will evolve in the next decade?

OB: Digital has taken the industry by storm.  People can use a consumer-grade camera and deliver beautiful results. It gives creative power to the people.

In the next 10 years video will be huge. GQ used a Red camera to shoot Megan Fox in an editorial. This will be a trend that continues to evolve as the technology is further developed and becomes more affordable and accessible.

For more on Orlando’s work, stop by his Web site.

Tim Howard Management provides high fashion and celebrity services for the world’s leading fashion companies. His agency’s handiwork can be seen on catwalks and red carpets to television and print magazines like Vogue, GQ and Elle.

Recently I sat down with Tim at New York City’s Jane Hotel and quizzed the talent manager about his company and team. The following is how our conversation went down.

Point blank, how did Tim Howard Management start?

Well I working as an agent at one of the bigger photo agencies and things weren’t going so well there.  I was complaining to a friend about it at dinner one night and he said, ‘Why don’t you start your own business? Why do you keep working for other people?’ And I said, ‘I don’t know.’

I quit my other job to think about it.  A friend of mine gave me a desk in his office to see what it would feel like and it just kind of started to unfold with some of the talent I’d previously been working with – suddenly, I had 3 or 4 people and I went and registered my company. We built from there.

The company you run is very much people-oriented, and it seems like there’s so many moving parts. How did your training prepare you for this?

My real training came from my days at Art and Commerce. I worked under Leslie Sweeney; she was one of the owners of Art and Commerce. She was my boss and pretty much taught me everything I know.

She was on maternity leave the day I started the job. I was about 23 years old. So I got there, and there were about 10 artists to look after and she wasn’t really around to show me what to do. So it was a crash course, and to I had sink or swim. So I swam I guess. Though I’m not a good swimmer at all.

Your team provides services for some really big campaigns coming out today. What are some of the challenges of offering these high-level services?

In this economy, the biggest challenge is gambling with rates. You want to respect both the artist and the client. You don’t want to undersell somebody who’s worked very hard to get a rate to a certain point, but you don’t want to outbid yourself either.  In that sense, it’s not much different than selling cars sometimes.

But then it’s about creativity and about relationships -  is this is an interesting project creatively speaking? Could this be a repeat client?  Is this client also a friend? So many factors. Every single booking that comes in requires attention. You have to tailor your decision to each job in order to get the best scenario for your artist. Sometimes you lose.

You have a team of 20 people or so. How do you find the people on your team?

The foremost quality I look for in an artist is personality. Is this somebody I can speak to on a day-to-day basis? Would I want to get a phone call from this person at eight-o-clock in the morning before I’ve had coffee ?

The next thing would just be the work. Is their work something I feel like I can sell? Do they fit in with the rest of the talent that I already represent?

Stepping back from your position, what kind of skills do you think a person needs in order to run a high-level creative agency?

A degree in psychology and a degree in finance.  And an ability to predict the future.

So you’re no longer sitting with your one desk and three artists. What would be your vision for the future of your company?

As agents, we need to develop a newer model on which to represent people – to bring in social media, to try and look more poignantly at opportunities that are waiting for young talent.  Collectively as a team, we have the ability to really influence the beauty industry and the fashion industry. How do we place a value on that?

How do you harness that power in someone who has 20 years of walking into a studio and putting makeup on a model? It doesn’t sound like very much, but that person can look at any face and know exactly what tools to use to enhance it.  Weirdly, that’s a valuable talent.

What do you do when you have time to yourself?

On Saturdays I write a little bit. I do yard work. Any place that I can be where there’s no phone I’m happy. My cell phone doesn’t work in my place upstate. So I can just go out and rake leaves for two hours and no one knows where I am.

To learn more about Tim Howard Management‘s work, visit their blog.

We chatted with Cynthia about her involvement in the project, her passion for contemporary art, and what new things she has planned for the Cynthia Rowley brand.

How long have you been collecting art and what was your first collection piece?

My first art purchase was the definition of an impulse buy, at a charity event a friend brought me to. There were three pieces that I loved up for auction, and one—by an artist I had long admired—that I couldn’t resist. I bid what I could afford and then, because I wanted it so much, I bid a just a hair more…and won! It was a very small but oh so beautiful Louise Bourgeois sculpture. That was seven years ago, and the piece is now worth more than 15 times what I paid for it. But I’ll never part with it

What was your involvement in the development of Exhibition A?

I’m a huge fan of contemporary art. My husband and I are friends with a lot of artists, many of whom are featured on Exhibition A. Also, logistically speaking, we’ve given our support to the startup.

What is your favorite piece of art you’ve collected so far and why?

I could never choose!

Does your style and taste in art align with the style and design of your brand?

My interest in art has caused me to look at design from a more conceptual standpoint. I try to consider the craft of fashion design–the handwork, the tailoring, and special, one-of-a-kind elements. It’s impossible not to think about some artist or work when I’m designing the collection. There are many distinct inspirations that go into designing each season, and art is always one of them.

I’m such a fan of your sophisticated, yet edgy style.  What are some of your inspirations to keep this style fresh and modern?

I think we’ve come to be known for a collection that is sexy and sophisticated but also a little edgy and artistic, and a bit sporty. Every season I try to reinvent the wheel and experiment with new methods of fabrication, to create something that’s never been seen before.

You have also mastered the co-branding collaboration process so well. What do you look out for in a project when you decide to co-brand?

I want to add design to places that it has formerly been overlooked — like wetsuits, which we’ve done with Roxy. An object may be primarily functional, but why does that mean we have to ignore the aesthetic? In considering new projects, it’s important that it be innovative and also authentic to me and our brand. Collaborating on commodities is interesting to me in this way…It’s a very Warholian approach to design.

What does Cynthia Rowley have in store for 2011?

We’re excited about the new collection of Rowley/Roxy wetsuits that we have coming out in late spring, but at the moment we’re very focused on our Fall 2011 presentation for fashion week at Lincoln Center in February.

[Interview by Samantha Lim]

Based in L.A., Kate is a go-to makeup master for a slew of celebrities, including names like Anne Hathaway, Penelope Cruz and Keira Knightley. Kate is a first-pick favorite among top-tier photographers such as Annie Leibovitz, Terry Richardson and Karen Collins. Her signature style has been described as “a flawless complexion with a sultry, smoky, defined eye — an irresistible come-hither look created with an impressive array of colors.”

Thank you, Kate, for keeping our hottest celebrities looking hot and feeling sexy!

What’s your favorite thing to do in your free time?

I love to walk in nature, at the beach or on the trails with my Dog Biscuit. I don’t have so much of it these days, so when I do, I make it count!

What do you do to find calm during the crazy-filled fashion days?

