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DISPATCH: PARIS 2
DISPATCH: PARIS
AS REPORTED BY CATOR SPARKS
There were a lot of first for me...
It was a great pleasure to meet über bear daddy Walter Van Beirendonck
and check out his new collection inspired by tubes, (ahem).
I previewed the new Façonnable collection shot live by Helena Christensen.
I sat on a Japanese Toto toilet at Colette. Toto, has hired Tyler Brûlé
as their marketing person. Woosh!
I took in my first Hermes show. Or was it Zara?
I shook it down to the ground at Regine’s for the Pony Step party.
Why don’t we have something like that in New York? Sigh.
Finally, I saw the first sign of Valentines Day in the City of Love-
a cactus shaped like a heart. Love hurts. How French.
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DISPATCH / PARIS
DISPATCH / PARIS
As reported by Cator Sparks
It’s been a long time since I’ve been in love with Paris. My last several visits have entailed rotten taxi drivers, queeny waiters and begging gypsies yanking at my cravat. But there’s something to be said about Paris during fashion week. There’s a snap in the air! Every building, street and monument sparkles. Maybe it’s because handsome editors, buyers, models and clothes, are constantly inspiring me. Yes, in Paris everyone dresses better. As my friend Anna said, “They God damned well better or they aren’t getting into the shows wearing trainers like they can in NYC!”
Besides the shows, there are always the little things about Paris that inspire. Take the font of the Café Charlot.
It’s a dream in rouge and whimsy. And speaking of, look what they’ve done to The New York Times- A frites wrapper?
Even with Obamamania reaching new heights here, they still find ways to take a jab don’t they?
Last night, after the Raf Simons show, I had drinks in the Defender Bar in the Hotel du Louvre. It was as close to stepping into Diana Vreeland’s Billy Baldwin-designed scarlet red living room, as I will get. Even the water came with a dash of red currents in the bottom of the glass. The experience was heightened by the jazz quartet that was jamming while we drank. Classic standards like Night and Day and My Love Is Here To Stay, wafted through the air. The music, the décor and the cocktails had us in nirvana until the bill came; 80 Euros for three drinks. I guess the recession hasn’t hit Paris yet. No matter, we paid and dashed out to a nearby café for a nightcap where we ran into Tim Hamilton. Tim is in town with his crew presenting his Fall collection. We’re taking a peak on Sunday. When the last White Russian was sipped we dashed back to the Marais. An early night was much needed as tomorrow’s gonna be a late one at the Pony Step party. What does one wear to such an event?
Riding Boots?
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DOWN SO LONG
YOUNG LORDS ONLINE:
MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/younglords
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Young-Lords/23186077901
BUY THE ALBUM ONLINE HERE:
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/RodeoSongs/dp/B001KWLX26/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1231360318&sr=8-2
Emusic:
http://www.emusic.com/album/Young-Lords-Rodeo-Songs-MP3-Download/11270291.html
++++++++++
TEXT:
DOWN SO LONG
PHOTOGRAPHED BY GUY AROCH
for thecontributingeditor.com
What comes first, the music or the fashion?
The Young Lords, New York’s new smokin’ band has been regaled by the
fashion flock over the past year and been receiving buzz for their trendy
Saturday night parties. But is it all just skinny jeans and fop top hair that is
getting them noticed? Hardly. The band’s raw vocals with a tinge of
Southern Rock has been getting the boys lots of hype at SXSW and CMJ
as well as the opportunity to open for UK band, The Fratellis. But getting
to know the boys a bit better, music has been in their blood long before
the PBR was.
Growing up in Austin, Texas a city well known for it’s artistic side (the unofficial
town slogan is ‘Keep Austin Weird’) brothers Blair and Reed van Nort’s parents
encouraged them to check out new music. As lead singer Blair explains, “I was a
weird kid, I collected old jazz records. My mom would buy them for me at the
used record shop. Of course there was always a country element to what we
were listening to growing up in Texas too. Then one day she gave me The Clash
and Bruce Springsteen and it really opened my eyes to what else was out there.”
Reed grew up more of a punk kid but soon began listening to the country tracks
his brother was digging and they decided to start their own band. Having a band
in Austin is as unconventional as Sbarro in a strip mall but these boys knew they
had something and kept on going with it.
Blair met bassist Max Kamins when he came to New York City for school.
Max is a born and bred New Yorker. He demurely explains that he too grew
up surrounded by music because his father was a DJ. What he leaves out is
that his father Mark Kamins, is a DJ hall of famer who helped Madonna
out with her first tracks and produced The Beastie Boys first single for
Def Jam. Although he admits that the house music genre has never been
inspiring for him, the fact that music has always been in his life has certainly
helped. When the boys met out on the town the brothers explained to Max
how they were starting a band. Max was working on his own band and they
decided to meld their ideas and hit the ground running. Guitarist Adam
Gerard came into the mix when Blair met him at The New School and the
newest addition to the band is Grant Anderson on drums, an old Austin
friend who decided to move to New York.
With the lineup well in place they were ready to rock. Unfortunately the
industry was a bit slow on the uptake. “We had two or three people say they
would help us out on tracks and everything just fell through,” laments Blair.
They finally got some tracks laid down and things started happening.
Living in New York has certainly helped them acquire buzz. Blair agrees that,
“In some ways the fashion crew in NYC have more of an eye of what’s cool
than the music industry. Fashion editors hear us perform and then call us up.”
