v's diary

2011-09-12T23:31:00.001-07:00

Hermès Unzipped, With Koto Bolofo

September 12, 2011 5:56 pm

During the seven years that photographer Koto Bolofo spent documenting the sacred inner workings at the Hermès headquarters, hardly anyone (even Hermès insiders) knew what he was up to. Like a fly on the wall, he spent his days and nights trailing the craftsmen as they made the Kelly bag and the silk scarves that have come to be synonymous with the historic French brand. At last, in July, he unveiled his epic 11-volume tome La Maison (Steidl). The books, which individually break down the 11 different departments, are an ode to the incredible skill that goes into making every single item. On Wednesday, 33 of the photos will be on display for an exhibit running through September 30 at the Hermès flagship store on Madison Avenue. Here, the passionate lensman talks to Style.com about working as a craftsman, photographing craftsmen.

—Kristin Studeman

You gained unparalleled access to the inner workings of Hermès. How did you manage to do that?
It really is the magic question. I arranged a meeting with Jean-Louis Dumas (the chairman of Hermès at the time)—he had never met me. The work I showed him had nothing to do with craft. They were my personal pictures of flowers, sand, wave motions, and such and he said he liked my work. Then, I told him that Hermès is going nowhere. You have to let the ordinary person know—what is Hermès? How do you make a bag or a shoe? I was really giving it deep to him. I told him, “You have come to the end of the line. You can’t just hide the secret of these elaborately well-made bags. It’s about time to show somebody.”

Wow, that was bold. How did he respond to that?
He stopped me and said, “Excuse me, Koto, where exactly are you from?” It felt like an immigration question. I said, “South Africa.” He was very stunned. It was then that we figured out that my tribe in Lesotho had protected his great, great grandfather from the Zulu attacks. “Therefore, you, Koto, are cousin of mine and you are the only person in this company who can call me Jean-Louis,” he said to me. “Plus, you have carte blanche to do anything you want.” It was like winning the photographic lottery. Immediately, I knew I wanted to start with shoes. I told him, “With the shoe, we can walk together, and then we can do the saddle, and we will ride together.”

What prompted you to want to document the craftsmanship at Hermès in such painstaking detail?
Basically, I had been working for Hermès as a freelance photographer for about ten years. I was doing Le Monde d’Hermès—a nice elegant brochure, and I got bored. I was more interested to find out who made these things. Within Hermès, I felt something was not going forward but rather, around the same thing, and there was a complacency. When you have these luxurious brands, they take it for granted that things will always stay this way. I am a person who sees things need to move on.

During the many years you shot this, it was important to you to keep it as secret as possible. Why and how did you manage to do that?
It was a general honorable man’s agreement I made with Jean-Louis. He held the people of Hermès under his wing and wanted to keep it that way. I was going into a world people had never seen. The motto was “less is more.” Coming from the fashion background, where you use a lot of equipment and assistants, that was not easy. The secret was intense observation. Sometimes, I wouldn’t even take pictures so the cameras were of no interest to the craftsmen. The bees are caught in this hive, working and making beautiful things, and then they stop noticing you. It was like walking a tight rope, and if you lose that balance, everything closes up quickly. You have to break people first. I feel I did that.

You photographed them using a film camera. Why did you choose to do that instead of using digital?
I am not a technical man. I am totally useless when it comes to digital stuff. I still don’t know where this language came from. Mega this and download that, it’s another language to me. Using film—it’s a craft. With film I have 15 frames to be calculated. That spontaneousness—that is the art of photography. I still do all my book projects in film today. The whole project I did by myself. Tripod, cable release, no lights, camera, no assistants, and that’s it.

What about the intricate Hermès processes particularly intrigued you?
That’s a hard question. The surprising department is the specialty department. That department has well-pocketed clients who say exactly what they want and Hermès will make it. There was a guy from Africa who wanted a bag; he actually shot the crocodile himself and brought it in. The stink of the crocodile was so bad but he insisted the bag be made. Brigitte Bardot had a teddy bear made for herself there once. One lady had a bull and it had died and she wanted a bag made from the bull. If you have any a need, they will make it for you.

