culturedesigners

By Natology

By definition Wayward is the way of the traveler; the one that’s in it for the adventure. Destination is a relative space and in this particular story it’s a bifocal path made for riders. Motorcycle riders that is. Wayward is a menswear collection developed by Los Angeles designer and motorist, Sam Adegoke. It’s a collection made from a sharp style influenced by a lineage of West African tailors, the edge of a well traveled gentleman, and the consciousness of a rider. In other words, it’s a premium line of denim and leather designed to keep our dapper riders safe. Not mad at that. My vote is on enhancing the safety and lifespan of well-dressed men.

Sam’s vision is two-fold. Alongside Wayward is the Helmet Project, a non-profit that focuses on improving rider safety in developing countries. The Helmet Project will launch in West Africa this year, bringing education, equipment, and advocacy to Liberia. His first destination is as calculated as the abrasion resistant lining of his garments. Transitioning from the end of a civil war in 2003, Liberia is in the hands of the first female black president and is well on its way towards rebuilding a nation that could very well shape a continent. There is an intrinsic camaraderie amongst riders and Sam is building a movement that connects across the socio-economic spectrum. I’ll be writing a lot more about Wayward, the Helmet Project, and a Natology collaboration in the months to come. In the meantime, here are shots fromWayward’s launch at ConceptLA.

By Yuri Tuma

What is the philosophy behind a “concept store?” After speaking with Alessandra Gold, a Miami fashion designer from Brazil and owner of Alessandra Gold Concept Store, the answer became very clear and business forward.

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By Natology

Speaking of lone rangers wearing cowboy hats in rugged landscapes shot vertically, the Richard Prince exhibition reminded me a lot of my friend David Tamargo’s Urban Hunter. David and I went to school together, and I will forever be a fan of the way this guy can shoot a landscape. Long exposures, Leica 35mm film, color and dark rooms made David the artist he is today. I’m happy to see such a strong correlation between his recent work and that of Prince’s. Not that it surprises me, but it’s always inspiring to see these types of connections. They’ve got their finger on the pulse of something, and I think David’s got a good story to tell.

Urban Hunting is the bigger picture, it focuses on creating and documenting situational fantasy where Tamargo and his characters hunt/interact with man-made animal sculptures found in urban environments. The Urban Hunter, which he developed two years ago for an Art Basel solo exhibition with Fordistas and Product81,  focuses on the main character of the story. He’s shot vertically and almost identical in composition as Richard Prince’s Cowboys. There’s an interesting similarity between the two, including an element that inspires fashion.  If friends are a reflection of who we are and how we think, then I couldn’t be more honored to be a friend and a fan. I’ll leave you with his perspective on Urban Hunting and a taste of his work. Pay attention to the composition, lighting, color and saturation in his night shots. There’s a whole lot of magic happening in there.

By Natology

Richard Prince’s Cowboys opened last night in Beverly Hills at Gagosian Gallery. In his current exhibition, Prince tells the tale of a lone man wandering the great outdoors. The story is told in the form of abstract paintings over beautifully enlarged inkjet prints of characters from frontier-books. Prince’s Cowboys are presented in vertical compositions that challenge general notions on how landscapes are typically shot. Focusing on each cowboy, Prince reduces the background landscapes abstractly with colors that mirror a California sunset, neon details and all.

In true Gagosian fashion, Prince’s show opened the week of the Oscars bringing out his most established endorsers. Among his fans were John Waters, Terry Richardson, Elton John, Pamela Anderson, Mario Testino, and 90s crush Jared Leto. No doubt this was the place to be and I was living for the fashion. The crowd was dressed to the nines, which is no surprise given Richard’s presence in le monde de la mode. In 2007, his Nurse series inspired a collaboration with Marc Jacobs that produced the Louis Vuitton’s Spring 2008 collection for which my jaw is still dropped. Here’s a couple of pics from the show and some of my favs of his works. Check out the babe in the Burberry Prosum Spring ’13 trench, can’t wait till I’m wearing the runway : )

The Urban Hunter

Massi

Richard Prince’s Cowboys

Richard Prince’s Cowboys

John Waters and Terry Richardson

Terry Richardson and Elton John

Vera Wang

John Waters and Terry Richardson

For Licht Feld Gallerist Fredy Hadorn Art Really is a Process of Illumination

By John Hood

He’s The Chelsea to their W, the Yello to their Blue Man Group, the Janelle Monae to their Alicia Keys. If this were the ‘50s, he’d be Chet Baker and they’d be Elvis.

If this were the sea, he’d be a Bond speedboat and they’d be Onassis’s Cristina. In the whirl of high fashion, he’d drape Gautier and they’d bauble Gucci. In the rush of high altitudes, he’d base jump and they’d simply skydive.

In the real world though, he’s Licht Feld gallerist Fredy Hadorn and they’re Art Basel, two singular sensations who’ve made much of one doubly good Swiss city, and whose city has come to mean much to the whole wild world.

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