I try to live my life in day-tight compartments. A deep breath and returning to the present usually helps.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Facials with Faith Taitrow and Korean body treatments. I Love having my skin feel super clean and smooth.

What was your last indulgence?

Rhubarb crumble….   For breakfast!

What are you doing this weekend?

This weekend I will be with the beautiful Anne Hathaway, prepping for The Oscars.

To view Kate’s work, see her PORTFOLIO at Starworks Artists.

An action-packed evening of notable names, charitable contributions and fashionable charm, it was undeniably New York City’s hottest ticket this week. Without further ado, my sit-down with Miss America.

What gets you excited about fashion?

What gets me excited about fashion is seeing the new styles, turning through magazines because I travel so much. Every three days I’m on a plane, so I don’t get the opportunity to browse through stores as much as I would like. So to be able to see what’s on the hot list and say, ‘Oh! I have that’ and know that I’m in style, that’s always awesome.

How would you describe your own style? What kind of clothes and styles are you drawn to personally?

When I have on the Miss America hat, I’m very into classic lines, classic silhouettes, pieces that are trendy and current but can also go back and have a nostalgia about them.

When I take the Miss America hat off and I’m just Caressa Cameron, I’m very much a leggings, blazer and riding boots kind of girl. That’s my staple look. Throw on a scarf and some big sunglasses, and I’m out the door.

In showcasing all the different ensembles in the Miss America competition, how did you pick your pieces? The eveningwear, the dresses, the swimwear…

Picking your competition wardrobe at the Miss America level is one of the most tedious things you could do because every piece counts. The first piece is the most important piece. It’s the interview.

I actually picked a Karen Millen dress this year. It was a black, very fitted dress but it was somewhat trendy because it had little spokes similar to when you tie your shoes, those little silver holes; it was like that all throughout the dress with roping as if the dress was tied like a shoe. It was a very nice play on a black dress.

It was a trendy conversation piece, but it didn’t take away from me as a contestant. And that’s what’s important with picking your pieces. You’re wearing the clothes and they’re not wearing you.

Who are your top three favorite designers or stores to shop?

The top three stores for me are definitely Karen Millen, when it comes to my wardrobe for classier events where I have to dress up, cocktail dress or business wear. I love Guess by Marciano; they’re absolutely awesome. And Armani Exchange is one of my favorites.

When I’m being more frugal throw in American Apparel. Not to be underestimated at all.

What would you say is the best part and the worst part about your job?

The best part and worst part is the same. It’s the crown.

One of the best parts of my day is being able to put on the crown and knowing that I’m a part of 85 women who have ever held this position in front of little girls who dream about this all their life.

At the same time there are some days that you meet people and you have to break down the stereotypes they have about pageant winners all because you have a crown on your head. So sometimes it takes a little while for people to say ‘Oh wow, she really is smart; she has something to say; she cares about people.’ So sometimes it’s a help and a hurt.

For the millions of little girls who dream of wearing this crown on their head, what advice would you have for them?

The first piece of advice I would say is having self-confidence and wearing it daily. Not ever giving up on yourself.

The surprising thing that people find out is it took me four tries to actually win Miss Virgina. For many people they would have tried one or two times and said, ‘That’s it. I’m done.’ I wanted to try as many times as it took.

Never give up on yourself. Always have your self-confidence. You can take over the world. You never know what it is supposed to be for you. So life has wonderful things in store for you. You just have to try to reach for something. As cheesy as it sounds, if you do reach for the stars you’ll land on a cloud.

Last question. Who were some people you looked up to growing up? Who were your inspirations?

When I was growing up I looked up to everyday people. I know that’s a weird thing because most people say I looked up to this or that star. But I really didn’t.

I wanted to find success in little things. I think a lot of times people get caught up with success being money or status, but to me success is happiness.

To see my next door neighbor being a trash man and a janitor and he would sing everyday on his way to work, that’s a happiness that you can’t buy. Then I would have a neighbor next door to me who was a businessman, but he left looking angry every single day because he did not like what he was doing. So looking up to people who were happy and actually found fulfillment in their life doing whatever it was that they were doing.

Five years ago, Scott launched ArtWingNY. Today his company is stirring big waves in the industry. Specializing in fashion, advertising and celebrity, the agency has shot for notable names like Elle, Vanity Fair, Oscar de la Renta, MTV, American Express and many, many more.

I visited Scott at ArtWingNY’s SoHo digs on Broadway to learn more about his company. Here’s what the ArtWingNY founder had to say…

At this point, your company isn’t just starting out; you’re growing. What kinds of qualities do you look for in your new talent? What qualifies them to work at ArtWingNY?

When I see a good photographer, I know it.

At this point I don’t take photographers who don’t have clients, who don’t work for magazines already. I’m at the point where I don’t have to make people’s careers. I need someone established that I can then build on.

There’s a minimum they need to have – some clients and editorial experience.

What was the idea behind ArtWingNY; how did it start? Did you always want to own your own company?

I never wanted to own my own company. It scared the [crap] out of me.

I worked for a couple different agencies before, and let’s just say I disagreed with the way they ran their business. I thought I could do a better job than that. I was having a hard time holding onto the great talent I was getting because of the way they ran their business.

I’ve always wanted to do fashion. I think many people put the bottom line of dollars as more important than their passion. I’d rather do great editorial than a big advertising campaign that I don’t really believe in.

Tell me about your photographers. What does your team look like?

I have a lot of photographers I’ve had since the beginning. When I opened up five years ago, it was a very different market. Five years ago it was nothing for you to have a photographer based in Paris and for someone to book him and say he’ll come over and shoot this for you. And they’ll pay for flights. It’s just not like that anymore. They want you there.

I have about 10 guys who are New York and LA-based. The others are European-based and they know the deal. If something comes up, they come in. If it’s a big enough job they’ll come in and take it. Thomas Rusch is a perfect example. We get him a big job about once a year – last year he did the Ray Ban worldwide campaign, which was everywhere.

What kind of skills do you think your position necessitates for making it all work, for bringing all the different parts together in your company?

You have to be a good negotiator and you have to really know how to deal with people. Photographers are artists, and they have artist mentalities. You have to keep their egos in check while keeping the client and their expectations in check as well. It’s a balancing act.

Clients are great until shoot days. It seems like they “wig out” on shoot days. That’s always the most challenging day. It’s probably hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars on a campaign so the smallest things set them off. If something isn’t exactly the way they want it they’re going to let you know.

SEE THE REST OF MY INTERVIEW ON LOOKBOOKS.

The company houses celebrity stylists, top-tier photographers and a host of others’ work you’ve seen in magazines and advertisements.

