ithinkyoureswell: the blog.

(Concrete Boots AW13 from Black Black Gold)

There is this horrendous cliché that every woman is either a “shoe girl” or a “bag girl”– meaning that we can simply bifurcate the entire female population into either being obsessed with shoes or handbags. The saying is obviously outmoded and irrelevant because there are, of course, many women who don’t really give a shit one way or another what they carry their lip balm and tampons around in (nor about what separates their feet from pavement).

However, this cliché is also inadequate for capturing more narrowly defined interest, like, say, my interest (ok, “micro-obsession”) with what one might call ‘conceptual footwear’. As pretentious and douchey as that term doubtlessly sounds, what I’m attempting to convey with the ‘conceptual’ bit is that often what draws me to a shoe has absolutely nothing to do with its ability to function as a shoe or necessarily even compliment a person’s body or an outfit. It’s all about the “shoe-in-itself” if you want to get Kantian about it. From season to season I find myself lusting over shoes primarily on the basis of their form and material, as you will see below. Let’s get started!

So, for example, last year I became totally smitten with shoes made from wood, and especially really fake looking wood, like the crappy wood paneling that features in several of David Lynch films, contributing to their surrealist, otherworld vibe. One of my ALL TIME favorite designers Proenza Schouler 100% nailed it with these slingback wedges.

These Proenza Schouler Slingback Wedges are more or less ‘Twin Peaks’ in shoe form. 

Only problem is a pair of log lady-approved wedges will set you back a whopping $1,385 . :*-(

I ended up finding some other wooden sculptural shoes that were more within my price range when bStore on London’s famous Saville Row had a sale on these Patty 1 Wooden Platform Sandals from Opening Ceremony. I still long for the fake wood effect look, but the pair I’ve ended up with are actually more interesting and *exceptionally* well made. And all for the much more reasonable price of $176 (original price: $585).

Patty 1 Platform by bStore x Opening Ceremony. Retail price: $585 Sale: $176

**Tip: It’s always worth trying on a pair of shoes outside of your price range because many department stores sell premium shoes with more than $1,000 knocked off the retail price during end of season sales online. So what was totally inaccessible can occasionally become vaguely feasible. The problem is getting your size, but if you’ve already tried them on, then you know if you have some flexibility, if they run small or large, etc. then you can bypass everyone blindly diving into the sales and go straight to ordering them online ASAP.**

Sporting my Patty 1 Platforms by bStore x Opening Ceremony at London Fashion Week AW 2012. (Photo courtesy of Elle UK.)

Even though I am based in London, I was visiting family in the USA when the sale started, so I had to have them shipped to my hometown of Zionsville, IN from bStore London in order to take advantage of the sale. I’m pretty sure that was the first time they ever sent something there. Sounds extravagant, but so worth it. I think I enjoy seeing them every day atop my cabinet like a pair of matching sculptures more than I enjoy wearing them. They are now totally sold out, however if you want to get involved there is another model with the same heel, but with a brogue top that is still available via Opening Ceremony, and is an “Editor’s pick” currently on sale!

More recently I have  been preoccupied with finding footwear that somehow incorporates that clear, plastic substance known as perspex (although in some cases the clear plastic in question is technically PVC, for the sake of clarity I will refer to it as ‘perspex’).

Perspex seems to be in that awkward in between stage where basically all of the high fashion designers have figured it out (or at least copied the idea from someone else) over the last few seasons, but– at least from what I’ve seen– the more mainstream commercial retailers like, Topshop and H&M, have yet to figure out how they are going to translate this trend for the masses. This is annoying because obviously most of us can’t afford to go straight to Simone Rocha (arguably the holy grail of perspex footwear).

Maebird Multi pastel perspex brogues by Rachel Antonoff x Bass, $129. (Image via Stylebubble)

High Perspex Brogues by Simone Rocha, $1,075. Available via Opening Ceremony.  

The challenge here is to find a shoe that still looks nice despite the fact it is essentially made out of the same crap they made those cheap jelly sandals out of in the early 90′s that gave all of us horrendous blisters when we were kids. I should note that jelly sandals are themselves making a comeback though, thanks to their popularity with celebrities like Azealia Banks. I think this look is hard to pull off without looking a little Lolita-esque, but it certainly can be done with some careful styling.

Wear jellies with socks, it looks better and also means you won’t get heinous blisters. 

After a long search, I FINALLY found a pair of stunning perspex/white leather lace-up Oxfords at a new shop in central London called & Other Stories. & Other Stories is owned by the same people than own H&M, but it is a bit higher quality, more along the lines of COS. Price was reasonable at £79 ($120). They have unfortunately sold out now, but you can be sure that similar alternatives will be cropping up soon.

