54 Shirt: Enza Costa Jeans: Nili Lotan Accessories: Model’s Own threadmagazine.com
Ain’t It Strange Wah-Wah Meet Me in the Morning Moonage Daydream Patti Smith George Harrison Bob Dylan David Bowie Can You Get To That Barracuda Mary Jane’s Last Dance Dirty Work Funkadelic Heart Tom Petty and the Steely Dan M I X TA P EHearbreakers EDITOR’S I Heard Her Call My Name Piece of My Heart Peace Frog Can’t You Hear Me Knocking The Velvet Underground Big Brother & The Holding The Doors The Rolling Stones Company, Janis Joplin Lola I’m Only Sleeping Machine Gun They Say I’m Different The Kinks The Beatles Jimi Hendrix Betty Davis Oye Como Va It’s Too Late Lust For Life Rhiannon Santana Carole King Iggy Pop Fleetwood Mac
56 www.boydfurniture.com
57 prepared her for the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp which she would The group known as the Antwerp Six put attend afterwards. The six members of the Belgian city on the map for fashion the famous group met originally and lovers everywhere in the 1980s when the started working together at the Royal six designers, Walter Van Beirendonck, Academy. They were taught by Linda Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten, Loppa, who was head of the depart- Dirk Van Saene, Dirk Bikkembergs, and ment for over a decade and is credited Marina Yee drove their van to London for much of the success of the school and showed collections for the first and its alumni. Marina, along with the time. Marina Yee is often mentioned last other members, graduated in 1981 and because not as many people know about ventured to London Fashion Week to her or her contribution to the collective. exhibit their collections for the first time. She left the fashion scene shortly after Marina Yee replaced Margiela, as he was showing individually for the first time in originally going to go with the group, but Paris Fashion Week due to the pressure decided to immediately move to Paris of commercializing her art. Yee was born and start his line there instead. in 1958 to a Chinese father and a Belgian mother. Because of her parents’ jobs, MARINA YEE: THE FORGOTTEN MEMBER the family constantly moved to different The London crowd adored the garments cities which gave young Marina many the group showed. It was a refreshing experiences that influenced her entire turn from what had been going on in life moving forward. Her clothing de- the London and Paris fashion scenes. signs and creativity were a huge part of Although Japanese designers such as what made Antwerp the notable fashion Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo had city it is today. just broken into the European market, Every great designer had some the viewers saw how different the clothes impressive feat that showed her first in- of the Belgian group were. It was here terest in fashion design. For Marina Yee, that the press dubbed the group the it was her completely hand stitched skirt ‘Antwerp Six’ because they could not completed at just fifteen. Her formal ar- pronounce their complicated and foreign tistic education began when she enrolled last names. at the St. Lucas Institute of Fine Arts in All of the members’ individual Antwerp in the same year. This is where styles contributed to the success and she would first meet legendary designer praise they received, although they were and honorary member of the Antwerp anything but mainstream. Walter Van Six, Martin Margiela. The school gave Beirendonck uses colorful and playful Yee a creative boost and ultimately fabrics combined with strange and ab- struse head mask motifs.