Here’s how it went down…

1. What is your favorite thing to do in your free time?

SLEEP

2. What do you do to find calm during the crazy-filled fashion days?

DRINK MORE COFFEE

3. What’s your guilty pleasure?

LET’S JUST SAY IT ISN’T WATCHING REALITY TV WITH A PINT OF ICE-CREAM

4. What was your last indulgence?

PROVIDING OVERLY SERIOUS PEOPLE WITH HARMLESS MISINFORMATION

5. What are you doing this weekend?

MAKING MY FIRST PUMPKIN PIE

Jason Ross started JackThreads because the retail genre didn’t exist. (Daily email sites are sprouting like weeds today; JackThreads launched early in the field.)

Based in Columbus, Ohio, Jason’s company has seen steady growth since its 2008 start. But, it was JackThreads acquisition by Thrillist in May 2010 that landed them on most men’s metaphorical map. Since that time, membership has exploded along with meaningful retail partnerships for the company.

On Monday I met Jason at JackThreads’ industrial-chic office in SoHo to ask the JackThreads founder a few questions about his company. The following is a snippet of our chat.

How did JackThreads start? What was the idea behind it?

It started out as me being an actual customer looking for what we offer today. I was a guy who was interested in exclusive fashion, contemporary brands, streetwear brands and sneaker brands. I’ve always been a discount shopper. It’s just the way I was raised.

I started going to trade shows back in January 2006. I was talking to people, figuring out what they liked about current clothes and what they didn’t like. I decided there was a big opportunity to create an online platform for exclusive brands specifically for guys.

How do you pick out your style pieces, or is it more about making partnerships?

We have a buying team, and we’re intentional about being at the forefront of what’s going on in fashion. We look at the trends we see selling, and we look at new brands that are in line with what’s doing well for us. It’s not really piece specific; we partner with brands.

We show brands the value of working with JackThreads. We have a massive audience of an elusive, hard-to-reach consumer. We partner with brands for the value proposition we bring to the table. And it works really well.

Like Thrillist, you guys are mainly email based. What are some of the advantages of leveraging email as opposed to just being an online boutique?

The advantage for us is we’re featuring something new every single day. For you as the consumer there’s a reason to come back and see what we’re selling.

And that’s why email is so powerful for us – because number one you opted to receive it. It’s not like every member is just getting emails; they’ve opted in.

Being reminded about it in a very simple way, it just takes a second to check it. Users don’t have to spend the time to log onto JackThreads. It’s going into their pocket. If that email doesn’t get out, the sales are not as strong. It’s crazy how much of a correlation there is.

The acquisition with Thrillist was obviously huge. How do the two brands fit together? Do they share all the same passions and goals?

We launched July 31^st, 2008, and we were featured on Thrillist October of 2008. We saw the power of having the JackThreads brand in front of their readers. The conversion rate was so high that we were featured two other times within the next year on Thrillist. Then we came back as an advertiser. So there was a natural synergy there.

We thought why not just pull the two businesses together so that there’s an advertising revenue stream, and now there’s also an e-commerce stream.

One thing I think we didn’t give as much credit to is just plugging JackThreads into Thrillist’s infrastructure with their management team and marketing relationships. Looking back, it’s absolutely the best move we could have made.

With the deal, you retained your same team and you retained it in Columbus, Ohio. What does a day look like in Columbus?

Honestly, it’s very similar. It’s the very same thing – youthful culture and the same kind of energetic buzz.

The only thing different is we have our photo shoots in Columbus, so there’s always clothing, models and photographers coming in and going out and light bulbs flashing. It’s cool because our staff sees the fruits of their labor every day happening.

Also, there’s actually 10 JackThreads employees working here in this [SoHo] office.

There are different people who are attracted to JackThreads for different reasons, but how would you describe the JackThreads style?

The brands we sell are streetwear and contemporary. The customer we sell to is an urban dwelling, trend-following kind of guy.

It’s cool, curated, hand-picked items – fashion, accessories and sneakers for guys. When we started that’s what I set out to do, create an online experience for guys who wanted those cool things but didn’t want to pay full price. And that’s exactly what we’re doing still.

There’s definitely a technology aspect to JackThreads. You being at the forefront of this technology, I’m curious to ask you. How do you think technology can help facilitate fashion?

Technology makes things more accessible.  That’s probably the key. It helps show a massive audience all kinds of looks, brands and styles because we’re online.

Going back to the user experience, being able to show them is one thing but also giving them a really easy way to make purchasing decisions, I think that’s where the technology comes in. That’s why our Web site continues to develop; we’ve made all these improvements and we’ve continued to push the envelope.

Are you guys looking at future initiatives where consumers can buy items on their iPhone or iPad?

Absolutely. Every brand is going to have their own strategy. Some are going to shy away from mobile marketing; others are going to jump right in.

For us, just knowing what e-commerce retailers are seeing, I’ve heard conversion rates as high as 10 percent of sales for similar businesses being done. How could we ignore that?

Also, our audience is the guy carrying the iPhone or Droid around. Our content flows naturally into mobile.

What might be some upcoming plans we could tell our readers about? What are some things you guys are looking at?

Mobile is obviously a big one. We’ll have that in 2011 where consumers can make purchasing decisions from their phone. We also just re-launched our Web site and have a number of new initiatives with user experience; storing credit cards is a big one for us. We’re doing several free shipment programs right now and launching gift cards within the next few weeks for the Holiday season.

Aside from the offering perspective we’re always adding new brands, and we really stocked up our buying team to start featuring categories aside from just fashion, other lifestyle categories. We’re turning JackThreads into more of a lifestyle offering as opposed to just fashion, shoes and that kind of thing.

We asked the legendary designer and the Vogue editor a couple questions about this gorgeous exhibit, and here’s what they had to say…

Mr. Bowles, you’re known to have an extensive personal collection of couture. Are there any pieces from your personal archives?

Yes actually.  A couple of the boleros and black gowns are mine.  You’ll have to read the information on the displays to find out which were mine.

Mr. de la Renta, everyone’s been buzzing today about Kate Middleton and Prince William’s engagement. Since you’re such an established couture designer, would you be interested in dressing Kate Middleton?

I think Ms. Middleton will be choosing an English designer for her wedding.

Here’s a preview of looks from the Balenciaga Exhibit:

We learned that…

Kirill is fast becoming a staple in nightlife photography.

Stylist Julie Matos has a solution for every fashion mishap.

Tavi is making the move from online blogger to magazine editor.

Lookbooks.com picked their next batch of Ruffian Streetstyle winners.

Even fashion designers have secret strippers pasts.

Harper’s Bazaar: What are you buying for fall?

Cecilia Dean: I’m a big fan of Ohne Titel. They designed some great pieces with Saga Furs. I have a sick pair of thigh-high boots. I look forward to adding more Eddie Borgo, Finn, and Alexis Bittar to my collection. And I lust after everything Givenchy!