That is wild. What item is the most painstaking to create?
The saddle. I don’t know if you have ever seen a saddle being made, but it’s very physical. You have to be very strong. I was quite surprised. It looks very elegant, but the making of a saddle, the force you have to put into it is tremendous. Those saddles are there to last. It’s like you are wrestling with the leather.

The saddle was the first accessory Hermès ever made. How was photographing that section?
That was the hardest department. Dumas said, “This is Hermès and those men are proud—this is where it begins.” Lots of macho-ism in there. That was the third department I photographed. Every time I came with my camera, they would hunch their backs so I wouldn’t see what they were doing. Once I broke through, I became one of the family and were would all go out to eat at the local café.

What department were you most fascinated by and why?
I think the most fascinating one was Jeane-Claude Ellena, the perfume composer. He is a fox, I’m a fox, and in the end, we met each other’s match. In my vision, I was going to picnic with him in the lavender fields—it was all so fairy-tale. This man was very closed, though. He said, “There’s absolutely nothing to see here.” I asked to see the lavender fields. He said, “What are you talking about? Excuse me, they disappeared in the 1960’s.” So, I put myself in submission and asked him to teach me. “I write the formulas in my head,” he said.

What comes after an epic 11-volume book?
If you work with a gentleman named Gerhard Steidl, you have a hell of a lot of projects. As we talk, my next book on Lord Snowdon is being printed. I spent nearly two years photo-documenting Lord Snowdon, who was married to Princess Margaret. Also, I am working with Stephen Jones, the hat milliner. We are great chums now and he’s an absolutely fascinating man. I am in the process of doing a book all about him and that’s due out next year.

Photos: Koto Bolofo / La Maison / Courtesy of Hermès

tags: Hermes, Koto Bolofo, Steidl

2011-07-25T00:51:00.000-07:00

SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE

Meet The Muse: Olivia Sandelman

July 20, 2011

Girl-about-town Natalie Joos spends her days casting for shows like ADAM and Yigal Azrouël and editorials for the likes of Mario Sorrenti and Mariano Vivanco, but her passion is vintage clothing. Joos’ blog, Tales of Endearment, spotlights Joos’ “Muses,” impeccably styled girls who share her secondhand obsession. In a new partnership with Style.com, Tales of Endearment’s subjects will preview their shoots right here on Style File.

Olivia Sandelman may be an Upper East Side native, but unlike plenty of the uptown girls in her age group, she’s “vehemently opposed to wearing anything Juicy on the butt.” Sandelman, an It girl on the rise who’s currently making the party rounds, favors vintage, which is exactly why she (and her vintage Bottega Veneta bag) caught Joos’ eye. After falling for her first vintage find—a green suede Jean Muir skirt she found in the “the seemingly wild, steamy, messy, cavernous new treasure trove of smelly incredible clothing” in the East Village—she’s since built up a vintage collection that has filled several closets and, in her words, “consumed my mother’s apartment.” “I wear my heart on my sleeve,” Sandelman tells Style.com. “More often than not, that sleeve is vintage—I have too many of them.” Here, she speaks with Style.com about her style and her love affair with vintage.

—Kristin Studeman

I know you love your books and music. What literary characters are inspiring your wardrobe these days or who do you count as style icons?
I love literary characters! As for style icons, I would have to say Kurt Cobain and Holden Caulfield because I can’t seem to stop wearing in the elbows of my cashmere cable-knit sweaters, popping the collars of my Ralph Lauren blazers, or dating real-life versions of him. Estella, from Great Expectations, because she is so mysterious and seductive. Probably Ms. Havisham as well because in some ways, I can see myself ending up that way, [like] an old bat hanging out in dilapidating luxury in a gorgeous decaying gown.

In addition to your cable knits and Ralph Lauren blazers, what are some of your favorite items in your closet?
My Belgian loafers, Brooks Brothers button-downs with my initials on them, a pair of vintage red and white gingham hot pants, white vintage midriff-baring peasant tops for the beach, Isaac Mizrahi cashmere twinsets, and a black plaid Ralph Lauren gown that I try to wear once a year (around the holidays) because it’s just so beautiful.

Do you have a vintage signature item that you regularly wear?
Yes, how did you know? For my 18th birthday, my parents gave me the most beautiful vintage ring from Fred Leighton—I wear it every single day. It is without a doubt my signature.