PA R T 2 58 small fabric company in 2011 and OF presumably still does. Not long after she started her own Belgian and Japanese STYLE workshop in Antwerp that fo- designers both conquered the AND cused on sustainability and works fashion industry in the 1980s and SOUND with second hand fabrics and 90s. It is important to note this textiles, which is still there today. connection between Marina Yee’s Dries Van Noten has an elegant and In 2005 she released a collection roots and her decision to release a abstract style in all of his designs. Contrary to including 30 reworked pieces five piece collection in one Tokyo the previous mentioned, Ann Demeulemeester at Paris Fashion Week. There is store, Laila. Japanese culture has a is known for her bohemian and monochro- a lack of information on any of level of appreciation for avant-gar- matic slim silhouettes. Dirk Van Saene now these details of Marina Yee’s life de and repurposed garments that focuses his discreet and unassuming style into because she is a very private per- I do not believe any other global sculptures and paintings rather than clothing. son who barely shares any details fashion center has. Laila originally Finally, Dirk Bikkembergs’ garments and infa- with the public. She has stated collected archive pieces of Mari- mous military boots consist of dark and muted that she chose this path because na Yee’s first designs and showed tones. she didn’t like the production of them in an exhibit. This and other things. However, we do know that inspirational sources After all received praise for their she began designing for a work, they were encouraged to commercial- ize and expand the production side of their brands. However, Yee did not feel as though it was the right thing to do for her career or for the integrity of her art. Her style, nomadic, secondhand-inspired, and avant-garde, was not to be profit-oriented. The constant discus- sion of commercialization of her art created physical and mental health problems for Yee. She quit the fashion scene and the collective in 1988, sinking into obscurity. During the following years, Marina Yee went unobserved by the public and many people forgot about her and the contributions she had made to the Antwerp Six’s success. Through the rest of the 1990s, she focused on colors in every medium. Marina worked on sculptures and paintings, trying to find the niche she was most connect- ed to as it was said that the fashion industry was not broad enough for her. The turn of the century slowly brought Marina Yee out of hiding and evi- dently into the fashion scene once again. Over the course of the early 2000s, she collaborated with Dirk Bikkembergs on his runway shows, but the exact dates she was on the team are undocumented and unclear.
59 are what drew Yee to release such a small Marina Yee’s success is But Yee’s fleeting participation collection, her first in what was over a decade grouped into the overall accomplish- within the fashion industry does in 2018. The five pieces consisted of two shirts ments of the Antwerp Six. Indeed not equate to a lack of indepen- and three jackets. Staying true to her artistic members such as Ann Demeuel- dent acknowledgement. style, the garments were inspired by second- meester and Martin Margiela deserve hand men’s garments. all of the credit and recognition they Marina Yee centers her designs on receive. sustainability even more so because a lot of her pieces are constructed from recycled and sec- ondhand materials. This is one of the reasons she is so underrated, since there are not many high-end, luxury designers who make their collections based on secondhand finds. Emily Bode is one example of a successful brand which uses pre-owned materials as a corner- stone for her designs. What’s special about these two designers is that they do not just take inspiration from vintage pieces; rather, they actually rework vintage pieces into some- thing new, directly combating climate change and its effects. Although both are fantastic de- signers, Marina Yee has been doing this since the 80s and Bode is from a later generation, becoming popular in the 2010s.
ANN DEMEULEMEESTER P&ATTI 6S0 MITH
61 P A R T 3 OF STYLE AND SOUND threadmagazine.com
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63 Ann Demeulemeester, one of the was depicted with all its complications in expressed androgyny throughout her members of the ‘Antwerp Six’, designs for Smith’s book Just Kids. Her first musical entire time as a designer. Her clothes the bohemian gothic lover. She first showed record, Horses (1975), is where I see the inspire deconstruction, poetic language, in London Fashion Week in 1986 alongside connection with Demeulemeester most and an elegant balance of femininity and the five other members of the iconic group. visibly. Patti Smith wears a simple white masculinity. Ann Demeulemeester uses However, after showing individually for the shirt, a black jacket, and a loose black tie clothing design as a way to depict her first time in Paris of 1991, Demeulemeester on the album cover. You’ll easily find these admiration for poetry, a mutual love shared started to make a name for herself. Her pieces with some sort of modification in by Patti Smith. In her Spring/Summer 2000 designs were such a hit because they were any of Ann Demeulemeester’s runway show, sheer dresses with lines from Smith’s refreshing, youthful, and imaginative, shows. In fact, the two’s friendship was poetry book Woolgathering hung from the something Parisian fashion desperately first kindled when Demeulemeester ceiling (shown above in the bottom right needed in the 1980’s and 90’s. Her avant- was first making clothes and decided to picture). The minimalist, monochromatic, garde feminine punk attracted many, send Smith a package consisting of three and geometric garments consistently including fellow artists such as Patti Smith. white shirts because Horses had such an conveys the ingenuity of Demuelemeester. Smith moved to New York City in impact on young Ann while growing up. She never follows fad fashion trends and the late 1960’s and became heavily involved The androgyny of both artists in always stays true to the origins of the in the art scene of downtown Manhattan. their personal style is reflected in each of brand. Though not a fashion designer, Finding her own creative niche, she wrote their respective art mediums. Patti Smith Patti Smith carries this same character poetry which would eventually evolve was ahead of her time by being a female into her music, poetry, and art. The strong into writing songs. Patti Smith also had an lead vocalist while all other musicians in the resemblance in the way the two artists extremely close relationship with renowned band were men. As for Demeulemeester, carry their work explains why they are photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, which her designs have relentlessly such close friends and have always valued each other.