HB: What are your staples?

CD: Vintage Helmut Lang suits and vintage Martin Margiela. I have clothes dating back more than 10 years that I wear constantly and consistently.

HB: What is your beauty regimen?

CD: My entire routine takes about 15 minutes. For evenings, I’ll make an effort to put on some concealer to even out my skin, some silver Nars Highlighting powder, M.A.C. blush, Shiseido mascara, and some Chanel lipstick. This is usually accomplished in a taxi.

Sooooooo awkward.

[Video inside]

Kanye responded to George Bush‘s claims that K-West had called him a racist.

You can see the rapper get increasingly frustrated at his inability to articulate what he wanted to say.

About the 6:20 mark, he snaps!! See for yourself…

[Photo by Ben Fink Shapiro]

Stacey, looking as fashionably relevant as ever (striped tights, insanely tall black-and-white wedges and rockin’ suglasses), thumbed through hand-picked pieces from her new line, voicing her inspiration for each item. The theme for her collection’s tops and dresses: fun! The line was designed with the “Alice and Olivia party girl” in mind, said Stacey.

After her unveiling and a few sips of champagne, I got to catch up with Stacey for a few minutes. Here’s what the Alice + Olivia founder had to say.

I know you’ve been a part of several collaborations recently. Who’s someone you would love to collaborate with in the future?

I would really like to do a sunglass collaboration right now. I love vintage sunglasses.

Also Blythe Dolls are my obsession right now. I keep buying them, and I have a whole collection now. I’d love to do a collaboration with them.

What’s the inspiration for some of your looks this season?

We do a collection every month. The Holiday Collection was literally for the Alice and Olivia party girl. It wasn’t inspired by anything retro – it was inspired by the here and now.

Here’s our girl, she’s sexy, and she’s going out. This is what’s she wearing.

Who would you say is the Alice and Olivia girl? What type of girl is drawn to your clothing?

It’s such a range. Whenever I’m designing, I like to mix it up for who might be wearing it. Is my mom wearing this? Am I wearing it? Is my little sister or one of my little cousins wearing it?

The great thing is you take one of these gorgeous kimonos [points to piece], and you can throw it on a sexy little 18-year-old, you could pair it with jeans and a tank top, or you could throw it on a mom who’s going out in black pants.

I like it when clothes are really versatile, and when they can look sexy on one girl and really elegant on another. When I do a collection I try to provide a range for all those different girls. The Alice and Olivia girl, she’s definitely having fun.

Can you give us a peek into some of your upcoming projects?

Our biggest thing right now is working on shoes for spring. We’re really focusing on growing our shoe line.

We’re also working on Four AM Finds, which you can sign up for and get emails. I do them every Thursday, but we also have guest editors on Mondays which is a range of celebrities and people I think are really fun.

A lot of celebrities are wearing your clothes these days. Who’s your favorite person wearing Alice + Olivia right now?

It’s always exciting when people wear our clothes, but I’m not necessarily a celebrity-obsessed person. Sometimes I’ll meet someone really obscure and think they’re the coolest person in the world.

I’m often intrigued by figures. I was watching Auntie Mame and I’m obsessed with that movie right now; she’s my idol. But it changes every day.

TO SHOP STACEY’S COLLECTIONS, VISIT HER WEB SITE HERE.

A couple hundred biz cas industry folk gathered in a modest, all-white-painted space located at SoHo and Tribeca’s border. Guests sipped rosemary-garnished cocktails and observed the brand’s photography until Senior Vice President Erik Joule spoke.

Joule delivered a dynamic oration hammering down the points of Levi’s eco-initiatives. When he left the podium, I grabbed Joule for a couple quick questions. Here’s what the Levi’s Senior Vice President had to say.

Levi’s is a brand that’s been around for a very long time. What are some ingredients that go into staying relevant in fashion over time?

In the past 15 years, Levi’s actually hasn’t been that relevant. It wasn’t until a couple years ago that we had a major resurgence. I think we lost touch with who we were.

To stay relevant you have to always know who you are. For a brand like Levi’s, it’s about who we are in the context of what’s going on. We’re best when we embody the events of our time.

Today there has been a return to sanity and simplicity, and that’s the core of our brand. For Levi’s that’s what it’s really about.

When you throw out a word like “branding” a lot of people go crazy. Many of your competitors use vibrant colors and flashy campaigns. But your campaigns are just simple, black and white images. Why does Levi’s choose the simple campaigns it does?

If you think about the core of our product that’s the foundation, the 501 jean. It’s a well-crafted, beautiful pair of jeans but it’s really simple.

We went away from this for a time, and we tried to do something else. But that’s not who we are. We make very simple products. So that’s why the images are simple – they embody our brand.

I think simplicity is very underrated. People always think about adding more. But they don’t think about removing.

SEE THE REST OF THE INTERVIEW HERE.

Sean works with Tim Howard Management where he styles for some of the biggest, top-tier luxury campaigns coming out today. He collaborates with noted photographers like Annie Leibovitz, Alexi Lubomirski, Dusan Reljin and Doug English, to name a few.

After hearing Sean’s schedule and upcoming projects, I felt very fortunate to meet him at West Village’s Sant Ambroeuse Café for a short interview. For about 15 minutes we sipped coffee, as I shot off questions on a warm and sunny Thursday morning. Here’s a snippet of our chat:

You’ve styled everyone from famous Rappers and Sports Icons to Top Models and Bono. Who were some of the most fun people to work with?

“I love Harry Connick. I met him on a job, and we became really good friends. I guess the Bono trip to Africa with Louis Vuitton was sort of a career high. I’ve worked with a lot of celebrities, but there’s some that you get there and you think wow. And Robert Redford, I did him for Vanity Fair’s Green Issue. All of a sudden I was in his kitchen, and I was completely stunned.”

What got you started in styling? Did you roll out of the womb with fashion sense, or did you learn it along the way?

“I think I always liked clothes. I had a very chic father and aunt, and I often traveled with my aunt. I was born in Providence, Rhode Island, and I grew up in Massachusetts; I went to Newport in the summers. There were a lot of people to be inspired by. I’m very traditional I think, and that brought me to where I am in my taste.”

What’s it like working with Tim Howard Management?

“Tim is amazing. Outside of modeling, Tim is one of the first people I met in the business, and we’ve had a great working and personal relationship ever since.”

What advice would you have for young, aspiring stylists who want to be where you’re at someday, working at a high professional level?

“I’m really big on training. I’m really big on working for an editor who you respect and whose work you like. It’s a lot more than just putting a dress on a model. Everyone thinks fashion is very glamorous, and it is to a certain extent, but I think it’s a lot of hard work.”