Abigail Lorick Oxfords from & Other Stories, £79 ($120)

For some reason I’ve been really drawn to virtual representations of water lately. I’m not sure why exactly, but the zeitgeist tells me I’m not alone. The above image (sans my text) is actually the cover image of the underground music project Contact Lens (who I am excited to announce I will be interviewing for ITYS this week!).

Brooklyn-based artist Joshua Citarella also posted an image just last week of this truly astounding sculpture entitled “Form Assumes the Container” (2013) made of LCD panels, Acrylic, and Anodized Aluminum.

Form Assumes the Container by Joshua Citarella
2013. LCD Panels, Acrylic, Anodized Aluminum.
3 x 3 x 7.5″

Now check out these flatforms, which like the perspex brogues from above, are also from the new “high concept” store &Other Stories.

Special thanks to my dear friend, Finnish photographer HELEN KORPAK, for introducing me to &Other Stories.

Yo dudes. Spring is here! Just came back from a nice swim in the London Fields Lido, feeling light, limber, and crisp, so I’m going to roll with it and casually throw some tunes up here that I’ve been vibing on lately. Enjoy! 

1. “SNARL” – 18+ ft. AIDS 3-D

I generally have been pretty obsessed with 18+ since my friend Adam Harper (who also happens to be a fancy music critic) put another song of their’s called jet$ on a mix for me. They are a mysterious duo no one knows that much about, but they have a considerable following on YouTube (their preferred platform for dropping new tracks). Their music videos are hilarious, weird, hyper-sexualized, and awkward in that whole spectrum of intentionally early Internet-aesthetics genre where everything looks like it was made on software from 1996-1998.

This track in particular is totally relentless in terms of the bass (laptop speakers will not do it justice, turn on your subwoofer!). It is also probably my favorite of theirs lyrically. The opening line features a female voice seductively singing, “I’m a doggywog…“,  and then launches into a half-rap/half-sung segment that is semi-violent: “Kick her in that throat”, aggressive: “he said lick you feel, gonna make you real, gonna tweak your chunk, fuckin’ deep your trunk“, subtly seductive: “honey, I wanna race, you know my name”  and totally jokes: “warm you up and up like that pecan pie”. I mean WTF is even going on in this song?

The end is *perfectly* executed, with a simple, understated “Oh shit…” muttered to herself at around 2:03, a few seconds of silence, the sound of glass breaking, and the bass drops one last time. It’s satisfying, confusing, and addictive. Which is probably why the YouTube video has 10,000+ views and (at the time of this writing) not a single “dislike”. Perfection.

2. “Play by Play” – Autre Ne Veut

Oh god, where to even begin with this guy?? I first became aware of Arthur Ashin (aka Autre Ne Veut) a couple of years ago when my friend Chris of LUNA Music in Indy gave me his song “OMG” back in 2010. I was instantly captivated by it as it didn’t sound like anything I had ever heard. It also managed to capture that weird, edgy, but kinda euphoric feeling of knowing you are falling for someone, and that they are falling for you, and you don’t have to talk about it, but you both know you can’t be together for whatever reason “cause there’s something there that just ain’t right” and you also don’t want to hurt the person: “I don’t wanna hold you back, I don’t wanna hurt your body”. Very few songs so elegantly capture this anxiety-provoking middle ground between “friendship” and “relationship”.

Anyway, I sort of forgot about him TBH until his new album Anxiety came out and W-O-W, I mean, this might be one of the few albums that on first listen completely blew me away. Despite being quite a different kind of record than his first, it managed to retain the kind of manic, compulsive (maybe borderline desperate?) energy that I originally found so moving on “OMG”.  However, the production no longer embellished Ashin’s vocals under a ton of layers, revealing that he actually has a remarkably strong voice– like “giving Justin Timberlake a run for his money”-strong. A voice that puts him in a totally different class to other “lo-fi r&b”-type projects one might initially be tempted to lump him in with (e.g. How to Dress Well, The Weeknd etc). This is not some guy in his bedroom dicking around on Ableton with layering falsetto vocal loops over obscure early 90′s r&b samples he ripped off cassettes, Ashin is the real deal. The production is crisp and clean, more hi-fi than lo-fi.

Ashin also stylistically draws from many more areas of music than r&b, and in unpredictable and interesting ways. There are elements of classical instrumentation, soul, pop (of course), electro-rock guitar-driven segments reminescent of Ratatat (Don’t Ever Look Back), and I might be crazy but I think I detect some Boris/Merzbow -esque noise/drone going on in the lead up to the breakdown in World War. One of very few records of the last 5 years that is undeniably a step forward for experimental pop music. (Oh and just in case you’re wondering, he is just as good (if not better) live. I saw him perform on two consecutive nights in London and he gave more than 100%, you will not be disappointed.)