64 Black is not sad. Bright colors are what depresses me. They’re so... empty. Black is poetic. How do you imagine a poet? In a bright yellow jacket? Probably not. - Ann Demeulemeester
SLOWING DOWN FASHION AN ESSAY BY MATTHEW BOYD
66 From nine stories up, rubble crashes onto the dirt. People are screaming and shielding their eyes from the dusty air. Families can be heard calling for their daughters, children are calling for their mothers, but they will never be found. Rana Plaza, a shopping center and garment factory in the Bangladeshi industrial city of Savar has collapsed. The worst part is that the tragedy was preventable. The day before, structural cracks in the building were discovered. The shopping center beneath the factory was cleared, but the garment workers were forced to keep going. The facto- ry-supplied major corporations such as Walmart, The Children’s Place, and Primark. The death toll was 1,132. The corporations above were all operat- ing in the fast-fashion market. Fast-Fashion is a business model that develops poorly made gar- ments from cheap materials produced in garment factories with unsafe working conditions. The garments often fall apart after only a few wears, leading the buyer into the vicious cycle of constant consumption. Today, major fast-fashion corpora- tions include brands like Shein, H&M, and Zara, with Shein being the most popular shopping app in the U.S. On top of this, the clothing is produced for rapidly shifting trends, so even if it does last, the desirability of the piece still diminishes quickly. The general public considers fast fashion to be negative, while the other end of the spec- trum, sustainable fashion, is not as well known. Sustainable fashion is generally considered ethical- ly produced clothing fabricated from responsibly sourced materials. The movement started in the 1960s to combat the detrimental impacts of the fashion industry. Sustainable fashion was initially unpopular, but anti-fur campaigns in the 1980s shifted people to have a more positive outlook on the movement leading to a push for ethical fashion in the late 1990s. Ethical fashion was associated with “fair working conditions, a sustainable busi- ness model, organic and environmentally friendly materials certifications, and traceability.” These ide- als progressed throughout the 2000s and led to the values of the sustainable fashion, or slow-fashion movement, a term that has been recently coined. threadmagazine.com
67 Sustainability is a rapidly growing movement, especially after incidents like the before-mentioned factory collapse. With this forward momentum, consumers can force corporations to operate ethically. The reality of the situation is that in a capitalist society, consumer demand is the only way for corporations to change the way they work. To change the social and environmental detriments of the fashion industry, consumers should push for ethical fashion production by making conscious, sustainable shopping efforts. Fast fashion corporations have been the dominating force in the industry for decades, and they are making the most detrimental impact socially, environmentally, and ethically. One of the main issues is that it works well financially. Corpo- rations can make billions of dollars, and customers can buy affordable, on-trend clothing. On the surface, it seems like a mutually beneficial business model, but that changes when you look a little deeper. Shein, the major Chinese fashion corpora- tion, has revolutionized the industry in a way that allows them to debut “between 2,000 and 10,000 individual styles to its app each day.” Shien devised a method using technology to work with many factories around the world, allowing the company to produce trendy clothing nearly instantaneously. The issue is that the factories are put on extremely tight demand schedules that lead to the overworking of employees and unsafe working conditions. Shein puts pressure on the factories to “deliver some [new styles] in as little as 10 days.” Chinese garment workers have stated that the idea of a 9-5 job is unrealistic in the industry and that working overtime is always to be expected. The factory conditions are incredibly dangerous and not subject to labor laws or inspections, and the workers often make less than $3 an hour, hence why the majority of fast fashion is produced over- seas. The effects of fast fashion production reach even farther than the factory, playing a huge role in climate change and environmental harm. The fashion industry is at fault for 8-10% of the world’s carbon emissions, and the majority of that impact is due to the fast-fashion sector. It is one of the highest polluting industries globally, following energy, transportation, and agriculture. Fast fashion is notorious for high production levels with quick lead times. threadmagazine.com