“When I was working under Camilla Nickerson, all the young girls at Vogue were always there late nights packing bags. It’s not just front row shows. I think they have to be prepared to learn and listen and really work hard. I never turned down a job, and I have huge work ethic. I think with most people in my field it’s a lot of work. They’re always on a plane. My advice would be get a master’s degree in business.”

We’ve seen your contributions in Men’s Vogue China. Fashion-wise, where do you think Asia is right now?

“I think they’re almost ahead of us. Right now Asia is so exciting, especially China. When I go to the shows, sometimes I feel completely underdressed because all the Asian editors are so spot on.”

In one of your latest projects you paid homage to the amazing Steven Meisel. How were you able to capture his spirit in your styling?

“I really had the idea for that story 14 years ago when I worked on set with Steven Meisel.  This season was so big about coats, and I shot with Dusan Reljin to capture the feeling. I had just shot Sean O’Pry for something else, and I thought he definitely looked very Steven. Ben Skervin did the hair, and it was perfect. Everything just kind of came together. He sent me a thank-you note, Mr. Meisel. He loved that story.

You’ve styled for celebrities like Kanye, P Diddy and Sean Connery. What can we find in your own closet?

“You’ll find about 25 to 30 white shirts. You’ll find too many pairs of black pants, navy blue sweaters, gray sweaters, a gray flannel suit from Prada, a blue flannel suit from Prada and a Valentino tuxedo. I get a lot of items, but I give them away. That’s what I always have in my closet. You’ll also find John Lobb shoes and Pierre Hardy shoes.”

Can you share a few secrets on what some of your favorite stores to pick up your styling pieces are?

“When I do advertising, I live by, swear by and am loyal to Barneys. Laura Mannix at Barneys is the queen of all of New York stylists. If you’re not in with Laura you can’t do your job.”

Being really, truly one of the world’s foremost stylists LookBooks is curious… what are some of your own commandments of style?

“I think you should be stylish, but you shouldn’t look overly-styled. My commandment would be classic – keep it classic.”

For more on Sean Spellman’s work, see his THM profile here.

Dobson busted into the eye of the music scene back in 2003 with spawned debuts like “Bye Bye Boyfriend  “Don’t Go (Girls and Boys).  Now back working on her new record   Fefe showed pop purveyor’s she can really kill time the right way by writing infectious pop songs that were sung by both Disney princesses Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez…  Now only days before the release of “Joy”, Fefe sat down to talk to me about her views on the music industry (Now vs Then.)  Sessions from her unreleased album  “Sunday Love” along with a shocking surprise from me acknowledging her about a  demo from her new album  surfacing online but she isn’t the one singing one the track.

Fefe Dobson: Hey!

Alex: Hey… How are you?

Fefe Dobson: I’m good, how are you!

Kazemi: I’m good!  So it’s been a while since you’ve had a new single out, I remember in 2003 when “Bye Bye Boyfriend” came out and that year was kind of the transition from the super pop like N*SYNC and Britney, in her glory, to the new wave of rock/pop like Good Charlotte, Skye Sweetnam, Avril and plenty more. But then aside from “Everything” and “Bye Bye Boyfriend” there was ”Don’t Go” and that was super poppy…So I’m excited to see what you do with this record!  You were also around when the music industry was healthy! No cancer! People bought CD’s in stores, music was on MTV, and marketing was different. As you lived the music industry in its glory, do you prefer it then rather then now?

Fefe Dobson:   It has its pros and has its cons back from when I came out back in 2003 and the pros and cons of now, I mean yes then you had to buy a record at the store in order to really get it. I know sites posted clips and stuff but that was for the better, it was positive hype.  You couldn’t get full tracks as easily as you could now, viral piracy was just beginning and now it has expanded to the point where you can get a track from anywhere, you can draw an mp3 out of a hat.  I think for artists it either works for you or it works against you… What works for me is that I can give my fans from lets say my Twitter or Facebook fan page, information right from my mouth…That   is brilliant.  We didn’t have that before, we become more connected.

Kazemi:  Well that’s interesting; I guess the only thing that has really changed is the easy access to MP3?s so quickly… I don’t want to get into it about “Sunday Love” but you wrote with Billy Steinberg who did “Like A Virgin”. How was that? Kind of epic in my eyes…

Fefe Dobson:  Billy Steinberg is epic. He wrote so many amazing songs! “I Touch Myself”. “Alone” for Heart… It really is crazy! We wrote a bunch of songs on “Sunday Love,” “This Is My Life” and ” Don’t Let It Go to Your Head,” which then Jordin Sparks covered.  A song called the “The Initiator.”  There was a bunch; all those songs are really close in my heart.

Kazemi:  You got to work with Joan Jett and Cyndi Lauper too?

Fefe Dobson: Yeah, that was super cool but the stuff didn’t make the record but I actually got to write with them.

Kazemi: Wasn’t Courtney Love involved with that record too?

Fefe Dobson:  I actually didn’t write with Courtney. We just hung out a couple times and she kind of gave me a lot of insight.

Kazemi:   Courtney is great. Do you have a favorite Hole song?

Fefe Dobson:  Yeah… Uhm, probably “Doll Parts!”

Kazemi:  Awesome, great song “Live Through This” is an amazing record. I know on your first album you hung up photos of Kurt in the studio t for inspiration, on this record what photos were hanging up?

Fefe Dobson:   Ex Boyfriend photographs [laughs.]

Kazemi: [laughs.] So  these  ”Sunday Love” sessions got some notoriety from Miley Cyrus, Jordin Sparks and Selena Gomez.  Were you ever intentionally going to be an outside song writer or did it all happen organically?  How did these covers come about?!

Fefe Dobson: It really happened organically. When I was a kid, I use to write for Local boy bands in Toronto and I was like thirteen writing songs and writing songs for bands that were going to get started in the industry which I thought was kind of crazy.   I’ve always been a writer, it kind of just fell in my plate when Miley did “Start All Over” then after that it kind of opened the doors, I’ve been writing for a lot of people.

Kazemi:  Was “Start All Over” from the “Sunday Love” sessions as well?

Fefe Dobson: Yes, it was apart of the process from making that album, it never made the record but I wrote it when I was working on that record. I don’t even know how she heard about it, it was all boring business stuff. Her people probably found out [laughs.]

Kazemi: You kind of took on another Disney princess this summer. You wrote “Round & Round” for Selena Gomez… Was it always written for Selena or did you and Kevin have someone else at mind at first?