3. “HOTEL TAIWAN WELC☯MES U” – 情報デスクVIRTUAL

One of the things I find the most fascinating about the tumblr generation is their ability to reappropriate basically anything and make it into an interesting sub-sub genre that will last 6 months (or less). Think of the sort of music you would expect to be in the background of, like, hotel lobbies in Tokyo in 1994 and airport terminals in Denver in 1995. Muzak that was commissioned as a product at some point by some company to just be unnoticed and subliminally enhance your experience in alienating public spaces. Now take that music/zak, and imagine a bunch of kids with ADHD messing with different combinations of hypnotic loops based on samples drawn from this collection of sounds we were never supposed to be listening to this closely in the first place, and you basically have a really crude construal of  a new sub-sub genre called “Vaporwave”. The results are a totally fascinating kind of doom sonic art.

Note: Adam Harper more elegantly personifies it in his Dummy magazine article as a “doomed Japanese businessman roaming the halls of the virtual plaza with a vacant grin on his wrinkling face”. Genius.

4. “Five Seconds” – Twin Shadow

[WARNING: Video is pretty uhh... violent, so maybe NSFW?]

Many of you will already be familiar with George Lewis Jr. as Twin Shadow, a longtime favorite of ours since his brilliant album Forget was released in 2010 on Terrible Records (the Brooklyn-based indie label, co-run by founders Ethan Silverman and Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor). This is the first single released from his follow-up album Confess, and it continues with the 1980′s/Morrissey vibe, but takes it totally next level into smooth-talkin  motorcycle dude territory. Lewis appears to evolved into a somewhat tougher/slicker character here, but without sacrificing sincerity or accessibility. Solid Solid Solid.

5. “Entertainment” – Phoenix (Blood Orange Remix)

TBH I’ve been over the French band Phoenix since Lost in Translation came out, but this remix by Dev Hynes (aka Blood Orange) benefits from being reworked by the powerful vocals of the original Sugababes line up, singing the chorus lyric “I’d rather be alone” as well as a beautifully integrated and arresting guitar solo from Hynes that conveys exponentially more emotion than the original mix. A lesson on how production can truly make or break a track.

That’s all for now. Watch out for PART II coming soon!

BY: STEPHANIE MALIK

You do NOT shut down Dame Vivienne Westwood.

While admittedly not the most shocking headline in the world, the fact is this year’s Met Gala, celebrating the opening of the new “Punk: Chaos to Couture” exhibition at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, did not only fail in the ordinary way we would expect this sort of high-profile, media-blitzed event to fail to live up to its punk theme, it managed to epically fail by contradicting itself in ways we actually didn’t even see coming.

First and foremost, the hopeless live stream coverage thwarted what was basically the Met Gala’s only chance to garner any punk legitimacy when it shut down Dame Vivienne Westwood—quite plausibly the most important punk designer in the history of fashion, and one of the only original punks in attendance. After embarrassingly asking Dame Westwood which designer she was wearing (#lol/cringe), the vacuously sycophantic host Billy Norwich actually cut her off in the middle of her explaining why she had a large photo of Bradley Manning, the soldier at the center of the Wikileaks debacle, with the word “TRUTH” underneath, pinned to the front of her gown.

Norwich single-handedly destroyed what would have been the Met Gala’s only actual punk moment. Unsurprisingly the rude treatment of punk fashion’s veritable fairy godmother sparked considerable outrage from viewers on twitter, but even more alarmingly, it wasn’t even the most tragic moment for the history of punk fashion that evening.

Predictably there were a number of derivative accessories incorporating spikes, studs, and safety pins (or as in the case of Carey Mulligan, one single giant safety pin). There was also the odd bit of dyed hair, notably Nicole Richie’s silver quiff (which was actually pretty rad), Lily Collins’ blue streaks, and Diane Kruger’s token pink dip-dyed ponytail. There was some more daring heavy Siouxsie Sioux eye makeup (January Jones, Ginnifer Goodwin), as well as a fair amount of leather, plaid, and intentionally tattered fabric. But mostly it was total yawn-town.

Want to press the snooze-button. 

The vast majority of guests couldn’t even conjure up a clichéd gesture at “punk fashion.” Sure Cameron Diaz’s clearly ad hoc spiked belt totally clashed with her deep purple Stella McCartney dress, but, hey, at least she was trying right? The overall lack of risk-taking—together with the striking abundance of pastels—seemed to indicate most Gala guests (at the most generous level of interpretation) chose to completely ignore the punk theme altogether.