68 Their praactices lead to “over 92 million tonnes of influencer is a leading factor in this throwaway waste produced per year and 79 trillion litres of culture. They encourage others to do the same as water consumed.” Factories will throw out leftover them– constantly buy new clothing to stay hip and textiles, and consumers discard clothing after it on-trend. Influencers are constantly competing begins to break down. The lifespan of the clothing to establish the next style, so they post photos is incredibly short, sometimes only lasting a few stating that what they are wearing is the next big wears because of its quality. thing. People follow in their footsteps, leading to increased clothing consumption every year. “In The garments are incredibly cheaply made under 15 years … clothing production doubled… with materials that are often toxic. Polyester, one with the average consumer buying 60 percent of the most popular fast-fashion materials, is a more clothing pieces. Each piece is now kept half fabric made primarily of plastic and woven with as long.” Consumers in the past spent more money artificial yarns derived from oil. A large issue with on less clothing, but with America’s obsession with the substance is that it does not biodegrade in the consumption, the cheaper that clothes get, the same way that natural fibers like cotton or linen do. more people will want to buy them. Some people After being thrown away, polyester garments sit in understand that $20 jeans are not built to last; the landfills for hundreds of years. Once woven, the main issue is that many of them do not care. More fabric is often put through harmful dyeing process- people are beginning to shift their mindsets on es to achieve neon or unnatural colors. Another clothing consumption because of recent activism unfortunate outcome of fast fashion production on social platforms, and a rising trend in the fash- is animal mistreatment and the overuse of their ion sphere is the buzzword sustainability. The word sustainable has a straightforward defi- materials. Indeed, luxury corporations such as nition, the ability to be sustained at a specific rate, Burberry or Louis Vuttion are not but sustainability in garment production has a blameless when using leathers and furs, much looser definition. Many people think about it but fast-fashion companies manufacture environmentally, ignorant of the social factors like these materials as cheaply as possible. fair wages and working conditions that come with cheap clothing. Some members of the public even They only seek maximum profit leading them view sustainable fashion as an “out-there” offshoot to exploit countless animals by throwing away of high fashion. materials, keeping them in inhumane conditions, Sustainable fashion, as the term is widely or aggressively shearing them for fur, causing irre- used, comes down to a few simple factors. Gar- versible harm to the animals. Fast-fashion corpo- ments are constructed of environmentally friendly rations are cutting corners with the sole purpose materials and produced in factories with living of maximizing profit, but social media in modern wages, fair hours, and safe working conditions. society has also led to overconsumption issues on a There are numerous facets to sustainability, some large scale. of which deal with the wellbeing of consumers and models as well. Fashion corporations sell an image The fashion industry cycles itself around to consumers that commonly goes too far. Adver- trends that have been sped up by platforms such as tisements and fashion campaigns often photoshop Instagram and Tik Tok. In the past, high fashion the model’s bodies to portray them as dangerously brands have released collections twice a year, once thin. In fact, “the growing use of photoshopping in for summer and once for winter, but even those advertisements has led to an increase in female eat- have sped up to doing four annual collections for ing disorders.” Buying from brands that incorpo- both men and womenswear. “Brands are now pro- rate body positivity and are not known to cast mal- ducing almost twice the number of clothing collec- nourished models is another way to promote social tions compared with pre-2000, when fast-fashion well-being. When purchasing newly manufactured phenomena started.” Today, fast fashion brands clothing, ethically produced and environmentally sometimes release upwards of 20 collections a year. friendly clothing are the main things to consider. Due to the advent of image sharing on social me- dia, individuals have begun purchasing clothing for the sole purpose of taking photographs in them. The majority of these garments end up in the trash after very little use. The rise of the social media
69 Many may wonder if clothing consumption can be genuinely sustainable as it is the process of consuming limited resources. Truthfully, there is no such thing as a sustainable product, but there are ways to lessen your environmental impact as a consumer. A more realistic way to measure the impact of a product on the environment is to com- pare it to similar ones. For example, you could take a pair of jeans from Everlane, examine the factory they are produced in, the fabric they are made of, and the dyeing process used, and compare it to a pair of jeans from Walmart. It will be nearly im- possible to find direct information on the Walmart jeans, but looking into garment factory conditions in their country of origin can give the consumer plenty of information. Unfortunately, a pair of jeans coming from a brand like Everlane or even higher-end sustainable denim brands will come at a much steeper price point than their fast-fashion counterparts. You are being charged for living wages, organic fabrics, and higher quality. Clothing at a more environmen- tally conscious level seems expensive. However, if consumption was