Fefe Dobson: That was the first time, Kevin and I wrote with each other, we kind of were just vibing and writing as a start off… I don’t think it was intended for anyone except maybe me. At the end of the session, we realized the song was too pop for me, so the next day Kevin came back to me and he goes “Hey, I think Selena Gomez is digging this track.” So I said ok cool. [Laughs]

Kazemi: All organic!  You must’ve had kind of Disney demographic guidelines for censorship while writing for her. Was “Round & Round” different when Selena had it?

Fefe Dobson:  It was definitely different because the song wasn’t written for Selena and I don’t really have any restrains against myself musically but a few lines had to be changed and what not but in general it’s the same song.

Kazemi:   I guess we will never know what those few lines were!   If you could work on any pop music project right now what would it be? Do you ever just sit around with like your note pad or however you write, thinking about a certain artist that can sing a song you’ve written?

Fefe Dobson: I’m going to make this short; I would love to write for Britney Spears [laughs.]

Kazemi: AMAZING!

Fefe Dobson:  I’ve never met her, which is kind of crazy because I’m friends with a lot of people around her.

Kazemi: Oh have you met with Dr.Luke, Benny Blanco or any of that camp?

Fefe Dobson: No no no, I’ve never worked with Dr.Luke. I don’t know if Britney is working with him.

Kazemi:  He’s executively producing her seventh studio album.

Fefe Dobson: Oh really? Is that what the rumor is?

Kazemi: Sadly not a rumor, it has been confirmed in Billboard.. Recently a lot of people have noticed that he uses a lot of the same chord progressions and beats and I’m not very keen on Britney working with him as Britney’s  production is usually fresh, new and exciting which gave her lots of notoriety quickly as she was just starting out.. So I don’t want that streak to end.

Fefe Dobson: Right!

Kazemi:  So enough about songwriter Fefe. After four years of recording sessions for your “Joy” album…Were you kind of like a chameleon when it came to inspiration and sound?

Fefe Dobson:  Exactly. I was a chameleon.   When I was making this record things were changing all the time because I’m changing all the time. So the concept of what you’re writing about, even the chord progressions, everything sounds different because your emotions sound different. I wrote “I want you” and “Watch Me Move” almost four years ago, those were the first couple songs written for the “Joy” record. Those have been used in TV for a few years and now were all kind of putting it all together and put the album out.  It’s never one thing that’s settled, it would be crazy if I was the same person after four years [laughs.]

Kazemi: Conceptual albums always seem to be fun. This one has something to do with a radio station right?

Fefe Dobson:  Yes, it starts off like your changing through a radio station and you hear the white noise and what not. Then you go from the pop station half way through, and then it goes to my rock side and then a pop station again. I’ve always been put in the genre of “Rock/Pop.” So I was like “why not make it literal?”

I worked with J.R, Dave Lichens, Kevin Rudolf, and Claude Kelly. I didn’t work with a lot of producers on this record.   I knew Claude and J.R before the album was even going to happen, so everything was really organic credits wise.  I did some co production on it. I want people to enjoy this record and have fun, simply have a good time with it whether it’s dancing around on your bed or listen to it after screaming at your boyfriend. I’m looking forward for everyone to hear   a song called “Can’t Breathe” produced by Bob Ezrin who did Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” and Orianthi plays guitar, it features her guitar talent on it [laughs.]

Kazemi:  Ah… So someone who listens to “Don’t Go” every once in a while will get the new pop side and someone who listens to “Everything/Bye Bye Boyfriend” will get the new rock side?

Fefe Dobson:  The best of both worlds. You get the pop side of me, the rock side of me.

Kazemi: I’m sure Bonnie McKee and Oliver Goldstein have covered some of the pop aside from J.R and Kevin Rudolf…

Fefe Dobson: They’re super great!

Kazemi: Oh yah! You know the demo of Bonnie McKee/Goldstein’s  “Turn It Up” that leaked, did you originally write that for Ke$ha’s re-release of Animal, basically how did she end up singing that song?

Fefe Dobson: What song?

Kazemi: “Turn It Up.”

Fefe Dobson: Oh…. What about Ke$ha? This is news to me [laughs.]

Kazemi: You don’t know?

Fefe Dobson: NO? What is this?

Kazemi:  Your version of “Turn It Up” leaked but Ke$ha is singing it. It’s only a clip though.

Fefe Dobson: NO WAY? Oh my god. Shut up?  My song?

Kazemi:  Yes, your song! “Turn It Up!”

Fefe Dobson: Oh my god, I’m totally shocked right now. Where did you find this?!

Kazemi: It’s definitely on YouTube.. All the pop blogs that are basically modern day music tabloids in my eyes speculated that you worked with Ke$ha and Bonnie and “Turn It Up” was for Ke$ha’s re-release of Animal, tentatively titled “Cannibal.”

Fefe Dobson:  I’m going to look right now! This is hilarious! I’m like “What?”

Kazemi: Did “Turn It Up” make the cut for the record?

Fefe Dobson:   No, I don’t think it did… This is cool!

Kazemi: That Ke$ha ended up singing it?

Fefe Dobson: Uhm… Yeah! I think its dope!

Kazemi: Sorry but I find it weird that I’m notifying you about this. Didn’t your label tell you?

Fefe Dobson:  They probably did. It’s just I’m really bad at checking my email!

Kazemi: [Laughs] Moving on!  What is the story behind “Ghost”?

Fefe Dobson:  The honest concept of that song is the story it’s telling… Basically, “you’ve hurt me enough, you’ve done all this stuff to me and now I finally got the courage to leave you. I’m ghost, I’m gone. You’ve let me in the cold way too much… “   That point is when the guy usually wants back which always happens, when you’re like “I’M OVER DIS!”  That’s when the person kind of tries to win you back over and I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed but when you’re in love or find someone you really dig, that’s when  all the crazy people you haven’t talked to in like five years come back into your life , trying to interrupt your happiness.. It’s like “where the hell have you been for how many years? Please go away.”

Kazemi: [Laughs] That is so true. It’s like “oh, my life is finally getting on the verge of perfect but hey psycho I’ve pushed out of my life, why are you back?”

Fefe Dobson: Yeah, exactly.

Kazemi: How did Kara’s writing come in on this particular song?

Fefe Dobson: As weird as this is… I actually never got in a room with her! It’s kind of crazy… A lot of people don’t know this but sometimes with songwriting, you kind of have to throw lyrics back and forth online, through text messages… Who knows, maybe on your favorite songs was written on a Blackberry? People are so busy; it’s hard to get in a room together, writing a song as one in a couple hours.

Kazemi:  Interesting! Wow!  Did Kevin have the tracks beat ready as you were brainstorming ideas while throwing lyrics around?

Fefe Dobson: I met Kevin, he had some of ghost already done. Basically the song was written with a lot of ghosts around. I added some to the bridge and what not, Kara already put her part down for that song, So I added my little Fef extra bit and then it was  “Ghost!.”  All organic.