He continues, “the music magazines aren’t going to review us because we
aren’t on a big label so we started our own.” How is that going for them?
They opened for The Fratellis at Irving Plaza to a sold out show. “That was
an amazing night for us. It was funny we were not nervous at all. I guess
playing in your basement for so many years gears you up to be ready for the
big time,” joked Reed. The Young Lords also host a hugely popular dance
party at Home Sweet Home every Saturday night that has been voted one of the
best in the city. Next up for the boys between touring is a Tuesday night gig
at Webster Hall Studios where they will forgo the weekly dance tunes for a
real rock and roll throw down.
Giving even more love to the fashion flock, the boys all agreed the rowdiest party
they played was for a Danish fashion magazine at Santos Party House. Blair tells
us that, “it was such fun because fashion kids love to get wasted and rock out.
Sometimes we perform and everyone just stands around. Some people
who are really into music are so focused on the band, sound and vocals they
forget to have fun. That is definitely not the case with the fashion crowd.”
Music nerds take note.
- CATOR SPARKS
++++++++
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THE BOOK: FOOTBALL
THE BOOK
Sports photographer Neil Leifer’s storied career
began in 1958 when he took Alan Ameche’s game-winning touchdown
during what is known as “The Greatest Game Ever Played.”
Now, Taschen has culled the best photos from Leifer’s 10,000 rolls of film
and put them together in Guts and Glory: Golden Age of American Football,
Art Edition. Leifer has captured many iconic moments in pro-football history,
including one at the 1962 Championship in New York, when he shot Giants
quarterback Y.A. Tittle standing over a wood fire on the sidelines as a blizzard
descended on the stadium. Jim Murray, the former sports columnist for the
Los Angeles Times, introduces the tome with a selection of the best sports
columns of the era, the perfect complement to Leifer’s stunning photojournalism.
This exclusive Art Edition of 200 numbered copies is signed by the artist, and
the first 100 books include a chromogenic print of “Johnny Unitas” from 1964.
As the Super Bowl approaches, what could be more perfect than a few
hours spent brushing up on football history? As if the photography isn’t
reason enough to pick up a copy, consider reading this your spring fashion
homework. Sports references are a perennial men’s fashion favorite, and this
season there was no shortage of athletic influences on the runways.
-SAM PAPE
+++
buy online:
www.taschen.com
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I WANT YOU
I WANT YOU
exclusively for thecontributingeditor.com
PHOTOGRAPHED BY THOMAS WHITESIDE
Fashion Editor: Matthew Edelstein
FASHION CREDITS
SPREAD ONE:
Mark wears a Tom Ford
robe, Michael Bastian
swimsuit, Mosley Tribes
sunglasses and
Louis Vuitton shoes.
SPREAD TWO:
Vladimir wears a Dolce
& Gabbana swimsuit.
SPREAD THREE:
Logan wears a Ralph Lauren Purple Label shirt
and Michael Bastian shorts.
SPREAD FOUR:
Vladimir wears a Louis Vuitton shirt
and Tom Ford swimsuit.
SPREAD FIVE:
Mark wears a Burberry tank,
Missoni shorts and Louis Vuitton shoes.
SPREAD SIX:
Andrey wears a Gucci jacket
and Hermès shorts.
SPREAD SEVEN:
John wears a Calvin Klein swimsuit
and Tom Ford slippers. Etro towel.
SPREAD EIGHT:
Andrey wears an Yves Saint Laurent henley,
Burberry swimsuit and Louis Vuitton shoes.
SPREAD NINE:
John wears a Z Zegna shirt,
Gucci tank and Speedo swimsuit.
SPREAD TEN:
Logan wears a Tom Ford robe, Prada swimsuit
and his own Old Navy flip flops.
Grooming by: Jason Murillo for Redken
Models: Logan Mcneil at Ford.
Mark Carroll and John Kenney at L.A. Models.
Andrey and Vladimir at Wilhelmina.
++++++++
thecontributingeditor.com exclusive
THE ONLINE MENS FASHION MAGAZINE
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THE BEACH
THE BEACH
exclusively for thecontributingeditor.com
PHOTOGRAPHED BY BLAIR GETZ MEZIBOV
FASHION EDITOR: NAIMA DIFRANCO
GROOMING: LUKE BAKER - JUDY CASEY AGENCY
MODEL: MARCUS AT VNY
RETOUCHING BY EYESCAPES LABS
FASHION CREDITS:
1:
RIGHT: Ralph Lauren cardigan.
Replay henley. Tommy Hilfiger shirt.
2:
LEFT: LL Bean union jack suit. Ralph Lauren scarf.
Southpaw vintage armwarmers.
RIGHT: John Varvatos for Converse henley. LL Bean duofold pants.
Southpaw vintage armwarmers. LL Bean boots.
3.
LEFT: Ralph Lauren cardigan.
LL Bean union suit. LL Bean boots.
Southpaw vintage legwarmers.
RIGHT: Ralph Lauren cardigan.
Replay henley. Tommy Hilfiger shirt.
Abercrombie and Fitch fingerless gloves.
4.
LEFT: John Varvatos for Converse henley. LL Bean duofold pants.
Southpaw vintage legwarmers. LL Bean boots
RIGHT: Ralph Lauren cardigan. LL Bean union jack suit
Replay shirt. Tommy Hilfiger shirt. LL Bean boots.
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