slowed and Americans stopped needing to purchase clothing constantly, it would seem more reasonably priced, especially when considering the garment lifespan. When properly cared for, sturdy materials like denim and canvas can last decades. Higher quality clothing can some- times end up being cheaper in the long run, as you can repair it instead of trash it. The clothing often lasts much longer than those made to break down and keep you spending money. For some people, spending $100 on a pair of jeans is unrealistic, and that is where conscious consumption and other sustainable shopping options come into play. People in the United States who live under the pov- erty line and buy clothes out of necessity are not the issue with consumption in America. It is those with disposable income who buy upwards of 50 pieces of clothing a year to stay trendy and stylish. Conscious consumption is when the consumer thoroughly considers their purchases. You may ask yourself questions like: Is this item a micro-trend? Will I still be wearing this in a few years? What is it made out of? Where was it manufactured? Conscious consumption is essential because, as consumers, it is the only way to make a difference. Ordinary people cannoy physically change how
70 fashion corporations operate, but they can show them that they want ethically produced clothing. Researching the brands you buy clothes from is the first step to more consciously consuming. A fantastic website to find information about popular brands is good on you. They research popular brands and outline their ethics and environmental efforts in an easily comprehended format. You can find reviews on anything from major corporations like Adidas to smaller independent designers like Story MFG that are incredibly useful in the process of consuming consciously. The most important things to look for when purchasing new clothing are organic fabrics, natural dyes, good manufactur- ing conditions, and living wages for their workers. Brands making efforts to check all these boxes will generally make that information easy to find. Americans love to buy new clothing, but there are plenty of other options that are much more affordable and equally as stylish as buying from new brands. Shopping at thrift stores has become extremely popular over the last few years, especial- ly with younger generations. It is affordable, and purchasing existing clothing is one of the most sus- tainable shopping options. If you do not live near a thrift store, secondhand shopping websites like Grailed, Depop, and even eBay are great options. The prices on those websites will vary greatly, but there will be something for everybody. If you have more to spend on items, curated vintage clothing stores both online and in-person can be another great way to shop sustainably and often locally. The idea of shopping consciously and sustainably comes down to a few fundamental principles. Buy less clothing, buy better clothing, and take care of the clothing you have. The practices of corpora- tions lie in the hands of the consumer, and if the consumer can show the corporations that they demand sustainability, then that is what will be sold. Practicing conscious consumption is not easy, especially in America, where material wealth is seen as the critical marker of success. However, we need to shift our values when it comes to clothing. Lives are at stake, and so is our planet.
71 FEMININE FRUITS FEMININE FRUITS
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Made to be lived in.
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bottle78d content you seem to question reality a lot wondering if ur worthy of this life forgetting how hard you’ve gripped ur palms to strings but you deserve warmth and the stolen kisses before you deserve the shoulders of angels to lean on for your beautiful lines one day you’ll find them and I’ll watch smiling from ear to ear watching you glimmer shine in their glory your eyes sparkling like they did once for me you were rest and you were more you were the kisses you planted or the bruises painted before white skin caressed me birds sang on your dead corpse ur words met ends and ur bruises painted skies goodbyes seemed like a crime there’s four walls of captivity one for my lover and three for his men he’s a lurker for many
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Freshness and comfort you won’t want to take off.
Fruit Of The Loom.
82 INTERVIEW WITH AMY NEUNSINGER AND KATE MARTINDALE On the art industry and finding your creative path. Kate Martindale, prop stylist and interior decorator, and On the show, Kate and Amy will redo tired living spaces Amy Neunsinger, photographer and architect, started and revamp them to gorgeous and unique rooms that feel working with each other on photoshoots in 2009. Their more like home. I wanted to interview both of them be- work chemistry did not go unnoticed by clients and since cause of their experience and successful careers in the art then have been hired together very frequently. With com- world. As a young person still trying to figure out exactly plementing styles, the LA based team is now filming a TV what my path should be, I asked the two women separate show for the Magnolia channel. questions in hopes to understand their techniques and dynamics a bit more along with receiving some advice.