Kazemi: There was a lot of ghosts around when you went to demo “Shame as you saw your ex boyfriend right before going into the booth. As an artist when you go into a session with so much feeling, does the product come out better?

Fefe Dobson:   You should always put feeling in everything you do, doesn’t matter how big or how small. You’ll get a real product of it. You’ll get something real and honest… Something you can connect to.

LINK LOVE: Alex Kazemi

Having just completed her first full European tour with Kelis she will resume touring this Fall but this time with pop pixie Robyn in North America. Natalia’s forthcoming album “The Perfectionist” will be making a quick pit stop in record stores all around the world this January. In December of 2009, she released hype track “Zombie” that was employed with vampiric lyrics and an intriguing beat, which created massive Internet buzz. In early 2010 her “LoveKills” series hit the Internet via her label’s Vevo that gave us a visual look inside Natalia’s mind and ideas.  Months later “Activate My Heart” and leading single “Mirrors” dropped along with an album track listing with exciting credits from Dr. Dre’s prodigy and super pop producer Fernando Garibay.  With all the anticipation for her debut record I had decided to call up Natalia hours before her Pop Justice x CMJ event where she would perform samples from her new album exclusively for one night only.  It’s safe to say, she is ready to kill.

Alex Kazemi:   Hi Natalia, How are you?

Natalia Kills:  Hi! I’m fine, thank you! How are you?

Kazemi: I’m good!  I know you just got off tour with Kelis. How was it performing the new material?

Natalia Kills:  It’s wonderful! A few of my song leaked but it actually worked out to be a good thing because people were singing along right from the beginning to the end of the show. It’s really nice to be discovered and to be able to create a world that I can really invite people into in a live environment. It’s brilliant!

Kazemi: Ah yes! I saw some of your songs leaked, I really refuse to listen because I usually wait for the album. How do you feel about what the whole music industry has come to with this whole viral epidemic?

Natalia Kills: I think it’s wonderful, I feel that the world is acting so immediately to everything that we should be more appreciative of what’s going on. It’s amazing to me that I can express myself on something like Twitter and five thousand people (my followers) can tell me their opinion and give me their thoughts back and then it becomes a much more, personal and intimate relationship that you have with your audience. You become more unified. You get to grow with them and let them express what they like and what they’re enthusiastic about which gives you a good way to directly know what direction to continue in  to make people happy and to keep expressing yourself in the most productive way, I love it.

Kazemi: Isn’t it kind of a facade? Don’t you want them to still buy the music they’re listening too?

Natalia Kills: Yeah…. I guess so!  I don’t make music to make money; I was making albums when I was a waitress… I was literally making songs when I was thirteen, when I didn’t have or need to have job. It’s just my method of expression and this is how I survive by expressing myself and getting all my opinions and frustrations out there in a way that can be celebrated by people who have similar feelings. So for me it goes this way, I simply want people to have my music, if they can’t afford to buy it, I want you to have it anyway.  It is a sad world that we live in that we need money to make things work and if people don’t buy it, it means I’m less likely to have a second album, it’s probably going to take away from a video budget, and the video might not be as good. All the other unfortunate things that go with it, it will be sold in less places, people will hear about it and less people will spend money on marketing it then different countries might not have access to it, it’s a big shame we need money to make music to continue to survive but I want people to listen to my music anyway, regardless. If they choose to listen to illegally, that’s the way they want the music. It’s their decision!  I’m just happy they’re listening to it.

Kazemi: I’m still going to purchases songs and I encourage other people to buy music as well! It’s beautiful how you are so appreciative of people even getting a chance to listen to the music!  I know before the “kills” came into the picture, you were known as “Natalia Capuccini” the MySpace music star who created electro pop music about what a perfect woman would be… I know the robot influence has still stuck, where did you make the transition from being Natalia Cappuccini to Natalia Kills? Was this when you met Will.Iam?

Natalia: I’m so glad you know all of this… It’s funny, it’s really a transition like you said, and it’s not really a change. I made the Womannequin- EP. It was kinda like a demo cd for me and that’s when I met Will.  It was all about the perfect women and it was Electronic and it was pop and that’s exactly what I’m doing now, my album is called “The Perfectionist” and it’s about seeking through the struggle and celebrating the imperfections of life, for example: heartbreak, betrayal, being broke, being lost. That’s exactly what my album is about, now it’s just the evolution from my beginning. My real name is Natalia Cappucini and the kills came into it when I first signed with Cherry Tree and people encouraged me to be extremely direct about who I am, so people immediately get to know me and as perfection. What do you do when you’re looking for the best?

Kazemi: Oh yeah! I get it now [laughs]

Natalia: [laughs] it’s when you want to kill it. Yeah! So it’s Natalia Kills

Kazemi: Did you catch Will when he was working on the Black Eyed Peas record “The E.N.D?” When his whole futuristic/electric inspiration era came in…

Natalia:  Before that. Way before that! It was right after he had done his solo album, after the Fergie album… So before he was going to start working on the Black Eyed Peas album, he had decided he wanted to have a new alias/DJ. He worked on a project called Zuper Blahq, he was really getting into house and electro before it was even that popular. I’d been listening to at the time a lot of Sebastian, Daft Punk and that kind of music and we really just gelled together… My music has a very electronic feel in the moment in a kind of reference Giorgio Romoda. It’s not house music, it’s not even dance music to be honest but it still has a very euphoric feel.

Kazemi: Yeah, the production brings that.

Natalia: Yeah in the production, exactly. It has a drama to it, suspense, and emotion.  That’s how I have interpreted the whole movement me and Will initially met through.

Kazemi:  You met Justin Timberlake and Timbaland too right? Was that for album sessions or only on label terms?

Natalia:   It was on label terms, a lot of artists that are looking to develop and expand into every area of music because they want to give back and they want to see the qualities in new artists that they’ve obviously had in themselves and they want to give fresh people opportunities. Even though it was great, it was wonderful. Timbaland flew me to Miami; we met in London before and hung out there first. Same with Justin Timberlake. It was really nice but when I met Will, I said to myself this is the guy. He’s really not about making a sound for you, he’s about making the sound that already exists within you, so its true to you and unique and personal to you.

Kazemi: Would you say you guys are chemically alike?

Natalia: I believe so; we share the same view point. Music is a celebration and the honesty that exists within all of us and how you want to express it should be the way you approach music. Will loved the party scene, he loved the LA scene that’s how he expresses his music with The Black Eyed Peas and it’s very fun but with me, it’s much darker and at the same it’s still a celebration and still fun in the music but I approach it  in a much more dramatic way!