True it is a bit pathetic that despite having several months to prepare something that pays homage in some way to the history of punk fashion, these people still come up with nothing. But should we be rushing to say “shame on them”?

Katy Perry missing the point. Completely.

There is at least some argument that in this context to try and fail to be punk might actually be worse than to have never tried to be punk at all. Here I’m referring to the greater portion of the Met Gala’s guests who were presumably making an effort to adopt a punk style, but ended up confusing it with “goth” style.

Case in point: Katy Perry, who unquestionably looked amazing in her heavily embroidered Dolce & Gabbana gown and bejeweled golden crown, but the religious iconography and Byzantine-styling, firmly places the look in the realm of the Goths, not the Punks. [Bonus points are owed to Perry for wearing a dress from the D&G collection that reminds us of the botched Jesus fresco from that Spanish cathedral, #megalol.]

I would seriously buy this. ^_^

The pervasive conflation of goth v. punk culture at the Met Gala is especially embarrassing during a punk fashion retrospective as it demonstrates a total lack of understanding as to how the two distinct styles have influenced the lineage of some of fashion’s most important designers, including McQueen, Lacroix, Westwood, and Rodarte. This not only effectively contributes to the stereotype that fashion is meaningless drivel that doesn’t deserve a place amongst more “serious” artforms, it also directly degrades the two subcultures involved by indiscriminately lumping them together.

To outsiders it might at first glance seem like I’m splitting hairs here, as it’s true goth style sometimes incorporates elements of punk (re: an affinity for black, metallic jewelry, and fishnets), but as a former goth myself I can assure you the differences are far-reaching and crucial.

Punks v. Goths: A Crucial Distinction.

Goth style, for example, evolved from a fascination with the morbid, taking cues from the clothing worn by the mourning in the Elizabethan and Victorian eras, hence all the black, corsets, veils, and the interest in religious and occult symbols largely absent from punk. Jennifer Lawrence’s veil? Goth. Rooney Mara’s delicate white lace Givenchy gown by Ricardo Tisci? Goth. Rachel Roy’s massive black cross? Couldn’t be more goth.

The Goth attitude is also totally distinct from that of punk. While punks are interested in actively subverting mainstream society, and might be seen aggressively protesting some political issue by angrily screaming some anarchist motto taken from a Crass song, Goths are melancholic, a subculture demarcated by its passive nihilism rather than its activism. Consequently goths are more likely to be found locked away in their rooms crying silently in existential solitude while listening to the Cure, or hanging out in a graveyard writing poetry about their perpetual longing to be dead.

A good litmus test: Punks can beat up Goths, but never vice versa. 

This “Gothic tomb with Angel” might appeal to a goth, but would likely not appeal to a punk.

In light of this distinction, we can see how the misguided gothic looks we saw coming from the likes of Anne Hathaway, Alexa Chung, Jessica Biel, Rosie Huntington-Whitely, and many others also constitute utter punk fashion fails. The punk aesthetic results from an entirely different spirit and attitude than that of the grieving goth from which these gowns are descendent. Regardless of how good they may have looked, by conflating these two distinct styles they have arguably done a worse job commemorating the history of punk fashion (and perhaps also the history of fashion, in general) than those who chose to ignore the punk theme completely.

The Met Gala has undoubtedly been one of the most important annual events for moving fashion forward, and celebrating where it has already been, since its inception in 1948. Unfortunately, the various missteps of its guests this year—together with the disrespectful treatment of Dame Westwood and all that she represents for punk fashion—have caused more than mere stagnation, it’s the worst example of fashion contributing to the erosion of its own history.

P.S. And about this monstrosity, that is some heinous hybrid of NASCAR flame detailing and 90′s tapestry vest prints, all I can say is “Why Bey, Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy???????”

I saw this editorial the other day and found it so refreshing. Not only does model Chloe Norgaard pop like popcorn with her rebel rainbow inspired hair, but her smile is so invigorating and she’d decked out in Dries Van Noten Spring/Summer 2013 — drooling! One of my favorite editorials of the season for sure. Photographer Angelo Pennetta and stylist Sara Moonves truly work magic together.

I would for sure try out the tank this summer if my budget would allow…

I have never really been into plaids, but wow, Dries is such perfection.

I would so be down to get a slurpee with Chloe this summer if she’s in NYC!

date: 2013

model(s): Chloe Norgaard

photographer: Angelo Pennetta

-antwan

I did a little catch up with Xavier a couple of months ago after seeing him perform for the 5th Year Anniversary of Fool’s Gold — the label he was recently signed to. I walked around the West Village with X and some of his goons for a lil while — check out the photos & interview below and also peep the track (below) GrandeMarshall released about a week ago feat. Saudi Money called “Dedicated” — flows so sick make ya need baking soda.