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84 BF: What are some of your architectural or photo- graphic inspirations? BF: What were your younger years like in relation to AN: Georgia O’Keeffe. Ghost Ranch in New the arts? Mexico. I think being a woman artist and living in AN: Well, I grew up with a single mom so we that architectural masterpiece has always been a huge really didn’t have a stable home. But whenever I would inspiration. She profoundly influenced me the most, go to a friend’s home and there was music on and in both disciplines. art on the wall and dinner parties, that’s what com- BF: A lot of architects say form follows function, do pletely imprinted on me. My mom said the first thing you believe that or do you like a bit more ornamenta- I said when coming back from a friend’s house was tion in your design? the parquet floors, of course I didn’t know they were AN: My philosophy is that form and func- called parquet yet. But I would always talk about how tion intersect. And when they intersect that’s the light would hit the parquet floor in this friend’s house. genius. For everything in life, when you have the But this was in Colorado when I was young. So I think intersection of two brilliant disciplines or two brilliant everything that I was lacking is what I do now. ideas, that’s the magic. Form follows function? It can BF: What parts of your education do you find most get a little boring. You look at brutalist architecture, relevant in your work? mid-century, or Philip Johnson. How functional is AN: It’s kind of not my education, it’s been The Glass House? I don’t know, but it’s one of the most my discipline that I’ve tried after school. You know, influential residential houses ever. Like Frank Lloyd studying architecture was a really great foundation Wright, they were beautiful but in the function, they for me seeing design, light, and the qualities of both were very cold and austere. For me in life and the of those together that helps me in my photography. reality of everyday living, it’s an intersection. I think what has really helped me the most is when I fail. Those have been my biggest lessons. I’m good at AMY NEUNSINGER what I do because of everything I’ve done in my past. My education, people I met along the way, the job’s that I had that were wrong, certain paths that I took that were wrong that led me to new things. There were no mistakes and if you keep your mind open, then opportunities will always arise. So, the disciplines I studied and my attitude has helped me in my career for sure.
85 BF: How do you think photography and architecture BF: How does working with a creative partner help go hand in hand? you accomplish your goals? AN: It’s the quality of light. It’s how a AN: I always feel like it’s so great to be chal- building interacts with its exposure to the sun and lenged. In life I never want to be told “Oh yeah, that’s the same with photography. There’s only one light great”, I want to be told “Okay that looks really good, source, the sun. Light gives you a sense of time, a but what about…”. It’s about pushing that peanut sense of emotion. And those for both photography forward another inch. And then it’s a ping pong game, and architecture, it’s the same thing. How does this trying to get it to just the right place. When you’re make you feel? And it’s the light and that interaction. working and collaborating with somebody, there’s that People are emotional about light because everybody dialogue that makes you think about something you has a different experience. Like when you were young, might not think about yourself. You might not agree, how did the light come into your kitchen while you and that’s another discussion you have to have. But it’s were sitting having breakfast with your family. There always good to be challenged. is a sense of calm because it is the one thing that’s the same everyday. The sun sets and it comes back up as BF: Do you have any dream creative projects? it interacts with the house. So it’s interesting, it’s my philosophy on pretty much everything. AN: I’m doing it right now. Maybe not the lack of sleep. But this is all of our talents coming BF: How does your approach differ when doing com- together under one umbrella. We’re teaching through mercial projects versus personal projects? this show. It’s not in a magazine where it’s just there. Now we are allowed to share the reason why we are AN: Well, a personal project is driven from doing things. That to me is the most exciting thing. my heart, what do I want to see. A commercial is an idea born somewhere else that I’m hired to execute. So, I always infuse my personal touch because that’s what I’m hired to do. But the original idea is not mine, I’m there to execute it best I can with my point of view.