What are you on the hunt for these days?
Admittedly, I’ve kind of been jonesing for a vintage skateboard from the seventies—they’re so cool. And, some really great matching vintage silver bangles to engrave as friendship bracelets for my two best friends. I’m not looking for them though; I have a feeling I will just happen upon them some time in the near future.

Everyone has their favorite vintage haunts. Where do you like to get your pieces?
Haven’s House in Sag Harbor, which I think actually might have closed, One of a Kind in London, Relik in London, Come on Eileen in Paris, and New York Vintage in NYC.

Finish this thought: What’s old is new again when…
Someone has fun in it!

For more from Olivia’s shoot, visit Tales of Endearment.

Photos: Natalie Joos

tags: Natalie Joos, Olivia Sandelman, Tales of Endearment

Design your own Dries

2011-07-16T02:02:00.000-07:00

July 14, 2011

Not that Dries Van Noten’s clothes need any alterations, but for a limited time, the Belgian designer is offering his customers the rare opportunity to take a few liberties with his work The “blank” canvas in question is a sleeveless dress from the Fall 2011 collection (called “Daya”). Customers can select up to five of 30 archival prints drawn from his last 12 seasons, and mix and match at will. Whether anyone can mash up clashing prints as well as the master himself remains to be seen. The catch? The service is only available in Berlin, at the new location of the Andrea Murdukis store in Potsdamer Strasse. Do you need a better reason to jet off to Germany?

Available now at Andreas Murkudis, Potsdamer Strasse 77-87, Haus E, 10785 Berlin, through September 15. Customers will receive their dress in October 2011.

—Kristin Studeman

Photo: Courtesy of Dries Van Noten

Pretty.....

2011-07-04T05:32:00.000-07:00

2011-06-12T02:53:00.000-07:00

Q&A

Legendary Lensman Arthur Elgort
On His Life In Fashion Photography

June 6, 2011 12:53 pm

Arthur Elgort—who, tonight, will receive the CFDA Board of Directors’ Special Tribute award—is an industry legend. Over the course of a 40-year career, Elgort has shot for everyone from Vogue and Vanity Fair to Valentino and Karl Lagerfeld. After a stroke last year left him unable to move his limbs, Elgort’s career very nearly ended, but following frustrating months of recovery, the photographer beat the odds and regained movement in his hands and arms. He’s back at work in his large, sunny studio in Soho and recently shot a spread for Vogue’s April issue with his close friend Grace Coddington, who will present him with his tribute at tonight’s CFDA Awards ceremony.

Here, Elgort speaks with Style.com about the changing style of fashion photography, models versus ballerinas, and the new Madonna—his fellow CFDA honoree.

—Kristin Studeman

How did you react when you found out about your CFDA award?
I was listening to a Tchaikovsky piece, I think it was Trio no. 7 or something, and they told me Diane von Furstenberg was on the phone. When they said that, I said, “What is she calling about? I don’t think she wants to give me a job, so maybe she’s got an award for me.”

Your recovery from your recent stroke is an incredible story of perseverance. What was it like to learn your craft all over again?
Terrible, obviously. You know, I couldn’t even hold a camera. I had to start all over again. I shoot differently now. I still take pictures all the time, but it’s not exactly the same. That’s the way it is—I could be dead, so this is a lot better than that.

What would you say makes a great fashion photo?
Well, it can last [a] long ]time] and it’s still good. Would I wear the clothes myself? No. But something about it is nice.

Your candid, “snapshot” style helped to transform the genre.
Well, so they say, yes. I think there were other people there too but they weren’t as lucky as me. I didn’t do it alone, really. I was at the right place at the right time.

Since then, how have you seen fashion photography change?
It’s all the same to me. Except, I notice now the camera is better. Well, not the camera, but what you have is better. If you want to take a picture now, you have your iPhone. My wife has one and it’s wonderful. When I started, you felt like, only I have a camera and no one else does. Now, everyone has one. That changes things, but I am glad I was part of that other thing, though. My daughter is a photographer, too, so that’s interesting. We talk about it. It’s different, you know?