Full Name:      Fed Swatching
Age:                    19
Status:               High Usually

Money make my ___________________.     sweatpants in Downtown LA

First person you called after signing to Fool’s Gold?     Shit, my homies to make sure they could mob out with me at the 5 Year Anniversary that night.

Favorite place to get an NY meal?     Crown Fried in Jamaica

Funniest on twitter?     My mans @SHERMDEUCE or @TravisBarkerson, easy.

Raddest blog?     The homie Mat over in France runs nothingbutdailypoetry.blogspot.com, grosgros.fr is a good one. I run thru a good number of blogs and allat in the little spare time niggas have.

One thing on the internet you want?     87 Caprice Classic. Something I can make my own.

all images/interview by Antwan Duncan

The Autumn/Winter 2013 collection of Astrid Andersen speaks volumes while not relying on crappy word tees to do so… This is exactly what I’m into these days and I think that such forward movement in fashion is exactly what 2013 should be about. This collection is so “basketball luxury” — I swear this collection makes a person like me who pretty much hates organized sports wanna suit up and hit the courts! And then go to sleep and wake up in the same damn thing and do it all over again! Doesn’t this collection resemble something Rashaad Newsome would make if he were in the fashion game?

I love the first look (at the top) it’s my favorite — and most people probably couldn’t picture me in something so sporty but with the materials being crushed velvet/velour & the colors so rich and thick — how could anyone resist? I love the pairing of such feminine fabrics/hues with masculine forms/outerwear shapes — it’s a sweatsuit but, but it looks like I could wear it to Peter Lugers without be accosted for having no jacket!

Something about this collection just makes me want to play basketball and eat pâté all day. I’d look so fly doing it.

Astrid really nailed this collection. The above look just says GUCCI MANE all over it and you know I’m all about that life.

Astrid, if you are ever in NYC — can we please hang out? Or hey, if you want a dope trap dj for your next collection — wanna fly me in?

Stay fly.

Antwan

(images via Style.com)

I went to Detroit & Ypsilanti for two weeks and took more photos than my iPhone’s 16 gb capacity could accomodate…and more than I was willing to upload to my instagram  and facebook too. Soo here they are. A buncha selfie’s, random Detroit ruin, friends, strangers, food, and yea, you get the picture — no pun, but no really though, I plan to just dump a ton of dope shit here. haha.

All the 35mm stuff will go on FORCESKIN.

Oh crap, I discovered SnapChat on this trip…if you know, you know, if you don’t — get involved.

here we go:

One of the last times I will see those beautiful frames…sighs…

I promise not to hold back. lol. Even the embarrassing stuff like this…

I actually despise photos like this for the most part. I actually think it’s pretty insane to think that many professional photographers would even include something like this in their portfolios…the nerve.

no idea why my tongue is always out! bad.

I forget the name of this place, but this salad was amazing and like 5 bucks! Huge. I took most of it home. This bar/restaurant was pretty much empty at lunch time.

lol, it was FREEZING and snowing/sleeting/wet slushing from the sky and this dude is in the streets…in a t-shirt and shorts…I can’t.

true? www.honestjohnsdetroit.com – 488 Selden St, Detroit, MI 48201

40 oz of Old Milwaukee for all the hardcore folks!

O’douls Amber for the lames.

Me and Meg doing normal people stuff in downtown Detroit. I managed to keep my tongue in this time!

“Nothing Stops Detroit”

My mom worrying about me and Alberto showing me some love.

the start of my SnapChat addiction.

Meg’s gross foot.

Later,
antwan

The other day I was introduced to T.Foxx or better Tiffany Foxx via a terrible video on youtube. I thought she merited my time since she is after all “Lil’ Kim’s new artist” but then I realized that meant NOTHING AT ALL. lol.

(video all the way at the bottom of this post — same position I anticipate the song will remain on the charts.)

As if that weren’t bad enough or trash enough i should say, today I get an email informing me that Tiffany Foxx is not only “Lil Kim’s fashion forward trendy lyrical beast” but she is also “catching both the eyes and ears of radio DJ’s and network news nationwide” with her new video ‘”Twisted” Feat. Lil Kim with a special camero from Disney star, the absolute one and only, Miley Cyrus.”

Camero? Yep, C A M E R O . Not a spelling mistake, b/c that require you to posses a basic spelling skill set…or at least the brain function to SPELLCHECK!

(this is the first image that comes up when you image search “camero” via GOOGLE)

Cameo is what the PR girl meant! OHHHHHHH. like dis.

terrible.

I don’t think I’ve gotten a worse PR email — and I get shit tons everyday. This shit takes the cake.