BF: How did you develop your style and find your 88 niche in the design world with so much competition? BF: You do various types of styling, can you tell me a KM: It’s funny because I didn’t really think bit about how your approach changes from food styl- that I actually had a work style and then you look back ing to interiors to prop styling, etc? and people talk about it. You look at your portfolio, KM: Well it’s not really a change but more of your Instagram, the past 25 years. I think when I’m a request from the client. So somebody will hire me as allowed to go free rein creative, which. I like romance a food stylist, an interior stylist, or a prop stylist but and beauty and things that feel really really authentic I think the cool thing is that I can do all three. And I in this world. So anything that feels like it has some think that’s because I’ve been doing this for so long. incredible history, I automatically gravitate towards. Being just a prop stylist wasn’t enough for me so I What I have found is with photoshoots, no matter would go on set and I would watch the food stylist and the client or the objective, I just always want to put learn to cook really well so that I was able to be more something vintage in it because I feel like that is the than the prop stylist. most real thing. Something that has a patina on it or When I moved to LA from Atlanta I had something that was crafted a long time ago, because been a prop stylist for maybe a year or a year and a they were made with better care and actually thought half, and I was living with my then husband at the out. time in an apartment. My next door neighbor was Courtney Love’s personal assistant and she came over one time and said how much she loved my apartment. I was shocked because I had no idea what I was doing as an interior decorator. She then hired me as Court- ney Love’s interior stylist. And the person who was her interior decorator was Jennifer Nickleson, Jack Nickleson’s daughter, was fired and replaced by me. It’s really interesting and I tell that story be- cause in a way all of the job’s that I’ve done have been sort of learned by just doing them and not realizing that I could do them. I’ve never had actual training to do any of these jobs, I just had the desire to do them. And there’s value in that. I developed all of that over time as I did more and more photo shoots because I found that when I did that, people really loved that aspect of the shoots. I got this reputation for digging at flea markets rather than just going to TJ Maxx or Target for props. I shopped a little longer and harder than I probably needed to, but I was looking for pieces that made a photo feel more layered and authentic. KATE MARTINDALE
89 BF: How do you keep your style consistent across dif- BF: Where do you source the majority of your props ferent mediums and jobs while still meeting the client’s and furniture? needs? KM: Flea markets. Flea markets. Flea mar- KM: I just listen to my clients. They dictate it kets. Estate sales too. It’s really important to repurpose and I do it, with my approach and perspective. what’s already in this world, and to have a vision while you do it. Like today, Amy and I went to an estate sale BF: What is something that consistently challenges you and there was a beautiful Eames chair but all of the at work, even after being in the industry for a while? upholstery was dead. So we bought the chair and we’re going to recover it, because the shape of the chair is KM: Staying current with trends and being just irreplaceable. relevant. You always want to be relevant and it’s a con- stant challenge. And the minute you don’t challenge BF: How does working with a creative partner help yourself is the minute you’re dead in the water. That you accomplish your goals? goes for anybody on any level in any industry too. KM: I agree that you always want to be chal- BF: What advice would you give to someone who is lenged by a partner. But I think the most important struggling to find their artistic medium? thing is working with somebody who encourages your creativity, even when they don;t understand it. You KM: Don’t scroll through social media. don’t want to collaborate with a partner who squashes When you’re trying to find out what you want to do, or belittles your ideas. They should be able to under- don’t do it by watching what other people do and stand the process of creativity and how important it is. comparing yourself to that. Give yourself a shutdown of everything around you, friends, social media, BF: Do you have any dream creative projects? everything. It’s really easy to watch what everyone else is doing around you and to feel envious of that. If you KM: I would love one day to buy a Bambi feel like you have a creative energy but don’t know Airstream and completely redo all of the interior and what makes you happy, and you’re looking to every- take it on a cross country road trip. It has always been one else’s creative enervery, all it’s going to do is drive a dream of mine. you mad. You have to try to really listen to what you think your creative outlet is and then you have to try a few things until the sound that’s in your head catches the sound you’re playing and becomes your creative medium. When you find it, you have to work hard and then you become really good at it. And that is the only way you’ll survive being a creative person.
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94 FALL INTO THE GAP THE EARLY YEARS DENIM, DENIM, DENIM
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THREAD MAGAZINE Spring Summer 2022
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