Yes—you’re part of the old guard, but today’s fashion photographers tend to adopt a less-varnished, verité style. I’m thinking of the likes of Juergen Teller and Terry Richardson. What do you think of their work?
]With Terry Richardson] I know the name but I don’t know his style. I know the name because he had a father that was a photographer. In fact, his father was…very good. I couldn’t tell you what Terry Richardson has done, but maybe he is very cool, I don’t know. But I could say that about Steven Meisel and Dick Avedon. I use Steven as a good example because he is still alive. Most of the guys I like are dead—like Penn and Avedon.

Who do you see as an innovator these days, then?
You know, that’s a question for [my daughter] Sophie and not me; I am lost. I don’t know anymore. Now, I just see clothes, they look nice, and I take their picture—I always thought Azzedine [Alaïa] was an innovator.

Who have you enjoyed working with most over the years?
I liked Polly Mellen. She was famous like Grace [Coddington] was, but she was New York. I always like ballet, so I like Balanchine. That was my fun job—I took pictures of ballerinas. I did that before I did fashion pictures. I moved over because I wanted to make money, you know what I mean? I still go to ballet once in a while, but not as much as I used to.

One of my favorite places in the world to take pictures is the Vaganova School in St. Petersburg, Russia, because they haven’t changed at all. Maybe it’s because they can’t afford to—I hope so. Or, maybe they know what they’ve got, I don’t know. Think about all the guys who went there, like Baryshnikov and Balanchine. I love ballet. They say all the greats are dead, but there is always someone new coming up.

Which of your photos are you most proud of?
Here, look at this book, La Révolution de la Mode. There is a photo in here [from an Yves Saint Laurent campaign in 1971]—I was so proud I was included because I was the youngest photographer in there. They gave me a nice layout—they didn’t even ruin it and they usually do. [The photo] is really marvelous.

Look, here is another one [a 1993 photo of Kate Moss]. We went in the restaurant [Paris’ Brasserie Lipp] and those guys were eating. We just asked if we could get on their table and they were more than happy to let us. Kate Moss—she’s the most famous model there is.

You’ve worked with so many famous models—often very early in their careers.
Christy Turlington (above)—I have known her since she began. You know, I believed in her. People thought she was fine, but she wasn’t that great, and I said, “I’m telling you, this is going to go big. I won’t be able to get her myself soon.” Here is when I took her first picture. We went everywhere, you name it, we went there. Certain people know what to do right away. You don’t have to say anything, they just know.

I liked Sharon Stone, I just didn’t use her right away. But all of a sudden she got good and someone wanted me to shoot her. She said to me, “You are doing it because I got good.” I said, “You are damn right I am doing it because of that. It wasn’t because you weren’t good before, but you weren’t that good, so I did Liza Taylor instead. I don’t feel sorry about it all.”

What do you think about your fellow honorees, like Marc Jacobs or Lady Gaga?
Lady Gaga? I don’t know. I have seen her on TV and I think she is good—she’s like the new Madonna, would you say? How do you think Madonna feels about this?

I remember when Marc was just starting—I photographed him—and he worked for Perry Ellis at the time. That’s where he got his break, right? Look what he did.

Is there anyone you haven’t yet photographed that you’d like to?
Oh, I’m sure. Maybe models that I didn’t get that day when we wanted them or something, but I can’t remember specific names anymore. I remember Bill Cunningham said to me once at an event, “Which one is Linda? Which one is Christy? I can’t tell the difference.”

Photos: Arthur Elgort

tags: Arthur Elgort, Azzedine Alaia, CFDA, Christy Turlington, Grace Coddington, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell

Stephen Sprouse vintage glamour.

2011-05-21T00:32:00.000-07:00

Giovanna Battaglia’s Best-Of-Gala Gown—Revealed!

May 20, 2011 3:23 pm

At last night’s amfAR gala in Cannes, one partygoer stood out for us among the rest: stylist andW contributor Giovanna Battaglia, who showed up on the arm of boyfriend Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld in a jaw-dropping, barely-there gown we didn’t recognize. (Internet speculation briefly misidentified it as vintage Versace.)