Kazemi: Yes, the top 40 stuff is nice sometimes but having a break from it is always good.  I am going to be quite honest with you, I was shocked when I found out “Mirrors” was produced by Akon as he does so much generic top 40 stuff, it’s very dark and fresh and exotic and something that was really cleansing to listen to as everything else on the radio sounds the same, same chord progressions, same party-lets-get-fucking-drunk-and-have-sex lyrics. I can’t figure out what the song is about, does it fall into the ‘everyone is a perfectionist’ muse?

Natalia: Being a perfectionist is about vanity and the self obsession and control and I really wanted to express this on the track “Mirrors.”   It’s not just self obsession, its also self critique. When you do have a certain level of self analysis, you know you really want control over everything like a perfectionist does, it can over lap into intimate situations and more hedonistic situations, I really wanted to make a celebration about desire, control and vanity in a song. When I first started working on the song, I was really inspired by the Eurhythmics and when I was expressing that to Akon, we really pushed it in that direction and a lot of people were comparing it to [Natalia sings "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" by the Eurhythmics.] It’s very moody.

Kazemi: It takes you to a realm.

Natalia: Yeah! It’s hypnotic but at the same time it’s just me being myself within that parameter, I had a lot of fun with that song.

Kazemi: Was it a bit more explicit in its early stages?

Natalia: Totally! I don’t know if that version leaked but Akon was like “It would be so funny, if this was this lyric.”  Of course, we were having a laugh it was probably 5:30 in the morning, so I was like “Hahaha!  Ok! Why not!”   There is always more provocative versions because you’re in the studio and you’re expressing so quickly. With some of my songs I’ve changed the lyrics fifty  million times because I don’t rest until I’m satisfied  and you know just because I’m a song-writer doesn’t mean I get it right absolutely every single time… So I’m pretty sure, a million versions of everything will eventually explode into the world but that was a really fun moment with Akon, it was just as crazy as possible.

Kazemi: Did you write most of the album during the night?

Natalia: Definitely, I don’t think I can write in the day.

Kazemi:   So the rest of the album must rub off from “Mirrors?”  Lyrically, what inspired you and how did you become obsessed with perfection and how did one word, idea, goal become such a creative galaxy in your dimension?

Natalia:  Wow! Amazing! Well it’s interesting; I just really believe were all perfectionists. You know what it’s like when you’re a kid and your teacher asks you “Oh! What do you want to be when you grow up?” You are told stories and fairy tales, the prince and the princess and the knight fought the battle and the king and the queen and they won and everything is “I want to be an astronaut or I want to be a model.” We are all taught from day one  of our existence to follow an ideal  and good is good and that’s an ideal you should have and evil is bad and you shouldn’t  want to surround yourself around  anything bad.. Crime is bad, marriage and love is good… Don’t be too ambitious or you’ll get disappointed! Don’t try to get an artist job and get a degree and don’t be a singer and move to Hollywood [Laughs.] Were filled with this train of ideas and then were told “Don’t be too idealistic.”  My album and perfectionism is really about all of us, we all want the ideal… You know when you go on a date or you look for a job interview! You really are looking for the best! You go shopping, you don’t want the crappy coat, and you want the fresh coat. You don’t want the crappy shoes that have no style, you want the sick ones. That’s what it is, were all perfectionists were all looking for the ideal. Now the only thing I have to tell you are the album has nothing to do with perfection, perfectionism and perfection are absolutely separate.  It’s about dealing with things that have gone horribly wrong, dealing with struggle in the most perfect way and finding happiness through imperfection, through heartache, through betrayal, through being broke and not being successful. That’s what perfectionism is about to me, finding happiness through the disappointment.

Kazemi: It’s extremely fascinating and exciting! It’s incredible what inspiration can create!    As a debut album your songwriting/producing credits stand out nicely, you have Fernando Garibay covering the super pop, Akon, Jeff Bhasker and Ron Feemster, who did Early 2000 Brandy, the last Michael Jackson record and worked for Dr. Dre covering the R&B light. Working on this album, did you go into the project intentionally knowing you would oblige from having all these different sounds on one record or did it happen organically?

Natalia: I don’t know if you know I don’t just write my own songs, I co produce. So when I went into the studio with all these producers, I played exactly how I needed my sound to be like. What was wonderful is that they are all incredible musicians as well as incredible producers. So, they literally interpreted my idea in their most expressive way, the album only has one sound and that’s the Natalia Kills sound, it’s my sound. It’s because when we working on the music, everyone gave their own interpretation of their experience of being in my presence, working with me and being friends with me and laughing… I knew what I wanted and I was very specific, it’s my sound and it has to be dramatic and suspenseful, it’s inspired by film, Kate Bush, Queen, Depeche Mode. Everything, even rock bands Hendrix, Sex Pistol… When I went in the studio and had the opportunity to really explain to people my specific desires, they really did a wonderful job on interoperating a vision and sound that was created together!

Kazemi: What do you want a listener to get out of listening to your music? Do you want them to become robots and start to think that someone needs to activate someones heart; boys are zombies, mirrors cracks? If someone who has never heard of your music and they listen to it, what would you want their first impression and thought in their mind to be?

Natalia:  My music is honest, it’s a celebration of every situation and every emotion and that’s how I want people to feel. I don’t want people to feel like “Oh I can only be happy and dance to a dance track that’s talking about I’m drinking in a club and taking shots and shaking my body.” I want people to dance through the pain and through the suffering and if you don’t even have money to buy a drink, you are still dancing and having fun through that. It’s not necessarily about dancing; it’s about enjoyment and relating.  So, for my music it’s really about a celebration of everything! “Love Is A Suicide!”  The darkness of wonderland, the hedonism of mirrors, it’s about being able to celebrate every-situation. The heartbreak, the defeat, the disappointment, the betrayal and being able to really fist pump and dance through that!

Catch Natalia on tour with Robyn this fall:

11/5 – The Fillmore in Miami Beach, FL
11/6 – Club Firestone in Orlando, FL
11/7 – The Ritza Ybor in Tampa,FL
11/8 – Buckhead Theatre in Atlanta, GA
11/10 – Terminal 5 in New York, NY
11/12 – The Sound Academy in Toronto, ON
11/13 – Metro in Chicago, IL
11/14 – Fine Line Music Café in Minneapolis, MN
11/17 – Club Nokia in Los Angeles, CA
11/19 – Venue Vancouver in Vancouver, BC
11/20 – Wonder Ballroom in Portland, OR
11/21 – Neumos in Seattle, WA
11/23 – The Warfield in San Francisco, CA

and buy her Remix EP of her debut single, Mirrors, on iTunes tomorrow.

LINK LOVE: Alex Kazemi