I don’t even feel like saying the chicks name that sent me this abysmal email because it’s just too fucking embarrassing. like literally. Let’s just say she’s in her mid 30s at least and has a computer with Internet access.

Anyway, if you haven’t seen the video, it’s below and it’s as atrocious as the email. Such dark times on the Internet.

Please enjoy Tiffany Foxx as she “continues to peek curiosity while gaining new fans who she identifies as Goal Diggers along the way.”

PEEK…PEEK??!?!   like dis?

NOPE!!!!!

She meant “pique”, like dis:

but it induced the 1st one….

Sighs. The lyrics, the beat, the producer…..all poor renditions of something Rihanna would have done better in her sleep while battling Shingles and pneumonia.

Why did I mention Rihanna one might ask…hmm, it’s cuz this trash track samples Rihanna’s “Cake” and Lil’ Kim mentions “dollar signs”??? —–> a sad relapse to her failed “Pour it Up” remix/cover/trash track a.k.a. “THROW IT UP” — or as I call it ” THROW IT ALL THE FUCK UP.

(gif via http://cyruspeters.tumblr.com )

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xy10zd

 I’M PRETTY SURE THE VIDEO WOULD HAVE LOOKED MORE LIKE THIS:

if it had not been for Lil’ Kim’s newly acquired cash flow.

peek a boo!

***BONUS FOOTAGE*** 

the PR chick asked that I post some photos from a radio appearance so here are a few with captions and crops by me.

T.Foxx’s legs and Lil’ Kim’s body:

This is Tiffany Foxx shading us all by having the MTV intern shoot this photo in a shadow…tsk tsk. Titties lookin’ nice tho!:

Another photo of the rooster:

WORQ!!! :

bye yall, I gotta go tye-dye with my boo.

-antwan.

Raul Lopez, Dominican Republic and New York based designer presented “Rayo Esquisito” through his label “LUAR ZEPOL” this passed Wednesday during New York Fashion Week for this Fall/Winter. The collection was the truly dark and grimy vibe I had been looking for this fashion week. Cyber! Cyber! Cyber! Ha. Raul is such a conceptual artist and designer, I absolutely love his being. The wired head pieces with the transparent tape made into braided masterpieces — so awesome. My favorite pieces were most definitely the strapped leg warmers and the outerwear. Oh yeah, did I mention Gatekeeper provided the tunes?! Oh yes.

Werk.

Joel slays in this look, c’mon!

all images (35mm) and text (brain) by Antwan Duncan

Sorry for such a late post, but PARKCHOONMOO definitely deserves a little shine for the exquisite show they put on during this past fashion week. Designer Choonmoo Park made form and most importantly function the crux of her collection which featured water-resistant leather jackets, leather patchwork pants, wool trousers, and silks. A palette of black, greys and soft whites ‘colored’ the runway while sleek black boots and stark white athletic sneakers carried models between front and back of house. I would love one of those jackets that the model is wearing in the last image, so dope.

i can’t.

i can always respect a man with long hair.

all image and text by Antwan Duncan
(though some images may have been taken by Caleb.)

I had never heard of Jeremy Laing until this NYFW but I’m glad his name caught my attention as I scanned the Fashion Calendar this season. These are just a few of my favorite pieces from the Toronto native’s Fall/Winter RTW collection — a collection full of surprises, from golden trousers to silk tops and knitwear. Of all the pieces I saw I would have to say that the designers strong point is most definitely knitwear.

Though each piece was flawless, the knitwear was especially well done.

Keep reading →

Hood by Air took everyone by surprise with a bold runway show for New York Fashion Week at Milk Studios yesterday.  I showed up with my dude Caleb just in time to catch some dope a$$, rachet a$$, trill a$$ backstage footage (see what I shot for BULLETT Magazine here) — I’m talkin’ nails did, hair did, everything done did.

I loved all the leather pieces and I especially love how the looks were paired with such sole heavy and bulky boots — Shanye Oliver, the collections designer, uses such  boots as a staple in his daily look and pulls it off like literally no one else. So dope.

The video projections, the amazing music, the smoke machine all set the scene for a very forward and future show.

Sidenote: The smoke machine killed the perfect shot I had of A$ap Rocky as he walked the runway – cameras do NOT like smoke machines!

+++ Pho+os below +++

He’s got UTAH tattooed on his knuckles, but he’s not from the Midwest though.

Never wanted glitter on my nails more before seeing this! So sick!

Keep reading →

What’s up everyone, it’s been awhile, but I’m back and plan to bring you guys/girls/non-identifiers more cool shit,
original content, photos upon photos, parties, interviews, reviews, and a shit ton more. So stay tuned.