On a hunch that it was, in fact, vintage, we asked vintage guru Cameron Silver of L.A.’s Decades to weigh in. Silver spotted it straightaway as a Stephen Sprouse. And this afternoon, Battaglia herself wrote in to confirm. The piece, Battaglia says, is a 1992 Sprouse fromRare Vintage, Juliana Cairone’s New York shop. (Longtime readers may remember Cairone from the postcard she sent us from her trip to Hong Kong.) Battaglia paired the gown with Sergio Rossi shoes and clutch and an Emilio Pucci jacket, but the dress itself is clearly the centerpiece. “I was so happy when I found it!” she says. “It’s a true art piece for me.”

Photo: Courtesy of Emilio Pucci

tags: Cameron Silver, Decades, Emilio Pucci, Giovanna Battaglia, Juliana Cairone, Rare Vintage, Sergio Rossi, Stephen Sprouse

Madame Grés: Couture at Work

2011-05-10T23:47:00.000-07:00

Q&A

The Original Minimalist? A Paris Exhibition Reintroduces Couture Pioneer Madame Grès

May 9, 2011

Madame Grès: Couture at Work, curated by Olivier Saillard, the new director of Paris’ Musée Galliera, sheds light on one of the most enigmatic designers in twentieth-century fashion. The designer (born Germaine Krebs) originally wanted to be a sculptor, but her family had other ideas; she trained instead in haute couture. Described by French Vogue’s editor Edmonde Charles-Roux as “a dictator disguised as a mouse,” Grès (left, in 1946) went on to revolutionize couture by refining her unique draping techniques over six decades—as she said, “like someone who didn’t know how.” The show, held at the Bourdelle museum (the former studio of the sculptor Antoine Bourdelle) while the Musée Galliera is under construction, makes a case for the timelessness of Grès’ designs. Style.com spoke with Saillard about Grès’ prescient minimalism, her timeless style, and her modern-day successors (Azzedine Alaïa and Rei Kawakubo among them).

Madame Grès: Couture at Work runs through July 24 at the Musée Bourdelle, 18 rue Antoine Bourdelle, Paris, 33-01-49-54-73-73.

—Rebecca Voight

Why did you decide to do your first Galliera exhibition on Madame Grès?
While doing part one of “The Ideal History of Contemporary Fashion,” covering the seventies and eighties at the [Musée des] Arts Décoratifs, I wanted to show Madame Grès’ work from the 1970’s. She was a very old woman by then, with 50 years’ experience, but her dresses from that period were astounding. Many designers’ work plunges a bit by the end of their career, but Grès had a nervous quality one associates with breakthroughs. The problem was we had very few pieces of hers in the collection, so I wasn’t able to do anything. When I arrived at Galliera I found that the museum has 250 pieces of Grès, so I said, let’s do it right away.

What interests you about Grès?
Her work is very classic and elegant, but it’s also a precursor. She is a bit minimal, before fashion used the word—a bit Belgian, a bit Japanese. For me, doing the show was like becoming immersed in a biography. I began looking at Guy Bourdin’s photos of Grès in the seventies for French Vogue, which heralded a comeback. That’s what I personally adored. This was fashion that wasn’t fashionable. Madame Grès is like an outlaw, she’s beyond fashion, or as the Americans say, she is a “designer’s designer.” Continue reading ›

tags: Azzedine Alaia, Claire McCardell, Comme des Garcons, Madame Gres, Musee Bourdelle, Musee Galliera, Olivier Saillard, Rei Kawakubo

2011-04-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

Chanel collectors opportunity not to miss !!!

Vintage late 70's but 50's style cotton printed skirt by Chanel.

8 signed buttons at the front, 2 side pockets

Signed belt included.

Measurements taken flat

Waist 13,5 inch

Hips free

Total length 33 inch

Price world-wide shipping included 500€

v's diary

Hermès Unzipped, With Koto Bolofo

Meet The Muse: Olivia Sandelman

Design your own Dries

Pretty.....

Legendary Lensman Arthur Elgort On His Life In Fashion Photography

Stephen Sprouse vintage glamour.

Giovanna Battaglia’s Best-Of-Gala Gown—Revealed!

Madame Grés: Couture at Work

The Original Minimalist? A Paris Exhibition Reintroduces Couture Pioneer Madame Grès

Legendary Lensman Arthur Elgort
On His Life In Fashion Photography