What better time to relaunch than Fashion Week 2013, huh? I have a bunch planned, from backstage to runway, I’m
planning to hit check out sooo many brands this year, mostly menswear, from Robert Geller to General Idea,
Alexander Wang, and much more.

I will be updating the blog a ton this season so make this your homepage. lol. Also, check out our instagram(s) for updates
as well: www.instagram.com/ithinkyoureswell and my personal: www.instagram.com/itys .

Best,

Antwan + friends.

Onnys Aho (New York Model Management)

What’s up ya’ll. It’s been awhile since the last update and with good reason… ITHINKYOURESWELL is relaunching in the very very near future and will be better than ever. But enough about that, it’s fashion week, enjoy the photos.

Again, Joseph Abboud proves he is still one of the best in his field. With suits and materials and hues of a brilliant summer to come, Abboud 2013 makes an impression that’s hard to forget.

Zakaria Khiare (Ford Models)

Janis Vilumovs (Request Model Management NY)

Jakob Bertelsen (Wilhelmina New York)

Clement Chabernaud (Wilhelmina NY)

Those are just a few of my favorite looks from backstage at Joseph Abboud Spring/Summer 2013. It’s 5:55AM EST and I’m tired as hell. Imma go to bed.

Night yall.

Antwan.

WORDS & FILM INTERVIEW by STEPHANIE MALIK

IMAGES & FILM by HARLEY WEIR

As part of a behind-the-scenes film for i-D Magazine, I interviewed Edward Meadham and Ben Kirchhoff, head designers of Meadham Kirchhoff, backstage at their larger-than-life runway show at London Fashion Week. In the unexpectedly insightful, and endlessly quotable, interview Barbie is considered a “weird cultural icon” on a par with “Coca-cola”, “God”, and “McDonalds”, while monsters are named alongside 70′s nightlife as a source of inspiration. Most surprising, however, was when it was revealed that this collection is in many ways a celebration of ideas that the reclusive designers themselves find utterly alienating. In the ultimate example of irony, we find that the creative minds behind this glitzy collection inspired by fun, extroversion, and nightlife are actually self-proclaimed loners, and, to be honest, pretty awkward (albeit endearingly so).

Unfortunately, due to various technical difficulties, the sound quality for the film was less than desirable, resulting in a final edit where ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” drowns out large sections of the interview. This was truly a shame as I think the majority of press coverage that Meadham Kirchhoff’s remarkable show has been receiving fails to penetrate its sparkly veneer. By electing to exclusively focusing on the sheer glamour of it all, the press seems to have to some extent obscured Meadham Kirchhoff’s artistic vision, or at least, to have only told half of the story. (Although, to be fair, all of that glitter was pretty distracting….)

Thus, in an attempt to rectify this situation, I’ve chosen to publish the write up, along with a transcript of my interview, here as an exclusive on I Think You’re Swell. You can also watch Harley & I’s film for i-D Magazine below, as well as see several of Harley’s amazing photos from backstage. Enjoy!

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EXCLUSIVE BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW WITH MEADHAM KIRCHHOFF A/W 2012

The atmosphere was intense backstage in the final moments leading up to the spectacular debut of Meadham Kirchhoff’s A/W 2012 collection. With glitter strewn all over the floor, teeth being painted, and models dressed in everything from tinsel trousers to monster-faced coats, backstage was truly a spectacle in itself. Amidst all of the chaos it was no wonder that after the plan for prosthetic caps had to be abandoned at the last minute, Edward asked if anyone had any ibuprofen (it was decided that the prosthetics could not survive the scrutiny of the HD cameras).

Suddenly Ben, whom had up until that point had been largely quiet whilst pensively observing the goings-on, jumped up to deliver an impassioned speech to the models just before their final run through.

“It’s not a freak show. You look the way you do because you are beautiful, not because you are trying to be impressive freaks. It’s not about the audience thinking that you’re something that you’re not. It’s about you, and what we’re trying to make come through is your personality and your individuality.”

Profound words, ones which I think suffice to show that despite the fact that this collection is conceptually centered on the ideas of fun, glamour and nightlife, it would be a mistake to think Meadham Kirchhoff are anything less than sincere about their work.

In conversation Meadham Kirchhoff come across more like artists than stereotypical fashion designers, consistently speaking of their show as though it were purely a platform for expression, rather than a platform for advertising. Speaking to them about their show instinctively felt like a discussion of something closer to an art exhibition than an industry event. Meadham Kirchhoff do not simply stage theatrical shows, they curate an experience.

Even when discussing their collection, it is clear that their artistic vision is privileged over meeting any industry expectations.  “We’re not going to churn something out for the sake of it”, Ben commented, adding “it puts you through pains and stress and whatever else, but it has to be right.”

This sort of attitude on the part of contemporary fashion designers is as refreshing as it is rare. If there is anything the majority of shows at London Fashion Week this season made clear, it is that what has come with the economic downturn is that most designers (or at least those given shows at LFW) will ultimately cater to the best-paying customers– who at this point happen to be largely from the Middle East and China–and, moreover, will do so at whatever aesthetic sacrifice. (This discussion, however, warrants another article in itself, which I plan to write soon.)

In this fascinating interview, Meadham Kirchhoff reveal that their striking collection was not merely an exercise in extremes, nor an attempt to please the fashion industry, rather the collection was in many ways a testament to everything the designers take themselves not to be.

–Stephanie Malik

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INTERVIEW

SM: So is your creative process more a result of looking at references or is it more a result of isolating yourself from trends?

Edward: “Both.”

Ben: “Yeah both.”

Edward: “I totally look at references.”

Ben: “We do not look at fashion at all.”

Edward: “I do not look at fashion, but I do look at references and I do isolate myself, and I think it comes from both.”

SM: For this season in particular were there any highlighted references for you?

Edward: “Trojan, Leigh Bowery, the Coquettes.”

Ben: “Roxy Music.”

Edward: “Monsters.”

Ben: “Nightlife.”

Edward: “The 70’s generally, glam, the idea of fun, the idea of nightlife…the idea of all of these things that I’ve never experienced really.”

SM: So it is supposed to be fun and humorous, but at the same time…

Edward: “Provocative. It’s supposed to be fun. I’ve kind of realized that my only way of being fun or charming or anything other than silent and alone–the only way I communicate that—is through the shows.”

SM: So do you view the shows as a chance to let everything out, like a cathartic experience and otherwise view yourselves as quite quiet?

Ben: “We’re not lonely, but we are loners.”

Edward: “Solitary.”

Ben: “Yes, solitary is a better word. I have a close knit group of friends that I like to see and I never really extend it very far, so the idea of being in a room full of people having fun, I don’t really know how to take part in, it’s very alien to me.”

Edward: “I just said to everyone else, the last five collections have been about everything that I am, and this collection was about everything that I am not.”

SM: What was the significance of the Barbie pins?

Edward: “Barbie had to be there somehow, she’s important.”

SM: Why is Barbie important?

Edward: “Why is Barbie important? Well in the way that any other weird cultural icon is, like Coca-cola or God or Madonna, McDonalds…it’s the same thing, no?”

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WORDS BY STEPHANIE MALIK

Recently I assisted with this film for William Richard Green’s A/W 2012 menswear collection, which was not only part of the collection’s presentation on Menswear Day at London Fashion Week, but also premiered earlier this week as an exclusive on Dazed Digital, the website for London-based fashion magazine Dazed & Confused.

Given that Will’s inspiration for the collection was the football hooligan scene in the late 80′s and early 90′s, the initial reference points for the film were British drama Elephant (the original one from the 80′s directed by Alan Clarke, not the 2003 version) and this unexpectedly controversial music video by French electronic duo Justice, in which a group of menacing young men walk around terrorizing everything and everyone in their path.

As the aesthetic for the film required a particular kind of football punk look– very much esoteric to Britain–we cast models that we felt could convincingly portray these sort of tough “lad” characters (to use a British term, almost “chavy”). (Interestingly, one of the models had recently actually come out of prison!)

Film still from Elephant (1989)

What I think sets this “fashion film” apart from others is that it manages to be more than merely a moving lookbook. As is probably obvious given the lighting, which is often very dark, conveying the mood of the collection actually took precedence at times over simply showing the clothes. The film’s director, Morgan O’Donovan, also did a brilliant job executing the Clarke-style observational documentary techniques using his steadicam.

The music was actually composed by the designer himself, credited under the alias Joe and Will Ask, the name of Will’s successful dance music project (I know, as if he wasn’t already talented enough!). The spoken word overlaying the music is writer and art critic, Richard Dyer, epically reading, of all things, a geography book.

DIRECTOR//Morgan O’ Donovan

FILM CREW//Alistair Allan, Stephanie Malik, Vasilisa Forbes

MODELS//Ben @ Elite Model Management, David Valensi @ AMCK Models, Caleb Dobie @ D1 Models, Jack Appleyard, Joshua Van Egdom

i look silly.

these kids looked cool so yeah, they got two pics.

she’s my favorite of the night. doesn’t she just look so happy? being happy is nice.

bold.

two pics, why not?

sup matt.

this dude was terribly wasted and bro’d out. i watched him spill a drink on a girl’s head. dead serious. it’s funny, but it sux.

dientes bonitos!

i had fun at this party. the djs were awesome!

-antwan